Montreal, QB Terrible Disaster At Picture Theatre, Jan 1927

77 MONTREAL KIDDIES KILLED.
LIVES ARE SNUFFED OUT IN SUNDAY PICTURE THEATRE FIRE.
LITTLE VICTIMS EITHER TRAMPLED, SUFFOCATED AS EXITS JAMMED IN RUSH.

ONE OF MOST POIGNANT TRAGEDIES IN HISTORY OF MONTREAL -- VICTIMS RANGE FROM 5 TO 16 YEARS -- UNPARALLELED SCENES AS FRANTIC PARENTS BESIEGE MORGUE SEEKING THEIR LOVED ONES.

Montreal, Jan. 10. -- The death of another youngster today brought the number of casualties up to 77 in the Laurier Palace theatre fire and panic here yesterday afternoon. Some thirty other children, who were injured in the catastrophe, are now receiving treatment in hospitals. The six bodies which remained unidentified up to a later hour last night were claimed by the parents of the victims at the morgue today.
The six were: LAROTTE FRANCOEUR, 14; ARTHUR GASTON, 6; ROGER PAGEAU, 14; ARTHUR GODON, 13; IDA GODIN, 10; and ARTHUR ST. PIERRE, 13.

All of the victims have now been identified.


Montreal Surveys Scene of Havoc.
Montreal, Jan. 10. -- The citizens of Montreal this morning were sorrowfully surveying the havoc wrought yesterday afternoon, when, within a few brief minutes the lives of seventy-six children were snuffed out and twenty-four other persons were more or less seriously injured as the result of panic in the Laurier Palace moving picture theatre which followed an alarm of fire. The little victims whose ages ranged from five years to sixteen or seventeen were for the most part suffocated by smoke or trampled to death under the feet of the throng which jammed the exits in the wild rush to safety.

The tragedy is one of the most poignant that has ever occurred in this city and is the greatest moving picture catastrophe that has happened in this country. In several cases more than one member of the same family was killed.

Constable ALBERT BOISSEAU of the Tetreaultville police station, lost three children.

Frantic Parents Besiege Morgue.

All yesterday afternoon and evening there was a heart rending procession of distracted parents to the city morgue where the seventy-six little bodies were laid out, awaiting identification. The scenes within the building were unparalleled in their tragedy and in pathos as heartbroken mother crushed with grief, came to seek and in too many instances to claim some pitiful little corpse. Stricken to the depths with horror and the sorrow of it all, the officials guided the mourning parents among the bodies, themselves grim and unemotional as a rule, breaking into tears at the sad and unprecedented spectacle. For hours an endless line of fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers passed before Coroner McMAHONE as the aged official, his head bowed in grief and his heart filled with sympathy, assisted them to fulfill the requirements of the law. Working ceaselessly and giving to each bereaved parent the same kindly attention throughout the night, the coroner issued death certificates after all identifications had been made and the cause of death determined.

Many Children Not Attended.
To each parent, he put the question whether their dead child had gone to the theatre attended by some responsible person and if he or she had secured the parents permission. The answers in many cases were in the negative.
How the fire, which was the cause of the catastrophe, began, will not be determined until the inquest which begins today and until the owner of the theatre, AMEEN LAWAND, a Syrian, has been questioned. LAWAND was taken to the police station at an early hour this morning in company with three others, the assistant manager, the head usher and the ticket taker. He was granted $500 bail and will appear as a witness.

Children Stampede.

The fire started during the showing of a comedy picture. The theatre was well filled, with children predominating. The fire was discovered by an usher who took immediate steps to extinguish it while at the same time counselling the audience to refrain from panic. The children, however, became frightened and a wild rush was made for the exits. Those who were seated in the balcony made a dash for the stairs, and it was here that the disaster happened. At the end of the stairway, near the bottom, only a few feet from the sidewalk, the children became jammed. Dozens of them fell and were trampled under foot, their life literally crushed out of them, while many more, fighting madly to get out of the building, tried to push them from behind. The result was a hopeless crush. So tightly was the mass jammed that even when assistance in the shape of firemen and policemen arrived, it was found impossible for twenty men, pulling on a rope attached to one of the children to release him from the crush.

The Work Of Rescue.

Holes were made in the stairs underneath the mass and another in the side wall of the building and through these many of the children were dragged to safety.
While this was in progress the fire had been extinguished, but the building was filled with smoke. Choking and gasping for breath, the children were feverishly dragged out of the theatre, but in many cases it was too late. The little people were brought out merely to temporarily breathe in the cold fresh air, and then to fall back dead.
Ambulances, police patrols and taxicabs were pressed into service, the taximen volunteering their assistance gratis and as the victims were handed out they were rushed to the hospitals. The dead children were taken to the morgue. Then began the sad search. Frantic parents, most of whom resided in the vicinity of the theatre, rushed madly from the place to the hospitals and from the hospitals to the morgue. In many cases the visit to the hospital ended the search, but in many more the search did not finish until the parents saw their childrens stretched out dead.

Policeman Finds Own Three Kiddies.

Several of the firemen and policemen had their own children attending the theatre and they worked feverishly to extricate the mass. Constable BOISSEAU sought his three children, and the second sheet he turned up on the sidewalk disclosed the features of one of them. His other two had likewise perished.
Mayor MODERIC MARTIN last evening issued a message of condolence to the bereaved parents and the Montreal Theatre Managers' association at once opened a subscription which will swell from the original $10,000 aimed at.

The theatre is in the Hochelaga district, in the east end of the city between Moreau street and Pie Ix boulevard.
The vast majority of the victims were French-Canadian children, although a few names are those of English-Canadians.


The Lethbridge Herald Alberta Canada 1927-01-10

St. Lawrence River, QB Steamer MONTREAL Disaster, June 1857

Quebec, June 27

The steamer Montreal, touring between Montreal and Quebec, left this port at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon having on board near 500 passengers, of whom a majority were Scotch and other emigrants who had recently arrived from Europe.

Nothing unusual occurred after leaving the wharf until the Montreal rounded a point off Cape Roegue, about ten or fifteen miles above this city, when the wood work near the furnace was discovered on fire. Almost the very moment the smoke was discovered, the flames burst forth causing the utmost consternation among the crowded passengers. Every effort was made to arrest the flames. The boat was stopped so as to lessen the draft, but finding it impossible to save her, Capt. RUDOLPH ordered her to be run towards the shore. The wildest confusion and despair pervaded throughout the ship, and many of the passengers threw themselves overboard and were in most cases drowned.
Fortunately the steamer Napoleon, also bound for Montreal, was but a few miles in advance of the burning boat.
As soon as the fire was discovered she put back with all speed and succeeded in rescuing from the burning wreck, 125 passengers. Capt. RODOLPH and the passengers of the Montreal, were amongst those who threw themselves into the river, they being excellent swimmers succeeded in reaching the steamer Alliance and were saved. It is quite possible that others may have saved themselves by swimming, but, as the steamer was becoming unmanageable, some, no doubt, found a watery grave.

Sixteen of those saved died within a short time after reaching the deck of the Napoleon. It is believed the total loss of life by this terrible disaster will not fall short of 300 to 400. The steamer Alliance arrived here this P.M. with 45 dead bodies and another boat is known to have recovered 60.
Names of the lost not yet known excepting MR. PHILLIPS, of the firm of Noreruss & Phillips, Three Rivers.

The Montreal had on board 258 emigrants, recently arrived from Glasgow, together with several German families, raftsmen, and several American passengers.
Names of Saved:

ALEX CALDWELL, 18 months old.
GEORGE MUIR.
JAMES MUIR.
JAMES GILCHRIST, about 4 years old.
AGNES JOHNSON.
PETER McCAUL.
RICHARD DEVLIN.
BRIDGET DEVLIN.
Ladies' Maid of the Montreal.
MME. PREVOST, Maid of the Montreal.
JAMES McDERMIT, boot boy of the Montreal.
CATHERINE McCARTHY.
KATE and JESSIE LAURIE, about 6 years old.
CATHERINE CLARK and daughter.
MARGARET McALLISTER and three children.
MARY M'LEAN and son.
MRS. McKENZIE.
MRS. MARGARET DIXON.
MRS. MARY BLOOMFIELD.
DAVID WILSON and one boy.
JOHN HUNTER.
WILLIAM DOUGLASS, 14 years old.
JOHN CAMPBELL and MARIA CAMPBELL.
JAMES and JEANNETTE LAURIE.
JANE WYLIE.
WILLIAM CARROL.
THOMAS GILCHRIST.
MRS. MARY PETTIGREW.
ARCHIBALD McALLISTER.
CHARLES CAMERON.
ALEXANDER COLVILLE.
JOHN HAIG.
ALEXANDER McALLISTER.
WILLIAM NICHOLSON.
ALEXANDER KNOX.
HUGH STEWART.
WILLIAM BLACK.
JAMES MALCOLMSON.
ALEXANDER WATSON.
THOMAS P. WALKER and wife.
Servants of J. GREENSHIELDS.



Names of Persons Supposed to be Lost:
MR. and MRS. CALDWELL.
MR. and MRS. LAURIE.
Four children of DAVID GILCHRIST.
MR. CLARKE and one child.
MR. J. McKENZIE.
B. E. WALLACE.
A son and niece of MRS. MARGARET DICKSON, who is saved.
Two children of MRS. MARGARET BLOOMFIELD, who is saved.
MRS. DAVID WILSON and five children, husband saved.
MR. DOUGLASS, father of WILLIAM, who is saved.
MRS. DOUGLASS, and a sister of MR. DOUGLASS together with six children.
MRS. CAMPBELL, mother of JOHN and MARIA, and two sisters.
MR. and MRS. LAURIE, parents of JAMES and JEANNETTE, who are saved, and a girl.
MR. WYLIE, husband of MRS. JANE WYLIE, and three children.
MR. and MRS. McALLISTER, parents of ARCHIBALD, who is saved, and a child.
MR. NICHOLSON, father of WILLIAM, who is saved.
JAMES MAXWELL.
ANTOINE GAGNON.
MICHAEL BRENNAN, waiter.
JAMES SULLIVAN.
HUGH McLEAN, with two children.
CHARLES McKAY.
R. WILSON and two sons.
MARY WILSON.
HYPOLITE ASSELIN.
XAVIER HAMEL.
FRANCOIS CHARRON.
WILLIAM GRAHAM.
JAMES WATSON, son and daughter.
CLEOPHAS BOUDREAU.
MARIE LONE SQUARE.
JOHN GRANT, steward of the JOHN McKENZIE'S
JOHN McINTYRE.
MRS. COLIN SINCLAIR.
ANDREW ADAMS.
JOHN LACHLANE.
WILLIAM McLEOD.
MARGARET CORBETT.
JAMES McQUEEN, son and daughter.
CATHARINE McKENZIE.
MRS. MARY HUNTER and five children.
JAMES McEWING.
SERG. BROWN and wife.
EDWARD PERREAULT.
WILLIAM MARTIN.
MR. O'BRIEN, Toronto.
MRS. CHRISTIAN.
MRS. MAXWELL, wife of JAMES MAXWELL, saved, and three sisters.
MRS. McBETH, wife of ALEXANDER McBETH, saved, and a child.
MRS. WILSON, wife of ROBERT WILSON, saved, and one child.
JAMES COLQUHOUN, son of COLIN CAMPBELL, who is saved.
MRS. LACHIAN, wife of JOHN LACHLAN, who is saved, and five children.
MRS. McKENZIE, mother of CATHERINE McKENZIE, five sons and two daughters.
MR. CHRISTIAN, two boys and two girls.
A sister of ANDREW ADAMS who is saved.

Daily Milwaukee News Wisconsin 1857-06-28

Quebec City Stairways

Quebec City has 30 stairways that connect the Upper and Lower towns, each has a story to tell, here are five such stairways.

Escalier du Faubourg (99 steps)

Also known as the Sainte-Claire or Le Soleil Stairs, Escalier du Faubourg was built out of wood some time before 1858 and rebuilt in iron in 1889. The current version dates back to 1931. In the opinion of historian Yves Beauregard, this three-level staircase is the city's “most graceful and soaring.” From the top, you'll have a splendid view of the Saint-Roch district and the Laurentian mountain range. You'll notice a portrait of the mayor of the time (1882–1890), François-Charles-Stanislas Langelier, built into the iron arch decorating the stairs.

 

Lépine Stairs (118 steps)

Built out of wood in 1857, this stairway was demolished and rebuilt in iron in 1883. Officially given the name Lépine in 1986 after a nearby funeral home, this stairway is undeniably one of Québec City's loveliest. The finely worked wrought iron arches at each end seem woven out of floral symbols. They also bear the names of the prominent citizens who made the construction possible. The arch at the bottom is the original, while the one at the top is a copy.

Breakneck Stairs (59 steps)

The Breakneck Stairs linking côte de la Montagne with rue du Petit-Champlain were built in 1635, making this the city's oldest stairway. In 1660, this staircase appears on a map of the village that grew into Québec City. The stairs have been restored several times since then, including once in 1889 by the city's celebrated architect and engineer Charles Baillargé. Local residents gave it the name Breakneck because of the steep incline.

Cap-Blanc Stairs (398 steps)

Québec City's longest staircase was built out of wood in 1868. At the time, it was used by the workers of the Cap-Blanc district to walk to work in the Cove Fields munitions factories, which were then located on the Plains of Abraham.
The stairs have been rebuilt many times, because they are bolted onto a rock wall subject to rockslides. Today the stairway includes a number of landings to give users a chance to catch their breath. The stairs remain a real challenge for joggers and other athletes who want to test their physical condition.

Escalier de la Pente-Douce (133 steps)

This stairway was named after a novel by Roger Lemelin, a Québec City author whose first novel, Au pied de la pente douce (The Town Below, literally “at the foot of the gentle slope”), was published in 1944. It dealt with daily life and the colorful characters of his Québec City neighborhood, Saint-Sauveur, and was quite controversial at the time.

Charles-Baillargé Stairs (35 steps)

In 1980 this stairway was named for Charles Baillargé, Québec City's architect and engineer from 1866 to 1899. He was responsible for numerous structures now considered part of the city's heritage, including several stairways. Formerly known as the Buade Stairs, these received an outstanding facelift based on 1893 plans by Baillargé himself. To get to them, go down impasse du Chien d'Or to the corner of rue Buade. The stairs take you to côte de la Montagne, from where you can admire historic surroundings that include parc Montmorency, rue des Remparts, and the Québec Seminary.



(c)2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson

Diamond Harbour School - 1854 - 1888

Diamond Harbour School - 1856 Presentation drawing

The Diamond Harbour School served the children of Protestant sailors and shipbuilders in the working class Cap-Blanc neighborhood. Originally located in the the basement of the Mariner's Chapel, it moved to a new building in 1863.

Former Diamond Harbour School - 1900

This elegant neo-gothic schoolhouse was the second to be created by the Protestant Board of School Commissioners of Quebec, after the Artillery Street School.

With the decline of the shipbuilding trade, attendance at the school fell and part of the building was transformed into a Lutheran Scandinavian Church in 1876. The school finally closed in October 1888, but the building later housed the Sarsfield Athletic Club and the Quebec Harbour Authority, and has since been converted to a private residence.

Former Diamond Harbour School became a Scandinavian Church - 1900

The institution should not be confused with the Catholic Diamond Harbour School also known as the Foulons School.

2012

Diamond Harbour School is now a private residence.


Copyright (c)2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson

St. Paul's Mariner's Chapel 1832 - 1921

Saint Paul's Mariner's Chapel was used by my Irish great-grandparents for several births, baptisms, and funerals. It was built on the infamous Rue Champlain where many a disastrous rock slide had and would continue to occur. My great-grandfather was a stevedore, working on the timbers wharves of Quebec City, living in Wolfe's Cove at one time.

St. Paul's Chapel aka Mariners Chapel

1831 St. Paul’s Anglican Mariners

Québec - Rev. J.E.F. Simpson, presiding in 1848, at which time the church was referred to as the Chapelry of Saint Paul, earlier names assigned to that church were Mariners' Chapel on Champlain Street, and the Church on Munn's Cove. The latter was consecrated on June 23, 1832 by the Bishop of Quebec.

Mariner's Chapel - 1889

Saint Paul's (the Mariner's Chapel) was initially a church for the Anglicans of Cap-Blanc, but a new congregation under the same name later set up in Loretteville.

Anglican services in the Cap-Blanc district were first held in the attic of a workshop, then at the home of John Munn, but it wasn't until the construction of Saint Paul's, commonly known as the Mariner's Chapel, that these became official. 

The plain chapel was consecrated on June 3, 1832. The basement eventually housed the Diamond Harbor School, and in 1875 the chapel became an autonomous congregation. With the decline of the harbor side Protestant population following the collapse of the shipbuilding industry, the registers were closed in 1915 and the building was deconsecrated on June 15, 1921.

Saint Paul's was sold to an ice merchant who demolished it.

Saint Paul's Church - c. 1980

St. Paul's at 81 boul des Etudiants
Loretteville G2A 2N4

Consecrated June 11, 1920

The furnishings came from St. Paul's Mariner's Chapel in Quebec City's lower town when that chapel was deconsecrated in 1920. 



Copyright (C) 2016 Linda Sullivan-Simpson

Quebec City Fire - 1881

A FAMOUS CITY IN FLAMES

MORE THAN SIX HUNDRED BUILDINGS BURNED IN QUEBEC.

THE OLD WALLED CITY AGAIN DEVASTATED BY FIRE----A TOTAL OF 657 HOUSES DESTROYED---THE LOSS ESTIMATED AT $1,500,000---FIVE LIVES LOST AND SEVERAL PERSONS MISSING.

QUEBEC, June 9.---One of the most disastrous fires which this unfortunate city has been afflicted with broke out last night, and was only got under control at 6 o'clock this morning. The first alarm was from the corner of St. Olivier and St. Claire streets at 10:50 o'clock. A few minutes later the bells from Basilica, St. John, and St. Roch's Churches rang out a second alarm, and the whole force of the Fire Brigade was soon upon the ground. The reflection of the flames was so visible that in a short time half the city appeared to be attracted to the scene, and by 11:30 o'clock all the avenues around and leading to the fire were so completely packed with people that it was next to impossible to force a way through them. The scene near the conflagration was one of utter confusion. Half of those present seemed panic-stricken, and three-fourths of the others only added to the confusion by running against each other and really contributing to the destruction of property while believing they were helping to save it. Parents, partly clothed, hurried along in every direction, with infants wrapped in bed clothing in their arms. Cows and horses, let loose from burning stables, rushed through the crowd or stood dazed by the uproar.

The fire originated in a stable on St. Olivier-street, near St. Marie-street. The flames quickly spread to the surrounding wooden buildings and to the streets above and below.

St. Olivier Latourelle, St. Marc, and Richelieu streets were quickly a mass of fire for some hundred feet of each in extent, the flames from the other sides of the streets overlapping in the middle, and completely closing them to all traffic.

The scenes common to all great fires were readily discernible at this stage. Even the Police and firemen were to a great extent demoralized. Daring robbery was carried on freely in full sight of everybody. Liquor stores and private dwellings attacked by the flames were ransacked for liquor, which was openly drank by the people of the lowest grade of society, who are common to the locality in question and who frequent low hovels, whose destruction is the least regrettable feature of the disaster. There were, of course, striking contrasts to the numerous instances of generous humanity. The sparks, which everywhere blew from the burning wooden buildings, were themselves a terrible source of danger to the rest of the city. It was no uncommon sight to see men's coats and hats ablaze from the burning pieces of shingles which lighted upon them. The wind being from the north drove the fire rapidly in the direction of St. John's Church. The rush of cold air caused by the rapid spread and large volume of flames seemed to divide the wind into local currents, which scattered the fire around in every direction, and the Fire Brigade found it more unmanageable than ever.

The firemen allege that four wooden houses were found on fire by them when they arrived upon the scene, and that with water absent and unattainable for some 20 minutes it was impossible for them to obtain the mastery. The hydrants threw good streams when the water came into the ward, but too late to be of much service. When the fire spread as above described, the Fire Brigade lost all control over any part of it, their necessary subdivision into so many parties making them weak at every point, and the flames swept onward with almost lightning rapidity.

A great part of Daguillon, West, and St. Genevieve streets had been destroyed when the flames appeared in St. John street, a little further out than Hetherington's bakery. At 1 o'clock the clanging of the bells of St. John;s Church in rapid tones told of danger to that property, and summoned assistance from all who had it to give. The whole efforts of the Fire Brigade were immediately bent on saving the building, but to no avail. Nothing was saved but the sacred vessels and some of the most valuable of the plate and furniture of the sanctuary. The fire had possession of the structure in a very few minutes, and the finest and largest church in the city was doomed to destruction.

It was a grand sight to witness the flames climbing the steeples of the church and to see the [their] them fall a few minutes later. The more northerly of the two was the first to go. It tottered and fell into the roof of the structure. the other steeple gradually sunk and telescoped. Next after the church came the Friars' School opposite. The people in the neighborhood, confident that the church would not be burned, had carried their household goods to the front of the building and there piled them up. Everything was consumed. The church was worth at least $100,000, upon which the insurance amounts to only $10,000.

At the foot of Jupiter-street, below Berthlot Market, the flames had crossed from the lower side of St. John-street, and from this point they rapidly progressed westward along that fine avenue, keeping pace with the other division of the conflagration opposite. Nor was the fire now confined to St. John-street. At Jupiter-street it spread southward to Berthlot-Market-place, destroying property on Gabriel and St. Patrick streets as far out as there were buildings to be destroyed. A lower field alone staid the progress of the fire. At Scott-street the fire ran upward toward Grand-alley at a terrible rate, there being no water, men, hose, nor other appliances to stav it. Only a gap caused by the recent conflagration here stopped the total destruction of the whole street. The only thing that the firemen succeeded in doing was to curb the fire east of Genevieve-street, and here, in fact, the wind was blowing from the east and north-east. From Latourelle-street, and up nearly to St. John, the westerly side of St. Genevieve-street had been swept away. To the north the fire extended as far as Richmond-street. The western limit is a little beyond the street car stables at Mount Pleasant near the city boundary.

Briefly summed up the streets consumed are running east and west; Richmond in part, principally the south side, Latourelle, St. Oliver, Richelieu, Daquillon, and St. John's Ward in Montclam; St. Gabriel, Mouvelle and Breton. Running north and south the principol[sic] streets were Sutherland, Deligny, St. Clair, St. Marie, and St. Genevieve, west side, besides Jupiter-street, in Montcalm Ward, also west side. Among the property destroyed on John-street were a large number of handsome buildings used as stores and private residences.

"A" Battery was called out and rendered efficient aid in saving property and in keeping order. Several remarkable whirlwinds were caused by the fire. In some cases men were lifted off the ground by the force of the wind. The fire extended even to the lower field, where most of the houseless people had camped out with what household effects they had saved; and these goods were almost all burned as they lay piled up on the grass. During the night burning shingles fell in the city as far out as Maple-avenue, endangering every part of the town. Several incipient fires in several streets were suppressed by the vigilance of the occupants. It is computed that there must be a loss of $2,000,000 between the buildings, stock and furniture. More than 1,500 families are made homeless by the conflagration. At least 800 buildings have been destroyed.
It is impossible to give a full and correct list of sufferers and insurance losses at present, but all the insurance losses at present, but all the insurance companies doing business in the city will probably be heavy losers. The Fire Brigade and apparatus was quite unfit to cope with such a fire, and to its weakness and the wretched water service the whole disaster is due.

Rumors circulated as to loss of life were not believed up to 3 P. M. It now appears that five lives were lost. Three bodies have already been recovered. They are those of Mr. and Mrs. Hardy, of No.118 Oliver-street, whose children were saved, and that of a man named Marois, a joiner, of Richelieu-street. Mrs. George Lapperiere and two children are missing, and are also believed to have perished in the flames.

St. John's Church is insured for $63,000. A subscription list in aid of the sufferers has been opened by the Governor-General, who gives $500. The Mayor gives $100, and the Archbishop $1,000.

The total loss is estimated at $1,500,000. The insurance will probably cover about $650,000 of the sum. The City Engineer estimates the number of houses destroyed at about 600. He bases his estimate on the fact that 567 properties on the Cadastral plan of the city were burned, and to these he adds 33 houses on double lots, making 600 in all.

The Governor-General's ball, which was to have come off this evening at Music Hall, has, in consequence of the calamity, been postponed until the evening of the 22d inst.

The discovery of the body of Mr. Hardy was made by men removing rubbish from some ruins. They suddenly came upon a human head so badly burned as to be hardly recognizable, which proved to be that of Mr. Hardy. Besides the five persons already mentioned, there are reports of others missing, who, it is feared, may also have perished in the flames.
Nothing but the walls of St. John's Church now remain, and the fine limestone blocks composing them are completely calcined. There is no doubt that the Fabrique will immediately decide to rebuild this structures. In the meantime mass will be celebrated at the chapel of the Bon Pasteur Lachevroderes. The official list of houses burned given this evening makes the total number 657.

In the Legislative Assembly this evening the Hon. Mr. Chapleau, in a speech in which he referred to the suffering that must result to the poor of Quebec from the terrible fire, moved a vote of $10,000 toward the relief of the sufferers. The Hon. Mr. Joly seconded the motion in a sympathetic speech. The Hon. Messrs. Lynch, Mercier, Robertson, and Irvine, and Messrs. Nelson and Murphy also spoke in a similar strain. The resolution was unanimously adopted.

Charles Renaud, of La Tourelle-street, began at noon to draw the necessary timbers for rebuilding his house. He is probably the first sufferer who has begun operations toward rebuilding.

Most of the sufferers being people in fair circumstances in life, the suffering will not be extensive.


The New York Times, New York, NY 10 Jun 1881

St. Columban Plaque

This plaque was made possible through a generous grant from the Irish Government, Dublin, Ireland - Department of Foreign Affairs Emigrant Support Program (2010). 

After 1821 the Irish immigrants settled on the territory of what is not called Saint-Columban. During subsequent years, despite inhospitable conditions, an Irish community thrived and grew under the auspices of Father Richard Jackson. After his departure in 1825, he was replaced by Father Patrick Phelan. Father Phelan was responsible for the Irish communities of both St. Columban and Montreal. He later rose to prominence in the Church as Curate for Bytown (the future city of Ottawa) and as Bishop of the Kingston diocese.

In 1830, a public meeting was held to decide on the best location for the construction of a chapel which would serve the growing Irish Catholic population of the area. Mgr. Jean-Jacques Lartigue named the new chapel St. Columban after the celebrated 7th Century Irish monk who was the founder of many monasteries throughout Europe.

A simple chapel was built in 1831 on a portion of land that is now part of the Church parking lot. On October 14, 1835, St. Columban acquired its autonomy from Ste-Scholastique and held its first meetings and elections as the self sustaining Parish of St. Columban.

On December 28, 1836, John Plelan donated a section of his land to the Church wardens which is now part of the cemetery.

The story of the St. Columban Irish is part of a larger heritge, that of the Irish in Quebec. Gradually the families in St. Columban left their farms and settled elsewhere, but their Celtic mark remains in the village their ancestors had built.

In the spring of 2010, three monument walls were constructed. Mounted onto these walls were the broken headstones (some dating back to the early 1800's) that were found in the area. These monument walls are dedicated to over 700 Irish immigrants and their descendants who were laid to rest in the St. Columban cemetery.

Over the years their burial markers disappeared. On July 3rd a procession was held from the church to the cemetery. It was led by Father Mike McKenna. The walls were then consecrated in an emotional and heart-lifting ceremony.