The first group of settlers destined to found a colony north of Edmonton left Montreal on March 17th 1891, under the leadership of the abbÄ Jean-Baptiste Morin. Seventeen men, most of them accompanied by their wives and children, made the trip from Montreal to Calgary in seven days. After a rest at the Immigration Hall in Calgary, they left on foot for Edmonton, this time accompanied by a land agent named Miquelon. The abbÄ Morin led many groups toward this Alberta region which became a gathering point for francophones. This photograph, taken around 1890, although not identified, is evidently of the wedding of a young couple surrounded by their family and friends. The clothing worn by the guests suggests that they were well-off. The solemnity of the celebration did not prevent a few guests from making a toast to the newlyweds.
Courtesy: Provincial Museum and Archives of Alberta, Ernest Brown Collection
