Charlebois Chapel
108 First Street West
The Pas

Designation Date:  March 2, 2005
Designation Authority:  Town of The Pas
Present Owner:  privately owned

Charlebois Chapel, built in 1897, a structure of simple proportions and materials, stands as an inspiring symbol of the resolve and perseverance that propelled early Roman Catholic missionary activity in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The chapel, the first Roman Catholic church in Manitoba’s north, became a base from which Ovide Charlebois, Oblate missionary and later vicar apostolic of Keewatin and titular bishop of Berenice, undertook pioneering outreach among the region’s Aboriginal peoples, dedicating his life to addressing their spiritual, medical and educational needs. His modest chapel is a true product of the North, built with his own labour using logs floated down the Saskatchewan River from Cumberland House and glass and shingles brought from Prince Albert. Succeeded by a new facility in 1918, the restored chapel, the second oldest structure in The Pas, is an enduring link to the work of a beloved bishop.