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Armand Trochu and
the Ninetieth Anniversary of the Founding of Trochu: A Speech
by Jacques Bence
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In 1985, Lorene Anne Frere was asked to contribute a history of Ste. Anne
Ranch to the local Trochu history book. Her research led her to the
correspondence, held in the Glenbow Archives, between Armand Trochu and his
family and relatives, dated from 1903. The letterhead had the address "La Venauderie,
Saint-Clementin."
In January 1988, an envelope addressed to "Armand Trochu Descendants" arrived
at La Venauderie, sent by Lorene Anne, asking permission to visit and speak with
the "Descendants." Jacques Bence, Armand Trochu s grandnephew, immediately
phoned Lorene Anne, expressing his delight and extending his friendship and
support to this work. The collaboration has established new sources of knowledge
and understanding about the "Frenchmen who founded a city."
On July 26, 1995, Jacques Bence gave the following address at the Ninetieth
Anniversary of the founding of Trochu, standing in the vale where his great
uncle established Ste. Anne Ranch:
As I was flying above the North Atlantic and the boundless areas of Canada,
your diverse and beautiful country, I was trying to imagine what could have been
the thoughts of those who dared to cross the ocean 94 years ago, drawn
towards the big Western Canadian prairie. Many studies have been printed in
McGill University. Consequently, I shall not comment further on the various
milestones marking how Trochu was created with a few horses, axes and dollars,
the only tools the founders had; most of you know those historical facts.
On the other hand, I prefer to take an interest, as a Frenchman and member of
Armand Trochu's family, in the type of mind and thoughts that pushed men like de
Beaudrap, Butruille, de Cathelineau, de Chauny, Devilder, Eckenfelder, Papillard,
de Preault, Sculier, de Seilhac, de Torquat, Trochu, de Vautibault, and many
others whose names I apologize for not mentioning here, far away from their
roots, and in what made them stay here. I live in France, in the village and the
country home of my granduncle, Armand Trochu, which has not changed much in the
last 100 years, so I often wonder, simply by looking around me, what sort of
courage or sheer thoughtlessness was necessary in order to leave the comfort of
that middle-class mansion, the quiet village or vibrant cities.
Most of them certainly had only a vague idea of the enormous size of the
country, or of its extreme climatic conditions and the difficulties, types of
sickness, isolation and dramatic events that they were going to encounter.
Nothing in France is comparable or could have prepared them, except maybe horse
riding. In France, the first village or community of some importance was at
their doorsteps. Their comfortable residences and way of life reflected the old
aristocratic conditions of the late 18th century, which were still quietly
alive.
La Venauderie, where Armand Trochu lived, was a family country home supported
by the revenues from a few farms with some tens of hectares of cattle and wheat.
They had a small stable for three horses, a cowshed, poultry, a nice vegetable
garden, water at will, and even an oven to bake bread. The climate was, as
today, very mild, even if the winter temperature did reach 5 C below zero! In
short, life was not difficult. There were receptions, garden parties, weddings,
and other social events among neighbours at the same social level. Old photos
that we own give evidence of this easy life. I suppose that the other members of
the future French settlement must have had a similar, if not better life,
especially in the cities. Consequently, there should have been no strong
incentive for any of these young "aristocrats," as they were called in Calgary,
abruptly to leave their douce France which they all loved.
Now that I have read some of the private correspondence of Armand Trochu and
spoken with his nephew, my father-in-law, who knew Armand Trochu and his family
well, it seems that the so-called difficulties he may have had as a stockbroken in Vannes are minor compared to his strong desire to prove to his father and his
relatives that he had the ability to achieve something by himself. To better
understand his desire, it is important to remember that his uncle, Jules Eugene
Trochu, had been governor of Paris and president of the Ministers Council of
France; his father, Armand Trochu, with whom he had an often strained
relationship, was General Inspector for Agriculture and a personality of Belle-Ile-en-Mer,
in Britanny; his grandfather, Jean-Louis Trochu, had been General County
Councillor for Morbihan; and other eminent members within the Trochu family tree
occupied honorable positions in the society of Britanny.
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