Wenceslas & Alice 25th Anniversary
July 10, 1935

A Brief History

Wenceslas Joseph Poirier, the son of Joseph Poirier and Olivine Houle, was born on June 29, 1889 at St. Gabriel Cté Joliette. He was raised on a farm, and took the trade of blacksmith, a trade at which he worked in Port Daniel Cté Bonaventure, in the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec.

Alice Belanger was the daughter of Désiré Belanger and Marie Lévesque, and was born on September 19, 1887.

Wenceslas and Alice were married in Port Daniel on July 5, 1910. Life was very difficult during those years, and the conditions in the area forced them to seek their fortune elsewhere, or face the prospects of poverty if they stayed.

In 1927 Wenceslas left Port Daniel on the advice of his brother Aristide, and embarked for the Peace River Country in Alberta. Aristide had come to the area several years earlier, and recommended it to Wenceslas. Aristide had lost an arm in an accident, and the story is told that he found life very difficult, partially disabled and alone in such a remote place. But he wrote letters to his brother, saying that life in the area was good and that the country was very bountiful. It wasn’t until Wenceslas had relocated that he realized Aristide's words were not an accurate picture of the hardships he would face, but by then he had passed the point of no return. At one time the family was also considering a move to Minnesota, but Aristide’s accounts of the bounty of the Peace Country sealed the family’s decision to head west.

So Wenceslas journeyed west in 1927, while Alice and the children stayed behind to sell the house and the shop. He settled on a farm close to Lac Magloire, Alberta, and lived with Aristide for the first two and one-half years, while continuing to work as a blacksmith in Falher.

Wenceslas was very lonesome for his family, but lacked the money to return to Quebec. He wished very much to be able to get Alice and their family of ten children to Alberta, but he was too poor to even send any money back to Port Daniel.

During that time Alice had a small jewelry store in her house, and added to those earnings by selling whatever she could to raise money for the trip west.

The family traveled in two groups . . . the first group of five in 1929, and the next in 1930. There was not enough money for all of them to travel together, but by 1929 Alice and her children had saved just enough money to afford the trip for five of the children.

On October 23, 1929 the first group departed by train. In charge was eldest daughter Eugénie, who was 18 years old, and who accepted the tremendous responsibility of caring for everyone on this trip. With Eugénie were Aurore who was 15, Marie who was 7, Patricia who was 5, and Lucienne who was a tender 4 years. Thanks to the help of some ladies on the train, the trip went well, and seven days later they arrived in Edmonton.

But Eugénie had only 50 cents remaining at that time, and this was not enough money to send a telegram to her father in Falher, to advise him about their pending arrival. As a result, no one was there to meet the young travelers when the train arrived in Falher. Eugénie was resourceful however, and located Mr. Desnoyers, who owned a stable and who rented horses. He agreed to take them the thirteen miles to their father’s home. When his children arrived, Wenceslas was busy with cleaning wheat that was stored in a corner inside the house.

Six months after the first five children had gone west, the house and shop in Port Daniel finally sold for $600. This was just enough money for the rest of the family to come west and reunite with their siblings and father. If the first five had not made the journey earlier there might not have been enough money for all of them to travel together. That would have been a disaster; having no home and no money, but their Catholic faith convinced them that surely Providence was looking out for them.

It must have been very difficult for Alice to send her children, alone, on a 3,000-mile journey. There is no question that they were they were a strong, resourceful family who endured and survived innumerable hardships, but they all pitched in and made it through.

One year later, in 1930, Alice brought the rest of the children to Lac Magloire; Cecile (18), Adrien (13), Florence (10), Lucia (5), and Ronald (3), where they lived with Aristide for one year until their own house was built. Jana was born two years later in May 1932. Aristide never married. He was the first Postmaster in Lac Magloire, but resigned and moved to Edmonton in 1935. He lost his life in a car accident.

Wenceslas passed away on September 30, 1956, and Alice on February 10, 1968. They are both interred in Falher.

[January 2003: The lion's share of these memories was obtained from Adrien Poirier, and was translated into English by his sister Marie Taylor. Marie's son, Roger Taylor, elaborated on part of the story by including his Mother’s recollections about Aristide's influence in getting Wenceslas to move to Falher, rather than to Minnesota. Adrien’s son Gilbert, and Gilbert’s wife Noella Poirier, also contributed to the story.]

Comments From Linda Wilson (Choiunard)

One story I remember my mom telling me about Grandma (Alice) was that she had quite an entrepreneurial spirit about her. She apparently had a small store in her house (I'm not sure if this was in Girouxville or Port Daniel). She would go to the store and purchase a can of milk for one cent and put if for sale in her store for two or three cents. She watched one day as some ladies came in and looked at her price for a can of milk. They whispered to each other that the price was too high and they could get it cheaper from somewhere else.

Alice would sell eggs and preserves as well. Mom always said if there was a way Grandma could make some money, she would do it. Taking in borders was another way Grandma added to the household income.

Grandpa (Wenceslas) apparently used batteries to provide electric lights for the church, store, and other places in Girouxville. This is another example of that entrepreneurial spirit, and I noticed many of my cousins have that trait as well.

Linda Wilson (Chouinard) September 29, 2002