Biographies
![R.P. Jules Le Chevallier, OMI, [1919-1952]. (OB3551 - Oblate Collection at the PAA)](/2217/20101208172835im_/http://www.albertasource.ca/oblatesinthewest/images/gallery/bio_chevallierJ_thu.jpg)
Le Chevallier, Jules (1919-1952)
![R.P. Jules Le Chevallier, OMI, [1919-1952]. (OB3551 - Oblate Collection at the PAA)](/2217/20101208172835/http://www.albertasource.ca/oblatesinthewest/images/gallery/bio_chevallierJ_det.jpg)
LE CHEVALLIER, Jules, was born at Locminé (Morbihan), France, May 22nd, 1876, the son of Auguste Le Chevallier, locksmith/mechanic, and of Marie-Julienne Lecadre. He died at Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, August 28th, 1952.
Jules studied at the small seminary of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray and at the large seminary of Vannes; he was ordained a priest there on July 15th, 1900, by Mgr Amédée Latieulle, Bishop of Vannes. The young priest became a supervisor of the Jesuit College of Saint-François-Xavier of Vannes (1899-1901), then, he entered the novitiate at Angers on May 17th, 1901 and made his perpetual profession on May 18th, 1902.
Fr Le Chevallier left for the Canadian West (1902). He devoted himself to the service of the Blood Peoples at their Reserve [Stand Off, Cardston], Alberta (1902); afterwards, he served the Blackfoot at Blackfoot Crossing [Gleichen] (1902-1906). He was then sent to the Indian Residential School at Dunbow [De Winton, High River], Alberta (1906-1907). Ill, he took a period of rest on the Blood Reserve (1907-1909) and, then, returned to Dunbow (1909-1911), and subsequently to Fort MacLeod, Alberta (1911-1912), to Midnapore, Alberta (19121914), to Saint-Paul-des-Métis (1914) and Cold Lake, Alberta (1914).
He served in the Armed Forces during World War One from 1914-1918, then, he returned to Canada and worked at Lac-La-Biche, Alberta (1919-1921); at the Juniorat in Edmonton (1921-1925); and the Indian Residential School at Duck Lake, Saskatchewan (1925-1935). From there, he went to the headquarters in Rome to consult the archives (1935-1936), finally returning Duck Lake (1936-1939). He spent his last years at the provincial mother house in Edmonton where he was put in charge of the archives serving as archivist (1939-1952).
Fr Le Chevallier is the author of a number of historic works on the Canadian West and left some important manuscripts. He was buried in the Oblate cemetery in Saint-Albert, Alberta.1
Acknowledgement
Reprinted with the permission of Les Archives Deschâtelets and the publisher from Gaston Carriere, o.m.i., Dictionnaire de Marie Immaculée au Canada, tome II (Ottawa: Éditions de l’Université d’Ottawa, 1979), pp 277-78.
Resources
1. Décès du R. Père Jules Le Chevallier, o.m.i., dans La Survivance [Edmonton], 3 septembre 1952.
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