The way we were - May 2024 edition

May 2024

• The mayors of Saint-Lazare : Bernard Charlebois

• Founding families of SaintLazare : The Boileau family

• Marie-Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière - The last lord (Lady) of Vaudreuil

• St-James Anglican church of Hudson

• Saint-Lazare historical society fund-raiser

Way back when is the Saint-Lazare historical society’s historical magazine published 3 times a year, in January, May and in September.

Il était une fois est le magazine historique de la Société historique de Saint-Lazare publié 3 fois par année, soit en janvier, mai et septembre.

The content of this publication may be reproduced with the acknowledgment of the source on the express condition of having obtained prior permission from the SaintLazare historical society.

Le contenu de cette publication peut être reproduit avec mention de la source à la condition expresse d’avoir obtenu, au préalable, la permission de la Société historique de Saint-Lazare.

Editor: Paul Lavigne

Éditeur: Paul Lavigne

Corrector: Lyne Boutin

Correctrice: Lyne Boutin

In the magazine this month :

The mayors of Saint-Lazare : Bernard Charlebois

Founding families of Saint-Lazare : The Boileau family

Marie-Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière Last lord (Lady) of Vaudreuil

St-James Anglican church of Hudson

Lifetime membership in the Saint-Lazare historical society as a civil member is free. By becoming a lifetime member, you will receive the link to our digital magazine 3 times a year and you will benefit from preferential rates for our events.

L’adhésion est totalement gratuite pour devenir un membre civil à vie de la Société historique de Saint-Lazare. En devenant membre à vie, vous recevrez le lien électronique vers notre magazine 3 fois par année et vous bénéficierez de tarifs préférentiels pour nos événements.

Vous trouverez le formulaire d’adhésion sur notre site web www.shsl.ca sous la rubrique Devenez membre.

You can find the membership form on our website

Saint-Lazare historical society fundraiser

The rates for becoming a corporate or institutional member of the Saint-Lazare historical society are as follows:

Les tarifs pour devenir membre corporatif ou institutionnel de la Société historique de Saint-Lazare sont les suivants:

Membre OR (Publicité 1/4 page): $200.00 par année

GOLD level member (1/4 page add) : $200.00 per year

Membre ARGENT (Publicité 1/8 page): $150.00 par année

SILVER level member (1/8 page add) : $150.00 per year

Membre BRONZE (Publicité 1/16 page): $100.00 par année

BRONZE level member (1/16 page add): $100.00 per year

To become a corporate or institutional member, contact the SLHS via email at info@shsl.ca and we will gladly inform you about all the other advantages.

Pour devenir membre corporatif ou institutionnel, veuillez vous informer au info@shsl.ca et nous vous présenterons tous les autres avantages. 5 9 13 16 19

Saint-Lazare historical society’s board of directors

Le conseil d’administration de la Société historique de Saint-Lazare

Président: Donald Simpson

Vice-présidente: Anick Chevrier

president: Anick Chevrier

Trésorière: Emma Mergl

Treasurer: Emma Mergl

Secrétaire: Paul Lavigne

Secretary: Paul Lavigne

Administrator: Robert Rozon

Administrateur: Robert Rozon

Administrator: Manon Leroux

Administratrice: Manon Leroux

Administrator: Gisèle Gareau

Administratrice: Gisèle Gareau

Administratrice: Lyne Arbec

Administrator: Lyne Arbec

Many thanks to our valued collaborators

The Mayors of Saint-Lazare Bernard Charlebois

Saint-Lazare mayor from 1975-1987

By Paul Lavigne

It was on a cloudy and rainy Tuesday, on August 20, 1939, that Bernard Charlebois was born in the family home located at the corner of Saint -Jean-Baptiste and Sainte-Angélique streets in the village of Saint-Lazare. Bernard was the first child of Almanzar Charlebois and MarieAnge Liboiron. Almanzar was responsible for the mail delivery in Saint-Lazare and was also caretaker at the church.

At a young age, Bernard helped his father with the mail delivery and went to the village school, located where the IGA parking lot is today. Under the guidance of his teacher Armande Lauzon, he completed his primary studies in the early 1950s before heading to Saint-Henri College in Montreal to complete his classical course.

Bernard Charlebois President of Saint-Lazare’s 100th anniversary committee in 1975 - Source archives SHSL

Upon completion of his studies, he joined Bell Canada as an installer/repairer, one job among many others that he held throughout his long career with the company. On December 3, 1960, he married Lise Leduc, daughter of Lionel Leduc and Yvette Poirier, at the church of Saint-Lazare in front of priest J.-Adrien Dicaire. They bought from Napoléon Giraldeau, a few months later, the house adjoining his general store located on Chemin Sainte-Angélique, opposite the church. Bernard financed the house for the sum of $99.00 per month – a hefty amount in those days.

In 1962, at the age of 23, he was hired as secretary-treasurer for the municipality of the Parish of Saint-Lazare, replacing Mr. Joseph Leduc who had held the position for more than 25 years. Napoléon Giraldeau, who held the same position from 1890 to 1936, surely exerted a positive influence on the young Bernard. From the union of Bernard and Lise, Ninon was born in 1962 and Caroline in 1967.

As the job of secretary-treasurer was a part-time position, during the day Bernard took care of his tasks at Bell Canada while in the evening, the house was always open to greet fellow citizens who came to settle accounts or to pay their municipal taxes. As City Hall did not yet exist in the late 1960’s, Ninon remembers the evenings when tables and chairs were set up in the basement of the house and she helped her mother direct residents to her father who was waiting.

" There were always people at home. If it wasn't residents, it was merchants and business owners, politicians at both the provincial and federal levels or salespeople who came to see my father. When he was not at home, my mother was responsible for taking care of them. Eventually, my dad hired a secretary, Monique Campeau, to take care of all the paperwork associated with the job."

Ninon Charlebois When the Auclair school was built in 1971, Bernard worked with the municipal council of the time to acquire the old Immaculée-Conception

Bernard Charlebois at the end of his studies in 1956

Source Ninon Charlebois

first electoral victory

school from the school board and transform it into a town hall. Finally, the city would have its own offices and citizens would henceforth be welcomed in the official city offices.

In 1975, Bernard Charlebois was asked to head the Saint-Lazare 100th anniversary committee and, with his team, presented a wide range of activities throughout the year. With shows, bingos, dinners of all kinds, the city would celebrate its centennial in style.

By the age of 36, Bernard was looking for more challenges and wished to play a more important role within the municipality and the region. He ran for mayor in the 1975 election against his boss and outgoing mayor Roland Bédard.

At the end of a heated campaign, Bernard Charlebois won the election with a majority of 118 votes thus becoming Saint-Lazare’s 22nd mayor.

He remained in office until 1987, losing that year to Jerry Weiner. During his 12-year reign, a period of incredible prosperity for the municipality, he was responsible for numerous major projects including the purchase of the first fire truck in Saint-Lazare, the creation of the first fire department and the construction of the first fire station and municipal garage on Bédard Avenue, a much -needed project considering the rapid growth of the population – it had doubled during his mandates as mayor. He also spearheaded the creation of the first municipal library in 1976 and the

The

in 1975 with wife Lise Leduc and daughter Ninon - Source Ninon Charlebois

the implementation of the first recreation service in 1980.

the first elected prefect of the MRC VaudreuilSoulanges in 1982, a position he held until 1987.

Besides his family, his second passion was horses. For several years, he owned a horse that raced regularly at Blue Bonnets in Montreal, and he could often be found with it at the stable. He also loved Ponies, a breed of horse smaller than the norm which had their own racing network in the region, either on Île Bizard, Valleyfield or Venise-en-Québec.

Bernard Charlebois also has the honor of being

Unfortunately, illness caught up with him in the last years of his life and his mobility was greatly affected. After a short stay at the LaurentBergevin long-term care nursing home in ÎlePerrot, a room was finally found for him closer to home and family in Vaudreuil. Mr. Mayor, as employees and other residents liked to call him, passed away on February 6, 2024. His great generosity, his integrity, and his great desire to see things progress will have left a definite mark, not only in his long political life but his contribution to the community of Saint-Lazare.

Bernard Charlebois racing one of his ponies on a Québec racetrack

Source Ninon Charlebois

Founding families of Saint-Lazare

The Boileau family

By Donald Simpson

The Boileau family armories - Source Wikipédia

When Saint-Lazare was founded in 1875, several families had already been established there for around 100 years! The côte SaintLouis concession was opened in 1774 while that of côte Saint-Charles, in 1811.

Here is the history of one of these families, the Boileau family.

The first Boileau

Pierre Boullo was born on March 11, 1692, in Malansac in Brittany. He is the son of Guillaume Boullo and Françoise Texier. In 1712, Pierre Boullo enlisted as a soldier in the Navy troops and arrived in New France in 1713 as a soldier in Claude Michel Bégon's company.

On August 7, 1724, Pierre Bouleau (his name had already changed in the registers!) married Madeleine Lahaye from the Saint-Laurent parish. The couple settled in the Sainte-Geneviève parish in the west of the island of Montreal and then on Île Bizard.

The couple had a total of eight children: Marguerite, Pierre, Geneviève, Michel, Jacques, Joseph, Augustin, and Louis. Pierre died on August 7, 1768, and his wife Madeleine died on July 10, 1754.

Second generation

Augustin Boileau was born on July 12, 1740, and was baptized in the parish of Pointe-Claire. He married Charlotte Larivière on January 20, 1766, in the parish

Hyacinthe Boileau Jr. was the first mayor of SaintLazare from 1876 to 1877. Source Saint-Lazare’s 125th anniversary album of Sainte-Geneviève and the couple also settled on L’Île Bizard.

The couple had 11 children: Augustin, Jacques, Amable, Pierre, André, Agathe, Apolline, Charlotte, Suzanne, Jean-Baptiste, and Madeleine. Augustin died on February 2, 1815, and Charlotte died on August 6, 1831. Augustin was buried in Sainte-Geneviève and Charlotte was buried in Deux-Montagnes.

Third generation

Pierre Boileau was born on September 21, 1777, and was baptized in the parish of SainteGeneviève. He married Catherine Bénard on January 13, 1800, in the parish of Sainte-Geneviève.

The couple had 14 children: Venance, Catherine,

Pierre, Louis, Hyacinthe, Louis, Emelie, Antoine, Sophie, Pierre-Chrysologue, François-Xavier, Marcelline, Mary and Élisabeth. This couple will settle in the lordship of Vaudreuil and more precisely on côte Saint-Louis (current territory of Saint-Lazare). Pierre died on September 12, 1854, and Catherine died on October 20, 1829. Both were buried in Vaudreuil

Fourth generation

Hyacinthe Boileau was born on September 24, 1808, in the parish of Vaudreuil. He married Sophie Watier on November 5, 1832, in the parish of Vaudreuil and the couple also settled on côte Saint-Louis in the lordship of Vaudreuil.

The couple had at least six children: Cléophée, Hyacinthe Jr., Paul, Ovide, Célina and Clovis. Hyacinthe died on March 24, 1880, and was buried in Alfred, Ontario. The place and date of Sophie Watier's death are unknown.

Boullo family house, circa 1680 in Ville aux Beurroux, Malansac, Bretagne, France Source SPHIB

Fifth generation

Hyacinthe Boileau Jr. was born on June 19, 1837, in the parish of Vaudreuil. He married Philomène Cholette on August 2, 1858, in the parish of Saint -Polycarpe. Like the two previous generations, they settled on côte Saint-Louis.

The couple will have at least 9 children: RoseAnna, Victoria, Jules, Hyacinthe, Philibert, Alderic, Ovide, Emma, and Lazare. Hyacinthe was elected municipal councillor for the parish of Vaudreuil on January 25, 1875. On February 21, 1876, during the first meeting of the council of Saint-Lazare, he became the first mayor of the

new city. He died on January 7, 1917, and his wife Philomène died on August 14, 1914. Both were buried in Saint-Lazare.

Ovide Boileau, Hyacinthe’s younger brother, was born on November 4, 1843, in the parish of Vaudreuil. He married Caroline Vincent on May 11, 1874, in the parish of Vaudreuil, but the couple did not have children. Ovide died on June 5, 1911, and Caroline died on September 19, 1921. Both were buried in Saint-Lazare.

These two couples are considered to be two of the founding families of Saint-Lazare.

Many thanks to our valued collaborators

The last lord (Lady) of Vaudreuil

By Paul Lavigne

The lordship (seigneurie) of Vaudreuil was created on October 23, 1702, when the governor of la Nouvelle France, Louis-Hector de Callière, granted it to Philippe de Rigaud Marquis de Vaudreuil. In 1725, while Rigaud de Vaudreuil was governor general of la Nouvelle France, he ran a census of his lordship, in which he listed 38 inhabitants (including the Delisle, Montreuil, Chénier, Beaudoin, Desloges, LaDéroute, Charpentier, Léger and Sanschagrin families among others).

Philippe de Rigaud Marquis de Vaudreuil died in Quebec City on October 10, 1725, and his lordship was bequeathed a few months later to his son Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil. In 1763, he was forced to sell it to his cousin Michel Chartier de Lotbinière who immediately took possession of it

In 1770, short of money, he ceded the lordship to his son Michel-Eustache-Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière who thus became the 4th lord of Vaudreuil.

From his second marriage to Marie-Charlotte Munro, three daughters were born from this union: Louise-Josephte, Charlotte and JulieChristine. Each of them will inherit a lordship upon the death of their father in 1822 (LouiseJosephte - Vaudreuil, Charlotte - Rigaud and Julie-Christine - Lotbinière) but will only take possession of it a few years later, because a stipulation in the will of the late lord granted the transfer only when the heiresses reached the age 25. The family divided their time between the mansion located in Vaudreuil and a plush residence located on Saint-Sacrement Street in Montreal. The 3 sisters were known as the three Graces in Montreal’s social circles and the eve-

Marie-Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière

Marie-Louise-Josephte Chartier de LotbinièreSource Fonds Henry de Lotbinière Harwood, Centre d’Archives de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

evenings held in the Montreal home were popular and very anticipated.

Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière was born on December 14, 1803, in the parish of Saint-Michel de Vaudreuil. We know very little of her early years before her marriage on December 15, 1823, to Robert Unwin Harwood at Christ Church in Montreal. From this marriage 12 children were born, including Robert Harwood, a renowned politician and elected member of the Liberal-Conservative Party in the federal riding of Vaudreuil in 1872 and 1874. An unusual fact, according to the directives of the will of Michel-Eustache -Gaspard-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière, his wife MarieChalotte Munro had to approve the choice of husbands of the Chartier de Lotbinière daughters so that they could inherit the legacies left by their father. In all three cases, Mrs. Munro endorsed the husbands chosen by her daughters.

A letter from Marie-Charlotte Munro de Lotbinière, mother of Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière, date June 29, 1821 - Source Fonds Henry de Lotbinière Harwood, Centre d’Archives de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

In 1830, duly named lords of Vaudreuil, she and her husband built a second seigneurial manor, unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1869, just a few weeks before her death.

A scholarly and educated woman, Louise-Josephte had acquired an elementary notion of medicine, as generally practiced in the countryside by mothers of large families. When told that one of her tenants was ill, she immediately went to their bedside, quite often accompanied by Dr. Cartier, cousin of Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier, who practiced medicine in Vaudreuil for a long time. She was literate, both in English and in French, as evidenced by a note from her mother addressed to her on June 29, 1821. The archives also indicate that she devoted part of her time to music as well as drawing.

Having very little interest in the management of her lordship, Louise-Josephte bequeathed its administration to her husband and devoted herself almost exclusively to charitable causes by providing food and clothing to the families of her lordship in need. In particular, she had taken under her wing a young orphan from the region named Paul Denis, for who she ended up paying for all his studies so that he could access the priesthood. The latter, eternally indebted, maintained a sustained correspondence with Louise-Josephte throughout his life. After successfully completing his priestly studies, Paul Denis continued his ecclesiastical career to become superior of Saint Mary's Seminary in

A letter from sister Hospitalière des orphelines dated April 19, 1869 - Source Fonds Henry de Lotbinière Harwood, Centre d’Archives de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

Baltimore where he had studied.

Her kindnesses and generosity were appreciated by all. She was known throughout the parish simply as “Madame”. Numerous testimonies discovered in the archives validate her dedication and her great generosity towards poor people, including the attached letter from sister Hospitalière des orphelins informing

her of the death of two young angels whose stays in the orphanage she had financed.

On December 18, 1854, the adoption of the act which confirmed the general abolition of feudal rights and duties, announced the end of the seigneurial regime. Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière and Robert Unwin Harwood will be known as the last lords of Vaudreuil.

Louise-Josephte died on October 2, 1869, at the age of 65, 6 years after her husband. Her body is buried under the Saint-Louis chapel in the Saint-Michel church in Vaudreuil beside her father and mother.

A sketch of the old Vaudreuil presbytery in 1850 as drawn by Marie-Louise-Josephte Chartier de Lotbinière - Fonds Henry de Lotbinière Harwood, Centre d’Archives de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

Recently, fire ravaged the St-James Anglican church in Hudson. Although the church is not located in Saint-Lazare, many people from our community were regular attendees since its official inauguration in 1849.

I therefore offer you a short history of this architectural jewel of our region.

At the beginning of the 19th century, in 1801 to be exact, the first English-speaking immigrants arrived on côte Cavagnal (Hudson). They would soon be followed by several others from the United States and the British Isles. The opening of côte SaintCharles in 1811 meant that from 1811-1835 several Protestant families settled in the lordship of Vaudreuil.

These new families, most being Anglicans, were

St-James Anglican church of Hudson

By Donald Simpson

served by the mission of Saint-André d’Argenteuil (St-Andrews) from 1812 to 1829. The reverends were Richard Bradford and Joseph Abbott (father of John Joseph Caldwell Abbott, who went on to become Prime Minister of Canada from 16 June 1891 to 24 November 1892.).

St-James church 1930 - Studio Bennett Hudson Heights

St-James Anglican Church Circa 1950 - Hudson historical Society

In 1819, William Schneider and John Whitlock

donated the land where eventually the St-James church and the Protestant cemetery would be built, serving the population of the lordship of Vaudreuil and Rigaud.

In 1829, the lordship of Vaudreuil left the mission of Saint-André d’Argenteuil and would henceforth come under the guiding of the mission of Coteau-du -Lac and the reverend John Leeds.

In 1832, a committee was formed to lead the construction of the first Anglican church. John Mathison would chair this committee while John Benson would be its secretary.

In 1841, the Anglican parish of Vaudreuil was formed and the first religious services took place at the Mathison school, located at the corner of côte Saint-Charles and Main Street. The first reverend will be James Pyke and he will hold the position for several decades. His first baptism was that of John James Hodgson (of côte Saint-Charles) and his first marriage was that of Isaac Simpson and Sarah Lancaster (also of côte Saint-Charles).

On August 24, 1842, construction work on the new church began and the bell tower was completed in 1845. The original building, whose walls and facade were decorated with stone, had a wooden miter arch ceiling. In September 1849, Bishop George Jehoshaphat Mountain consecrated the church and cemetery. The choir was added in 1877 while the small hall was added in 1950 and the larger hall, in 1960.

The fire therefore broke out 175 years after the consecration of this church. Hopefully it will be rebuilt. The stone walls are still there!

John Augustus MathisonAnglican parish of Vaudreuil

John Abbott, reverend of St-Andrews - Musées numériques Canada NMC

St-James church burning April 2024 - Rod Hodgson

Reverend James PykeAnglican parish of Vaudreuil

Village of St-Andrews 1844 - Musée virtuel du Canada

Saint-Lazare historical society’s fund-raising variety show

On May 2, 2024, the Saint-Lazare Historical Society hosted its very first variety show where the funds raised are earmarked for the numerous projects on the drawing board for Saint-Lazare’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2025.

The historical Society would like to thank all the people who attended the show to see Réal Sylvestre, the village singer and Martin Rozon, an outstanding magician and comedian. We would also like to sincerely thank our financial partners for the evening: Sylvain Ménard (Habitations Sylvain Ménard), Philippe Lebeau (Promec), Frédéric Lalonde (ICS) and Richard Chartrand (Bar Chez Maurice).