Saint-Joachim Church

Second Saint-Joachim Church, Before the Present One

Sources: Photo: Provincial Archives of Alberta, OB629


Renovation of the Church

Photo : Provincial Archives of Alberta OB585

Judging by the cars in the foreground, these renovations took place in the 1930s-40s.


Provincial House of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate

Photo: Provincial Archives of Alberta OB635

This building, built in 1928-29, was the headquarters of the Oblates of the Alberta-Saskatchewan Ecclesiastical Province until 1997. It also served as the rectory of St. Joachim's Church.

Text version of the audio

The beautiful Gothic Revival church in front of you was the center of Edmonton's first French-speaking parish, established in the 1850s by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Bishop Taché chose to name the mission of St. Joachim, and later the church, after the grandparents of Jesus, to demonstrate the Church's solidarity with family ties and respect for Elders, a central value among First Nations and Métis people. The first chapel of the parish was built of logs. The second chapel was larger, but by the end of the 19th century, space was running out and expansion was needed. 

Designed by Francis Deggendorfer and built in 1899, the classical elements of this third church, such as symmetry and arched windows, are accompanied by Baroque features such as a bull's eye and a projecting front entrance. This red brick gem of late 19th century French-Canadian architecture has dramatic pinnacles on each side and a Victorian-style bell tower.

Inside, the Baroque influence is evident in the woodwork, stained glass windows and faux-marble altar. The stone stringcourses lighten the heaviness of the brick and lift the eye upward, a characteristic of the Gothic style. St. Joachim's was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1978, and a Municipal Historic Resource in 2018.

Extract of
Francophone Heritage in Edmonton

Francophone Heritage in Edmonton image circuit

Presented by : Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta (CDÉA)
Get There

Download the BaladoDiscovery app (for Android and iOS) and access the largest network of self-guided tour experiences in Canada.