Louis Babel
Encyclopedia
Louis Babel was an Oblate
priest who might be considered multi-faceted in his career. He was born in Veyrier
, Switzerland and received his formal training in Europe before coming to Canada in 1851. He was ordained in Bytown
upon his arrival by Bishop Joseph-Bruno Guigues
.
His first assignment was as a missionary among the Montagnais (Innu
) in the Saguenay
region of Lower Canada
. He moved from Grande-Baie
to Les Escoumins
where he began working with Father Charles Arnaud. He and Arnaud would be together for almost 60 years.
Looking back at his long career, Babel is remembered for his dedication and self-sacrifice as a missionary. He had a deep concern for the welfare of the natives and carrying out the difficult tasks assigned to him. Both Father Babel and Father Arnaud were great observers of their environment and the Indian tribes they served. While Father Arnaud attended his mission along the Lower North Shore, Father Babel led many missionary expeditions to the interior Labrador Plateau. An observation while at Lake Winokapau in 1866, he noted in his diaries a great showing of minerals. Again on a later mission to the Menihek River area more description on the showing of abundance of iron ore.
Many of these notations were used by Quebec Crown Lands to compile base maps, and in 1892 a geologist by the name of Albert Peter Low
, working for the Geological Survey of Canada, revealed for the first time the vast iron ore deposits and eventually the developments by the Iron Ore Company of Canada
of Schefferville
and Labrador City.
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
priest who might be considered multi-faceted in his career. He was born in Veyrier
Veyrier
Veyrier is a municipality of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland.-Geography:Veyrier has an area, , of . Of this area, or 33.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 13.8% is forested...
, Switzerland and received his formal training in Europe before coming to Canada in 1851. He was ordained in Bytown
Bytown
Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...
upon his arrival by Bishop Joseph-Bruno Guigues
Joseph-Bruno Guigues
Joseph-Bruno Guigues, , was an Oblate priest, a teacher and became the first bishop of the diocese of Bytown serving from...
.
His first assignment was as a missionary among the Montagnais (Innu
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
) in the Saguenay
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region...
region of Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
. He moved from Grande-Baie
La Baie, Quebec
La Baie is a borough of the city of Saguenay, Quebec, located where the Rivière à Mars flows into the Baie des Ha! Ha!, a bay of the Saguenay River. Formerly an independent city, its population in 2006 was 19,639....
to Les Escoumins
Les Escoumins, Quebec
Les Escoumins is a village on the shore of the Saint Lawrence River in the Haute-Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec, Canada.Its economy is mostly based on the service sectors, especially education, health, and tourism...
where he began working with Father Charles Arnaud. He and Arnaud would be together for almost 60 years.
Looking back at his long career, Babel is remembered for his dedication and self-sacrifice as a missionary. He had a deep concern for the welfare of the natives and carrying out the difficult tasks assigned to him. Both Father Babel and Father Arnaud were great observers of their environment and the Indian tribes they served. While Father Arnaud attended his mission along the Lower North Shore, Father Babel led many missionary expeditions to the interior Labrador Plateau. An observation while at Lake Winokapau in 1866, he noted in his diaries a great showing of minerals. Again on a later mission to the Menihek River area more description on the showing of abundance of iron ore.
Many of these notations were used by Quebec Crown Lands to compile base maps, and in 1892 a geologist by the name of Albert Peter Low
Albert Peter Low
Albert Peter Low was a Canadian geologist, explorer and athlete. His explorations of 1893–1895 were important in declaring Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic, and eventually defining the border between Quebec and Labrador....
, working for the Geological Survey of Canada, revealed for the first time the vast iron ore deposits and eventually the developments by the Iron Ore Company of Canada
Iron Ore Company of Canada
Iron Ore Company of Canada is a Canadian-based producer of iron ore. The company was founded in 1949 from a partnership of Canadian and American M.A. Hanna Company...
of Schefferville
Schefferville, Quebec
Schefferville is a town in the Canadian province of Quebec. Schefferville is in the heart of the Naskapi and Innu territory in northern Quebec, less than 2 km from the border with Labrador on the north shore of Knob Lake. The town has an incorporated area of . It is located within the...
and Labrador City.