Boniface was the reward given to the early
pioneer missionaries--Provencher and Dumoulin, men of great stature and
manly bearing. In the year of their arrival James Sutherland, the
Presbyterian chaplain of the Selkirk Colonists, was taken by the
Nor'-Westers to Upper Canada, whither his son, Haman Sutherland, had
gone in 1815 with Duncan Cameron. The Earl of Selkirk had promised to
send to his Scottish Colonists a minister of their own faith. On his
death in France his agent in London was Mr. John Pritchard. Seventeen
days after the death of Lord Selkirk, Rev. John West was appointed to
come as chaplain to the Colonists and the other Protestants of Red
River. Pritchard arrived by Hudson's Bay ship at York Factory 15 Aug.,
1820, having Mr. West in company with him.
And now Colville wrote to Alexander Macdonell, the Governor of the
Settlement: "Mr. West goes out and takes with him persons acquainted
with making bricks and pottery." Macdonell was a Roman Catholic, but
Colville wrote: "I trust also that by your example and advice you will
encourage all the Protestants, Presbyterians as well as others to attend
divine service as performed by Mr. West. He will also open schools.
Pages:
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165