MGR Robert Lebel—A man of faith ahead of his time
The Mergl family—A family with strong ties
The mythical concert of the centennial celebrations
The family history of Alphonse Rozon and Anita Therrien
Saint-Lazare’s 150th anniversary committee
Way back when is the Saint-Lazare historical society’s historical magazine published 3 times a year, in January, May and in September.
The content of this publication may be reproduced with acknowledgment of the source on the express condition of having obtained prior permission from the Saint-Lazare historical society.
Cover picture: Hotel Central that was located on chemin Sainte-Angélique (today is the shopping center parking lot)
In the magazine this month:
4 9
Editor: Paul Lavigne
Corrector: Lyne Boutin
13 16
Lifetime membership of the Saint-Lazare historical society is totally free. By becoming a lifetime member, you will receive the electronic link to our magazine 3 times a year and you will benefit from preferential rates for our events.
You can find the membership form on our website www.shsl.ca under the heading Becoming a member.
MGR Robert Lebel A man of faith ahead of the times
The Mergl family—A family with strong ties
The mythical concert of the centennial celebrations
The family history of Alphonse Rozon and Anita Therrien
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Saint-Lazare 150th anniversary committee
Saint-Lazare historical society’s board of directors
President: Donald Simpson
The rates for becoming a corporate or institutional member of the Saint-Lazare historical society are as follows:
GOLD level member (1/4 page publicity): $150.00 per year
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BRONZE level member (1/16 page publicity): $50.00 per year
To become a corporate or institutional member, please send an Email at info@shsl.ca and we will gladly inform you about all the other advantages.
Vice-president: Anick Chevrier
Treasurer: Gérald Sareault
Secretary: Paul Lavigne
Administrator: Robert Rozon
Administrator: Manon Leroux
Administrator: Gisèle Gareau
Administrator: Lyne Arbec
Administrator: Emma Mergl
If you were born between 1970 and 1990 and lived in the Diocese of Valleyfield, chances are excellent that Bishop Robert Lebel, presided over your confirmation ceremony, as did 20,000 other children in the region.
Originally from Trois-Pistoles, Robert Lebel, a 13-year-old young boy, began his studies at the Séminaire de Rimouski in 1938. In his book, Mon Église que j'aime, he recalled his first journey from his native village to the great city :
At the beginning of September, my father, driving his 1931 four-cylinder Ford, drove me, accompanied by my mother, to the Sémi-
naire de Rimouski, my suitcase firmly tied to the rear bumper and the spare tire. Thus began an adventure that was to last eight years.
After his classical course, he was admitted to the Diocesan Major Seminary and continued his studies with the Oblate Fathers at SaintPaul University Seminary in Ottawa. After a few years of studies, Monsignor GeorgesAlexandre Courchesne, Archbishop of Rimouski, suggested that he continue his education in Europe, one year in Italy and three years in Paris. After his year of learning in Rome, his plans changed following the death of Bishop Courchesne. Instead of a few years in Paris, it is the return to Rimouski that awaits the new priest. Gifted in teaching and having an obvious strength for human relations, he was named Superior of the Petit Séminaire de Rimouski, a classical college comprised of some 800 students.
RobertLebelwasborninTrois-Pistoles intheArchdioceseofRimouski.Aman withwritingskills,anartistattimes makingsculpturesandspecializingin patristics,hehadaremarkablecareer asaneducatorandpastor.
AuthenticQuebecerwiththecharacteristicsofthisculturemadehimawarm man.Amanofconvictions,hewasnot afraidtodefendhisopinionsonthe placeofwomenintheChurchforexample and on many other points of viewwhichoftenwouldrequirehimto explainhimselfinRome,whichhedid, with verve. I have excellent memories ofthiswarmmanpastorwhomarked our Church by what he was and by whatheachieved,amongotherthings: appointing the first female episcopal vicarandchancellor.
After having accumulated various roles within the Church, Mgr Lebel recalls a day in 1974 when his life took a surprising turn. As he would say: an unexpected gust of wind pushed me towards an unpredictable destination.
Mgr (Gilles) Ouellet summoned me to the bishopric to tell me that the Pope (Paul VI) wanted to make me a bishop, as an auxiliary to Mgr (Gérard-Marie) Coderre, in SaintJean-de-Québec. He strongly advised me to say yes because Bishop Coderre wanted to have me at his side
On May 12, 1974, Robert Lebel received episcopal ordination from the hands of Bishop Coderre in the Cathedral of Saint-Jean. According to Bishop Lebel, he owes this remarkable bishop his appointment and the orientation he gave to his pastoral ministry. On March 23, 1976, he received a call from the apostolic nuncio asking him to go to the nunciature in Ottawa the next day. On March 23, 1976, he was told that he had been named Bishop
of Valleyfield. Thus began a reign of more than 24 years as the representative of the pope in our beautiful region.
Bishop Lebel was a rigorous man, passionate about the Church, but endowed with an invaluable humanism. Always attentive, some would even say avant-gardiste, he wholeheartedly defended the values that were dear to him, including his openness about the place of women in the Catholic Church. Somewhat shy, he seemed a little distant on a first meeting, but everyone said that once you got to know him, you found a generous and helpful being.
mentsthathavemademeprogressin myspirituallife.
MonsignorLebelwasappointedbythe PopetobeourBishopintheDioceseof Valleyfield. He came to us in 1976. A manofthefutureforChristiansinthe diocese,hegifteduswithhisteachings includingtheimportantroleofthecommunityandthemissionaryrolethatwe areallcalledtoputintopractice.
He accepted several roles within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, including member of the pastoral team, of the theology commission, of the sectoral commission of Social Communications and member of the executive, as treasurer, vice-president, chairman and president.
In the summer of 2000, the Holy Father released him from the pastoral service of the Church of Valleyfield. At 75, Robert Lebel became bishop emeritus (a title given to bishops who have retired from their official duties).
Paying tribute to a person who has markedmylifeisalwaysdifficultbecauseIcan’tforget the importantmo-
Hewasordaineda priestonJune18, 1950,andlaterabishopbeforecoming tous.Imethimasaseminarian,andhe ordainedmeapriestonJune18,1978. Ashesaid:Iamgivingmyselfabirthdaypresent,anditwasalsoabeautiful gifttoreceivethispriestlymissionfrom hishands.
Amanopentoourworld,hewasableto leaveimportantmessagesinthebooks hepublished:MonÉglisequej’aime,LivresurlaVierge-MarieandRéflexionen pointesfolles. Allgreatbookstoread!
ThankyoutoMonsignorLebel,amanof heartinthischurchheloved.Prayfor us.
TestimonyofFatherGéraldSareault,retired parish priest of Saint-Joseph-deSoulangesparish,Saint-Lazare
When he was asked a few years later: How does a bishop emeritus keep busy? He answered the following with a smile:
Bishop Lebel's mother lived in the house next to my mothers in TroisPistoles. This is how I had the opportunity to get to know him during my holidays in Canada. Relations then deepened during my visits to his home in Valleyfield. We both longed for a more open Church, he for Quebec and I for Chad. We also had the grace of participating together in a synod of bishops in Rome, the one on the family, in 1980. During the assemblies, Bishop Robert liked to make caricatures of certain speakers!
Like most retirees, I'm short on time. There are so many beautiful and instructive reads to do. I also do a lot of writing; I receive requests that required me to pick up my pen and practice word processing on my computer. I lend a hand in the parish, I accompany church groups, I continue to use my gouges to carve wood and finally, I have a lot more time to dedicate to prayer, which in fact, is my most important ministry.
A memory that I will never forget is the evening I spent one day with Bishop Charles Valois in St-Jérôme, in the company of Robert Lebel and Bernard Hubert, Bishop of St-Jean-Longueuil. The three were good friends and met regularly. That evening, Bishop Lebel had invited me to join them. As I was on retreat at the Abbaye d'Oka, the distance was not far. We swapped stories and ate a good steak. Bishop Valois was the cook. These are beautiful memories.
Robert Lebel, bishop emeritus of Valleyfield, died on May 25, 2015, in Salaberry-deValleyfield, at the age of 90. The legacy he left in the diocese has forever marked the people who were lucky enough to know him.
Franz Mergl was born into an Austrian family on August 26, 1903 in the town of Mòr in Hungary, the same town where his wife Teresa Gintner was born on October 13, 1910. They married, immigrated to Montreal on August 30, 1930 and settled in the Montreal region and Teresa gave birth to their eldest son Frank on May 8, 1932. In the 1950s, Franz discovered SaintLazare and was immediately charmed by the small town which was full of agricultural land and forests and went on to acquire the land located at 1431 chemin de la Cité-des-Jeunes.
His son, Frank Mergl met his wife, Elizabeth Varga, also from Hungarian immigrant parents, in the spring of 1950. It was love at first sight and above all, the beginning of a beautiful and great story. Frank and Elizabeth were married on January 17, 1953 in Montreal. They moved to Somerset Street in Ville Saint-Laurent where they raised their six children: Linda (1954), Gordon (1956), Ronald (1958), Deborah (1960), Jeffrey (1965) and Richard (1967).
Passionate about the land and market gardening since his childhood, Frank will finally realize his dream by moving to Saint-Lazare in 1976 on the family land. He started by building the house and with the help of his sons, went on to build the domed garage. Frank began to grow sweet corn, which he sold, during the first years, mainly to wholesalers in Montreal and Ottawa. Over the years, the local demand for his famous corn and fresh vegetables increased and Frank and his dear Elizabeth decided to open a kiosk, where they could sell their sweet corn and vegetables right on the farm. This was the beginning of the Mergl farm as we know it today.
The farm has always been buzzing with activity and life. Elizabeth has always been particularly proud of her English-style gardens; large flower beds surrounding the family home and filled with the most beautiful, varied and colorful flowers. Many will remember Frank, who always drove around in his red Ford Ranger accompanied by his dogs. The Mergls loved their dogs and they have always been part of life on the farm. We can even find, in a work of art created by artist Annette Desroches Plante, one of Frank's faithful dogs, Tintin, hidden in the painting of the Mergl farm painted in the late 2000s.
las, and Justin. So, you can imagine all the excitement on the farm all year round. In addition to the kiosk, the farm is known as a place where many family gatherings, ball games, family campfires and meals have been shared. The farm has always been a proud family affair and all the children and grandchildren have worked there over the years.
On March 19, 2009, Frank Mergl, after 56 years of marriage to Elizabeth, died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.
Richard and Jeffrey Mergl took over the farm and to this day, still tend the land to bring you the best sweet corn and countless fresh fruits and vegetables every summer!
Elizabeth and Frank Mergl had thirteen children: Jason, Matthieu, Amanda, Joshua, Andrew, Alexander, Patrick, Charles, Erika, Emma, Brendan, Nico-
Almost 50 years ago, more precisely in the summer of 1976, Richard Chartrand and Jacques Leroux organized what would become the biggest concert ever organized in Saint-Lazare, entitled: Résurec "Son".
As part of the celebrations surrounding SaintLazare centennial, they wanted to organize a concert that would be the highlight of the festivities. But where to hold an event that could accommodate 2,000, 3,000 or even 5,000 spectators? After weeks of deliberating, the logical choice was to hold the event in the sand pits, just off the trade school, located near the Parc des Forestiers. The place was isolated, a huge parking lot available to the organizers and they could set up the stage without disturbing anyone.
The promoters then begin their search to find the artist or artists who would make this show an unforgettable event. Three incredible music groups were found and gladly agreed to come and play and celebrate in Saint-Lazare.
The progressive rock music group Maneige began the show around 9:30 p.m. in front of a delirious crowd of nearly 10,000 people from all over the Montérégie and Montreal.
After a performance of more than an hour, they gave way to the second group, Octobre, made up of Pierre Flynn, guitarist Jean Dorais, bassist Mario Légaré and drummer Pierre Hébert. After a short break, on came the group Offenbach to end the show. On stage were lead singer and keyboard player Jerry Boulet, guitarist Jean Gravel, bassist Michel Lamothe and drummer Roger Belval.
An incredible show, enjoyed by all, that ended in the wee hours of the morning.
Richard Chartrand remembers the show, the biggest he has ever organized, as if it were yesterday. There were so many people, he told us. We had advertised all over the region as well as on the radio on CKVL and CHOM, he recalls. We had originally planned to have three people at the entrance, but I quickly increased that to ten because the people were arriving from everywhere. Most people went through the main entrance but there were as many who went through the woods and took shortcuts to avoid paying. In the end, the important thing was that we delivered a good show, without a hitch and everyone went home happy.
Daniel Rozon, who was one of the volunteers in charge of security, remembers a beautiful but very busy evening. Ensuring that all went smoothly was not easy 50
years ago, he reminds us. We had a few CB radios to relay information between us, but we moved according to the requests of the organizers, and we tried to control the crowd as best we could.
Even though he was only 15 in the summer of 1976, Serge Castonguay remembers the evening very well :
"My father was responsible for operating one of the 4 generators used during the evening. He had let me accompany him and I was able to hear only the first songs. There were so many people, and the sound and lights were impressive. I went back the next morning to see what was left and there were people sleeping everywhere, he adds, laughing."
- Serge CastonguayRichard Chartrand remembers that despite the huge crowd, there were no unfortunate events during the evening. People were happy to be here, he recalls. He knows that alcohol and drugs must have been present but there was no exaggeration. This was almost 50 years ago and some considered it to the be the Woodstock of Saint-Lazare. I realized that we would have quite an event a few days before, when people were already arriving and camping in the woods around the sandpit waiting for the show.
We could not have had the success we had without the support of the city council, es-
pecially councillor Laurent Chevrier, he adds. The morning of the concert, the sky was gray, and the rain was on the menu for the day and as I was considering postponing the concert to the next day, Laurent said to me: have some faith, Richard, the weather will end up being nice. And he was right! At the end of the afternoon the skies cleared and we had a beautiful summer evening.
When asked recently if he remembered the concert, Pierre Flynn said:
Of course, I remember. With their managers, the three groups briefly joined forces and created Productions de la Main. La Main because of St-Laurent Boulevard where "our" office was located.
Although the friendships lasted, the business association was brief, but we were glad to play in this kind of miniWoodstock in the legendary "sand pit" of St-Lazare. It was something quite surreal, and I remember that while singing I could see the people camped on the crest of the sandpits with their vehicles, their tents, their children.
I’m very happy to share with you the life story of my paternal grandparents.
My grandfather Alphonse Rozon, son of Clément Rozon and Émiliana Martel, was born on December 18, 1904. He died on October 8, 1987, at the age of 83. He is the 6th generation of Rozons established in Saint-Lazare.
My grandmother Anita Therrien, daughter of Ferdinand Therrien and Alma Bourbonnais, was born August 22, 1919 and dies on May 12, 1949; she was only 29 years old.
Both were native of Saint-Lazare and descendants of large families, like we often saw at that time. You have probably noticed the age difference between them, which reminds me of a story my father often told me… his father and his mother were 15 years apart and both
lived on chemin Saint-Louis, and were almost neighbors. Of course, since television and the Internet were not yet invented, people used to spend their evenings with their neighbors and that's where it gets funny... my father used to tell me that his dad would visit his neighbour’s house and would on occasion, rock my mother to sleep, obviously without knowing that one day she would become his wife. The story would always make us laugh.
But before forming a couple, my grandfather and his older brother, Eloi Rozon, worked for Bell Canada, in the Sorel and Varennes area if I remember correctly. Understandably, with the limited means of transport, my grandfather did not come to home to sleep every night. He visited his parents on occasion, until his aging parents, no longer able to take care of the farm and the animals, asked him to come back home and take care of them for the rest of their lives. In exchange, we would inherit the land after their passing. I imagine that this is when he started dating my grandmother. Their wedding was celebrated in 1938, my grandfather was 34 years old while my grandmother was 19. From this union, three children were born: my father Otal, born December 24, 1938, my aunt Mirel, born December 2, 1941, and my uncle Rubin, born February 16, 1945 (see picture on the previous page).
As was the custom in those days, my grandmother was a housewife. My grandfather, in addition to being a truck driver, harvested two neighboring fields on chemin Saint-Louis and his woodlot on Sainte-Angélique. Then came the happy news, my grandmother was going to give birth for the fourth time, but the pregnancy did not go as desired. I don't know exactly when the problems started, but one
day in May, she had to be transported by ambulance to the Lachine hospital, unfortunately never to return. I remember well the words of my father who, with tears in his eyes, remembered when they came to get his mother in the ambulance, as she waved her hand to him in the window and that was the last time he saw her alive. My grandmother was pregnant with twins and the death of one of them caused some form of blood poisoning and none of them could be saved. I can just imagine the suffering my grandmother endured… until she lost her life. If the incident had happened today, I'm sure they could have saved one, or two or maybe all three. I cannot imagine the grief and pain of losing a 29-year-old mother, wife, daughter, sister.
My grandfather could have done as was often the custom, to relinquish the custody of the children to their godparents, but he never wanted to, he preferred to keep his children with him. He had to hire help for the maintenance of the house, the care of the children and for the harvesting of the fields so that in the evening he could sell the fruits of the harvest. He still needed hired help in the winter because he had to cut down the trees on his land on Sainte-Angélique, haul it back to Saint -Louis to cut it, split it and deliver it to his customers, often from as far away as VaudreuilDorion. Can you imagine a man, alone with 3 young children aged 10, 8 and 4, with his job as a truck driver, a farmer of two lands and a woodlot... without today's modern equipment?
There are times when I wonder how he could find the time and the strength to do all his duties, as a father, mother, trucker, and farmer.
By Anick Chevrier
We will be happily celebrating the 150th anniversary of our city in 2025.
We are proud and very delighted that our colleague and friend, Paul Lavigne, has been named president of the Saint-Lazare 150th anniversary celebrations! Mr. Lavigne is also the head writer and leads the commemorative book committee for the 150th anniversary, on which many volunteers have been working on for almost 2 years.
In the April 18 newsletter, the city officially announced Paul's appointment as chair of the 150th anniversary celebrations committee.
The future committee, made up of representatives from various Saint-Lazare organizations, businesses and associations, will get to work very soon to plan various projects and organize a multitude of activities in collaboration with volunteers as well as the Town of Saint-Lazare. The year 2025 celebrations will be festive, joyful, and unifying celebrating the 150th anniversary of our beautiful town!
A bit of history about the president. Paul is originally from Chibougamau and has lived in Saint-Lazare for several years. Young retiree and passionate about the history of Quebec, he is an active member of various historical and genealogical societies. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Saint-Lazare historical society since 2021 as secretary and is the editor of the SLSH’s Historical magazine.
Paul is also an author who published his first historical novel in 2021: La Quête L’Odyssée d’André Poutré, the first of a three-
volume historical saga, inspired by the journey of his ancestors.
I strongly invite you to read the novel in which we recognize ourselves, rediscover our roots and our origins. This brilliantly written book reads in one stretch and its story has all the assets to be brought to the screen! Who knows…? We all loved the novel Les filles de Caleb which took us on a journey into the past and reminded us of the journey of our elders. Well, this book, situated a little further back in our collective history, talks about the life and career of André Poutré, dit Lavigne. I am convinced that many people would devour such a series! Until then, discover this fabulous story by reading the book!
I speak for all the members of the Board of Directors of the Saint-Lazare Historical Society in saying congratulations, Paul, and thank you for your commitment and above all your many talents and your passion! We are happy to count you among the ranks of the SLHS, dear colleague and friend.
