Sculptor Alfred Laliberté chose to immortalize the priest and his imposing, 6-foot-2-inch, 333-pound stature with his right hand pointing north, to reflect his desire to develop the land.
Standing 26 feet tall, the bronze-cast sculpture rests on a granite pedestal. There are also low reliefs of a settler at work and his wife, along with a statue of a pioneer. Coats of arms and the motto Pater meus agricola (my father, the farmer) feature at the priest’s feet. It is one of many works inspired by Curé Labelle.