Cardinal in 1915
Philippe Cardinal, born in
Quebec in 1852, immigrated at
age sixteen, to
Michigan, U.S.A., then to North Dakota near
Devil's
Lake. In 1888 he returned to Canada, and
took a homestead south of
Notre Dame
de Lourdes. In 1905, the railway
line from Stephenfield to
Somerset passed through his quarter section the village of Cardinal
soon developed around the station built there.
Business
By 1906 businesses included Louis
Moreau's general store, Joseph Poncelet's hardware, and Pierre
Chateau's restaurant. In 1907 Louis Chapdelaine built a hotel and
Joseph Poncet opened a third store. In 1908 a fourth store was
added by Larivee and Company. Other businesses followed. Joseph Barten
was the agent for "International".
The 1908 census reports that in the village of Cardinal there were
fifteen resident families, two merchants, one saddler, one blacksmith,
one butcher, one hotel and one elevator.
Elevators
IIn
1907 Phillipe Cardinal, along with Galipeault and Azaris Labossiere
formed "Fermiers Unis" and built Cardinal's first grain elevator. The
Western Canadian Flour Mills Company bought it in 1909. It was taken
over by United Grain Growers in 1926 and replaced in 1929 by a new
structure.
The 32,000 bushel wooden grain elevator was expanded with an annex in
1951. It was destroyed by fire in 1960. Believing that the railway line
between Learys and Somerset would be abandoned in the near future (this
did not occur until the mid-1970s), the company chose not to rebuild
the elevator.
Manitoba
Government Public Elevator - Source T. Talbot
People
In 1910 the following families lived in Cardinal village, The size of
the families is indicated.
Philippe Cardinal (7), Josep Barten (5), Blain (7), P. Peru (6), J.
Beauchamp (3), J. Barten, senior (2), Cyprien Lafreniere (6),
Louis Moreau (2), J. Chateau (1), L. Fougeray (3), Paget (1),
Marc Moreau (5), M. Allaire (8), D. Chapdelaine (7), A.
Richard (5), Toutant (13).
Schools
The St.
Louis School District was established in May 1898 on the southeast
quarter of 12-6-9 about three kilometres south of where the village of
Cardinal would later be located. A school, under the same jurisdiction,
was built in the village in 1913. It was called the “A” school and the
rural school became the “B” school. In 1933, the “A” became
a separate district known as Cardinal School No. 2239, and the other
school dropped the “B” designation.
The establishment of schools was also important for the role and impact
of the church. Communions and confessions were held in the church on
some occasions.
St. Louis School operated until 1960. The former St.
Louis School
building was moved to Notre Dame de Lourdes to become the first
divisional office of the Mountain School Division No. 28.
The school
in Cardinal operated until June 1960 and was later demolished.
The
St. Louis A School - later renamed as Cardinal School
Aerial
view of Cardinal (1948) (Archives of Manitoba)
Anoher aerial view
