This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Marys story of life at St Francis Xavier Convent
An Indigenous speaker recalls painful years at the St Francis Xavier Mission boarding school in Sturgeon Lake Alberta. She describes harsh punishments strict rules and restricted freedom, daily labor baking bread and meals, and the longing to go home while enduring routines that felt like jail. The account highlights language loss, limited contact with outsiders, and small acts of defiance amid hard work.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
St. Francis Xavier’s Mission
Sturgeon Lake
Alberta
Leo
Joseph