The most recent building, built in 1909 by the Oblate missionaries, is in Northern French Canadian Oblate Mission style (Catholic missionaries to the north were typically French).

Inside, the soaring vaulted ceiling is painted a deep celestial blue, speckled with gold stars and angelic medallions. To make deep red and purple “paint,” the priests and nuns crushed cranberries and blueberries, then mixed the juice with fish oil. It’s a testament to cross-cultural fermentation; Cree and Chipewyan syllabics frame the painting of the Crucifixion; many have observed that the Virgin Mary has distinct First Nations features.

Photo: historicplaces.ca