Val Racine near Lac-Megantic, county Frontenac, Québec, Canada

Val Racine

  
We do not know which of the founding families was first established around 1877, the territory that would become official in 1900 St. Leon de Marston.But we can imagine a young family, after the now overcrowded land along the St. Lawrence, part to the discovery of a new territory to clear, to prosper in peace and work.
Val Racine 1930 families Dubé and Delay

Like many others, the family may have first made ​​a living in manufacturing booming cities of New England, then back into French and Catholic country. At the time of the 1850s, local elites encouraged colonization by directing the settlers to territories where some infrastructure was prepared for themParish.

Val-Racine (St. Leo the Great)

Saint-Léon-le Large
City: Val-Racine
MRC / Territory equivalent: The Granite
Diocese: Sherbrooke
Opening registers: January 8, 1893

History
Val Racine

County of Frontenac. Diocese of Sherbrooke. Served as a mission from 1883 to 1892, the date of appointment of the first resident priest and openness of the parish registerserection.

Canonical  December 22, 1899. Civil Erection: July 31, 1900.

The territory of this parish includes part of the townships of Marston andChesham.See Official Gazette 1900, page 1543. The municipality of the parish of Saint-Léon-de-Marston was erected on April 26, 1907. See Official Gazette 1907, page 802.

The village is located 9 miles from the station Milan, on the route of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The parish was placed under the patronage of St. Leo in honor of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII. The name of the post office, Val-Racine, was given in honor of Bishop AntoineRacine,first bishop of Sherbrooke.

The township of Marston, erected November 24, 1866, was named after a village in the county Yorkshire, England. Pop. 378. (Source: Magnan, Hormisdas, historical and geographical dictionary parishes, missions and municipalities in the Province of Quebec, 1925, p.521)

But nothing like St.LeoMarston:people arrived, rolled up sleeves and went to work. As we can see from our founding ancestors taste of adventure, freedom and wide open spaces.

Some dates to remember, thecensus 1881reveals the presence of 84 people.

Most of the men are farmers; there is a carpenter, a shoemaker, a hunter. In women, we have a seamstress. Of this group, the dean Leon Giguere is often referred as the "founder" of the colony. This is also from this that Mr. Léon Giguère sojourn in 1883 Bishop AntoineRacine,the same one that will give the name of St. Leo the future parish, both said to be in tribute to Pope Leo XIII and in recognition of the home of his host.

In 1892, the parish has over 300 inhabitants, two merchants, three blacksmiths, a gardener, a teacher ... and even a piano tuner.

Val Racine

in 1900 to the time of the civil erection of the municipality, the population reached 463 inhabitants, who now have at their disposal a butcher, a cheese factory, a sawmill and three schools.

By 1920, the population will reach 545 people, to stay about steady until the 1960s, therefore, it will not escape the rural exodus movement that hit many villages at that time the population decreases to now about 125 people.

In1957,under the administration of Mayor Gérard Gagné, the municipality will officially take the name of Val-Racine.

Does Our story will have a happy ending? In recent years, many young families return to settle and the population has resumed an upward curve. Hope Springs in the tradition of toughness inherited from our ancestorsbreathtaking.

on one of the three peaks of Mount Mégantic, a cross, a chapel, and a landscape  "The site is magical. It is ranked among the three most scenic places in the province of Quebec.

"InAugust 1878,Father Ferdinand Corriveault and a group of settlers from Notre-Dame-des-Bois undertaking to erect a cross on top of the mountain. In 1880, they decided to also build a chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph for his protection against such frequent storms and hurricanes in the region. A combination of circumstances that the mountain will be annexed to Saint-Léon in 1897 and the site, with the participation of people from across the region will continue to grow.

In 1918, the first pilgrimage is organized by the Raoul Dubépriestpilgrimage become tradition, so that between 1940 and 1955, we speak of three to five thousand pilgrims at the annual diocesan climb. "In 1949, records mention the presence of 6000 people."

Even today, some summer Sundays, the faithful can begin the steep ascent to attend Mass in the afternoon, which amounts to a few thousand people visitors who come each year for the course prayer, and the landscape ...

1792 Opening for colonization of the Eastern Townships land

1850 Opening of the Canton of Marston

Towards 1877 Arrival of the first settler Saint-Léon

1881 Federal Census, the first official document

in 1883 Bishop Antoine Racine gives its name to the parish of Saint-Léon

in 1887 first post office in the general store of Joseph Beaudry

1899 Canonical erection of the parish, which becomes truly autonomous

1900 civil erection of the municipality under the name of Saint-Léon-de-Marston

1907 First City Council

Mayor: Pierre Clouâtre

Chairman of the Board: Jean Turcotte

Advisors:

Napoleon Beaudry, Hercules Breault, Pierre Dubé, David Giguère, Alphonse Grenier,

Hilaire Turcotte

City Clerk Charles Beaudry,

Cantonnier Alphonse Grenier

1957 St. Leo Marston officially take the name of Val-Racine

 

 

founding families

1881 Census of

Napoleon Beaulé	Breault Jean-Baptiste	Gilbert Bouffard	Leon Giguere
GiguereIgnace	JeanGuay	HerménégildeLamontagne	Louis(unknown)

Settlers arrived from

France'sMathias

Lepelletier

Petitfour

Census 1892

Adam	Barsalou	Beaudry	Benoit
Clouâtre	Dufault	Fluette	Gagnier
Gendron	Godin	Gosselin	Grenier
Jacques	Lavallière	Oisel	Paradis
Poulin	Tétrault

Recensement 1897

Dubé	Martel	Payette
St. James	St. Lawrence

Contact

DETAILS

Sonia Cloutier, Mayor

Chantal Grégoire,Executive

2991Director,Chemin St-Leon
Val-Racine, Quebec, Canada, G0Y 1E1

Tel: 819-657-4790
Fax: 819-657 -4790
Email:vracine@xplornet.com
Website:www.municipalite.val-racine.qc.ca

Population: 189 inhabitants
Area: 116.80 km2
Inhabitants: Racinois Val-Val-Racinoise

The Parish Municipality of Val-Racine (not to be confused with the city of Racine, also located in the Eastern Townships) is named in honor of Antoine Racine (1822-1893), first bishop of Sherbrooke and the Eastern Townships. The parish was established in 1907 on an area of 117 square kilometers. Today it has about 140 permanent residents.

According to an expression of Rita Blais, a resident of Val-Racine, the small town, "is the sweet peace, the green forest and the birds singing."

St. Leon Church Grand Val Racine

Before colonization, the land belonged to a timber company of Scottish origin, Bristol American LandCo.

The founding families ofVal-Racine,came overcrowded land along the St. Lawrence River, s' to establish to 1877. The first chapel was built there and the parish of Saint-Léon is based. In the 1890s, the parish has over 300 souls, two merchants, gardener, three blacksmiths, a teacher and a piano tuner! In 1900, the territory became St. LeoMarston.At the time of the civil erection of the municipality, a population of 463 inhabitants. They now have at their disposal a butcher, a cheese factory, a sawmill and three schools.

It was in 1957 that the municipality will officially take the name of Val-Racine.

ATTRACTIONS IN THE MUNICIPALITY

Today Val-Racine became a tourist destination par excellence of the Granit region. National Park of Mont-Mégantic is near its territory.

Observatoire du Mont Mégantic

Moreover, the Shrine of Mount St. Joseph (Mont St-Joseph is close to the Mont-Mégantic), place of pilgrimage and popular contemplation, is located in Val-Racine.

The Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountain Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountain, a place of pilgrimage and contemplation, is located on one of the three peaks of Mount Mégantic, in the region of the Eastern Townships, in the territory of Val-Racine.

It is a cross, a small chapel and a landscape breathtaking This site is magical. Since the late nineteenth century, it was ranked among the three most scenic places in Quebec. It was in August 1878 the abbot Ferdinand Corriveault and a group of settlers from Notre-Dame-des-Bois erect a cross at the top of the mountain.

In 1880, they decided to also build a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph for his protection against such frequent storms and hurricanes in the region. In 1918, the first pilgrimage takes place. This pilgrimage was organized by the Raoul Dubé priest, will become tradition. Between 1940 and 1955, three to five thousand pilgrims participating in the annual diocesan climb. In 1949, records mention the presence of 6000 people.

Even today, some summer Sundays, the faithful undertaking the steep ascent to attend Mass in the afternoon, which amounts to a few thousand visitors go there every year, for prayer and for the landscape ...

To join the Shrine of Mount St. Joseph,

189 Park Road, Notre-Dame-des-Bois, Quebec J0B 2E0

Phone: 819-888-2941

Sanctuary St. Joseph Photo

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