Notre Dame de la Paix was a Roman Catholic Mission established near a Métis wintering village on the Elbow River in 1872. Under the direction of Father Constantine Scollen, Métis lay brother, Alexis Cardinal, constructed the first “church” in southern Alberta in the style of a Métis wintering cabin.
The building was moved down the Elbow to its confluence with the Bow in 1875. When the Northwest Mounted Police arrived that same year, it was moved again to what is now the Mission District in Calgary.
Over time, the parish would eventually come to be known as St. Mary’s. However, in the early days, the majority of the congregation was made up of Cree-speaking Métis who inhabited nearby wintering sites or were settled in the emergent community of Calgary.
Although the mission was ostensibly established to preach to the Blackfoot, the missionaries frequently commented in their journals that most of their time was instead spent ministering to the Métis in the area. To that end, this mission speaks to the often overlooked Métis history in the Calgary area.
This listing was created by Matt Hiltermann on April 21, 2023. Please confirm details at the site’s own website before planning your visit. Are you the owner/operator of this historic place? Would you like to make changes to this listing? Please contact us at historicplacesday@nationaltrustcanada.ca
