Facade of Mont-Laurier Cathedral
The Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière cathedral
An inestimable loss
This heritage gem, inaugurated on October 1st, 1919, succumbed to fire on February 1st, 1982. In late afternoon that day, a thick column of black smoke suddenly rose from downtown into the white winter sky. The loss of the building was estimated to be worth two million dollars.
But for the population, the loss was priceless. Both the practicing and non-practicing community grieved. Because of the extraordinary intensity of the blaze due to arson, everything disappeared, including the beautiful beloved stained-glass windows and panels.
A partially conserved gem
Everything was destroyed, except for the facade, which was restored and conserved. Within the very ruins of the cathedral-turned-emblem of the cultural heritage of Mont-Laurier, a new church was built in 1984. On May 12, 1985, it was dedicated to the hundred-year anniversary of the first settlers in Mont-Laurier, then called Chute-à-l’Orignal. Since 1997, it has featured beautiful stained-glass windows inspired by the originals thanks to generous donors.
“Holy anger is a necessity, without which we are taken advantage of.”
- Curé Labelle
The town of Mont-Laurier is part of the Route du Lièvre Rouge, a tourist circuit developed by the Société d'Histoire et de Généalogie des Hautes-Laurentides.