We are now at the St-Jean-Baptiste church of Les Écureuils, built on the Bélair seigniory at Pointe-aux-Écureuils.
On November 3rd, 1672, the Intendant of New France Jean Talon granted Lord Toupin and his son a concession overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, measuring a half a league in length and a full league in width, half of which was located beneath the Pointe-aux-Écureuils and the other half above it. The seigniory covered an area of over 3,500 acres and was spread over two wooded plateaus where three rivers ran: the Jacques-Cartier, the Marcot and the Rivière aux Pommes. The name “Pointe-aux-Écureuils” is derived from the abundance of oak trees and squirrels that were found here, as “Écureuil” is French for “squirrel”.
The Chemin du Roy, in service since 1734, was the country’s first viable road, and it linked Quebec City to Montréal through the seigniories. It was created upon decree by the Superior Council of New France, which imposed the “corvées du Roy”, meaning the inhabitants of Les Écureuils were forced to work on the road’s construction, or else they were fined.
In 1739, residents of Les Écureuils received authorization to build a chapel near Rue du Manoir. The priest from Neuville served the parish until the arrival of their first priest in 1742. The newly ordained Father Jean-Baptiste Frichet arrived in the fall and opened the parish registers. He swiftly began improvements on the existing chapel in order to meet the bishop of Quebec City’s expectations. The remaining masonry and carpentry work would be completed the following year. In 1785, as the number of worshippers continuously increased, the chapel no longer met the parishioners’ needs. It was demolished to make room for a new church constructed on the same site. In the fall of 1926, construction of a new church began yet again, about 15 meters south of the old site and facing Notre-Dame street. The old church was demolished in 1928.
The parish council continued its work for several decades, but as the latter part of the 20th century saw the sacerdotal workforce in sharp decline, along with the parish’s resources and religious practice in general, the community underwent some major changes. In light of the conclusions drawn by a committee mandated to study the future of churches, the parish councils of Donnacona and Les Écureuils merged in 2012 to form a new parish called Notre-Dame-de-Donnacona. This merger was but the first step in a major reorganization. In 2013, a public consultation was held in which the public recognized the need to change the building’s vocation. At that time, it was decided that the infrastructure should be used to serve the cultural sector. The final mass was celebrated here on May 31st, 2014, and the church was desacralized. A non-profit organization called “Le Relais de la Pointe aux Écureuils” was founded in order to develop the building’s new mission. Various cultural events are now held in this historically significant place.
This stop completes our historical tour of Donnacona. Throughout the tour, you have discovered places and stories that have forged the unique character of Donnacona. If you wish to continue discovering Portneuf county’s riverside villages, similar tours are offered in Deschambault, Grondines, Portneuf, Cap-Santé and Neuville.
