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Clarence Creek

Dive into the fascinating French-Canadian history of Clarence Creek, Ontario, an important agricultural community since the 1850s. Our photo gallery offers as wonderful glimpse into its past.

Honoré Chevalier and sister, 1890

Honoré Chevalier and sister, 1890

Clarence Creek is a small village of about 4,000 residents located in Eastern Ontario, about 45 kilometres east of Ottawa, the Canadian capital. It is located in Prescott-Russell county, whose first inhabitants were American Loyalists. Following them, French Canadians from Lower-Canada (today the province of Québec) settled in the area, as land in their hometowns was becoming more and more difficult to find. These French Canadians established the villages of Hawkesbury, Clarence Point, Clarence Creek and Cumberland. 

The first residents of Clarence Creek were farmers from St-Augustin, Canada-East (today, St-Augustin is part of city of Mirabel in the province of Québec). They travelled into Canada-West (Ontario today) to Clarence Creek in 1853 in order to find land. The name of Clarence Creek is derived from the township it used to belong to, Clarence, which was named in honour of Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence, son of George III.

The Parish of Ste-Félicité

The 1855 McDonald Marriage

The 1855 McDonald Marriage

The History of Clarence Creek, Ontario

In 1859, a small chapel was built to serve the religious needs of the community. That said, the parish registers actually started 4 years earlier in 1855, when the first marriage was recorded between John and Mary McDonald on September 3rd. The wedding was officiated by François Michel, a visiting priest from Cumberland. By 1865, the village was home to 200 families and it finally had its very own resident priest. Three years later, a church was built and named Ste-Félicité by the bishop – in honour of the many mothers in the small community that had this first name. Building continued on the church to enlarge it. However, the townsfolk soon realized that the building was simply too small. Clarence Creek kept growing and attracting new families due to its abundance of fertile land.

By 1873, another 50 families had moved in. Thus, building began on another, larger church. Construction was completed in 1891 and the same structure still stands today, though it has been enlarged and improved over time. An adjacent presbytery was built in 1896. The church’s interior was designed by artist T.-X. Renaud of Montréal in the early 1900s.

Pioneer Families

The Beauchamp Family

The Post Office (before 1916)

The Post Office (before 1916)

One of the first families to settle in Clarence Creek were the Beauchamps. Charles Beauchamp and his wife Geneviève Bélanger moved to the village around 1850 and built their home near the centre of town. Beauchamp soon noticed the abundance of limestone in the surrounding area, and built a lime kiln, remnants of which can still be seen today. Horses transported the stone to the kiln, where it was heated for 3 days, then bagged and sold to nearby merchants. The kiln operated until 1890. Beauchamp’s grandson Hector built a sawmill near the present-day location of the arena. It burned down in 1925. The Beauchamp family homes are some of the oldest in Clarence Creek today.

In 1867, the Clarence Creek post office was formally established. For reasons unknown, the name of the post office was changed to Lafontaine in 1935 and changed back to Clarence Creek less than a year later.

The Perrin & Rochon Families

Dr. Rochon on his wedding day, 1904

Dr. Rochon on his wedding day, 1904

Télesphore Perrin moved to Clarence Creek in 1872. He married a local woman named Clara Ménard and settled in a house on present-day Landry Street. In 1913, he sold his home to Dr. Paul-Émile Rochon, who moved in with his wife Diana Leblanc and their 4 children. Dr. Rochon practiced medicine in his home until his retirement in 1946. Another important community member, he was the president of the Association canadienne-française d’Éducation d’Ontario (ACFEO) from 1934 to 1938. The family home still stands today.

 

The Jubinville Family

Another pioneer house still standing today is that of Israël Jubinville. He bought his piece of land on present-day Landry Street in 1864 but didn’t officially move to Clarence Creek until 1875. Once he had settled in with his wife Elmire Lafleur, he opened a shop in the basement of his house, where he made and repaired vehicles such as carts, buggies and sleighs.

Onésime Guibord’s general store, circa 1923

Onésime Guibord’s general store, circa 1923

The Guibord Family

Onésime Guibord of Montréal came to Clarence Creek with his family in 1882. At first, he was a teacher at the village school, then he ran the general store which opened in 1904. Guibord lived on the 2nd floor of the building. An important figure in his community, Guibord held many roles: he became Member of Provincial Parliament for Russell Township in 1898; he was reeve of Clarence Township from 1910 to 1912; he was warden of Prescott & Russell in 1910; and as we’ll see later, co-founder of Le Droit in 1913.  

 

The Bélisle Family

Lionel Boileau and his car, 1930

Lionel Boileau and his car, 1930

Jules Bélisle was one of the St-Augustin pioneers of Clarence Creek. He settled with his wife Mercedes Dion in 1882 and became a blacksmith. The couple built a small house and workshop where Jules worked on agricultural machinery. His trade was passed down to his son Ermile, who eventually transitioned into the automobile sales industry, becoming a dealer for General Motors in 1926.

The Hupé Family

The original Hupé farm in Clarence Creek (credit: Lisa Taillefer)

The original Hupé farm in Clarence Creek (credit: Lisa Taillefer)

Léon Hupé was born in Ste-Scholastique (in the present-day province of Québec) in 1835 and settled in Clarence Creek around 1866 with his wife Philomène Maisonneuve. Philomène died shortly after the birth of their son Léon. In 1869, widower Léon married his neighbour Eloïse Touchette. Together they had 14 children, with only five of them reaching adulthood: Léon, Joseph, Damase, Adélard and Moïse. The Hupé boys all remained in the Clarence Creek area.

Leon Hupé and Eloïse Touchette (credit: Lisa Taillefer)

Leon Hupé and Eloïse Touchette (credit: Lisa Taillefer)

Aurèle Hupé (credit: Lisa Taillefer)

Aurèle Hupé (credit: Lisa Taillefer)

A group of men building a barn extension, 1904

A group of men building a barn extension, 1904

In 1895, the Grand Trunk railroad established a north-south railroad line from Rockland to Limoges (then called “South Indian”), which greatly helped Clarence Creek farmers export their hay to the U.S.

The History of Clarence Creek, Ontario

The same year, Clarence Creek got its own community newspaper, called “Le Ralliement”, founded by Télésphore Rochon. At the time, its main purpose was to support the Liberal Party and Wilfrid Laurier’s prime ministerial run (which was successful). Rochon and Onésime Guibord were also instrumental in the establishment of the Association canadienne-française d’Éducation d’Ontario (ACFEO) and in the foundation of the newspaper LeDroit.

For a virtual tour of Clarence Creek’s historic buildings, visit the BaladoDécouverte circuit of Clarence and Clarence Creek at http://baladodecouverte.com/circuits/805/clarence-point--clarence-creeks-history.

 

 


Photo Gallery

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Sources:

Photos:

  1. “Hôtel de Clarence”, digital image of a photo (photographer unknown) donated by Bernadette Thivierge, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709064/data?n=1 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  2. “Rue de Clarence”, digital image of a circa 1925 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Bernadette Thivierge, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709081/data?n=2 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  3. “Ancienne école de Clarence Creek”, digital image of a circa 1910 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Mme. Joseph Beauchamps, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709033/data?n=3 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  4. “Construction du réservoir à eau de Clarence Creek”, digital image of an undated photo (photographer unknown) donated by Bernadette Thivierge, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709158/data?n=4 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  5. “Une classe de l'ancienne école primaire de Clarence Creek”, digital image of a 1942 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Dora Boileau, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709028/data?n=5 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  6. “Une classe de l'ancienne école primaire de Clarence Creek", digital image of a 1905 photo (photographer unknown), Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1708947/data?n=6 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  7. “Ferme de Thomas Charbonneau bâtie par son père Alphonse en 1864”, digital image of a 1960 photo donated by Mme. Emile Potvin, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709018/data?n=8 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  8. “Pavage de la route reliant Clarence à Bourget”, digital image of a photo (photographer unknown) donated by Bernadette Thivierge, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710005/data?n=9 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  9. “Le médecin Rochon à son marriage”, digital image of a 1904 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Mme Dérémise Bazinet, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/2259295/data?n=12 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  10. “La famille Thivierge”, digital image of an 1894 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Bernadette Thivierge, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709059/data?n=15 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  11. “Presbytère”, digital image of an undated photo by Le Salon Parisien donated by Mme Lionel Boileau, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710019/data?n=16 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  12. “Horace et Emilienne Régimbald”, digital image of a 1925 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Bernadette Thivierge, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709998/data?n=20 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  13. “Grand-mère paternelle de Mme Lionel Boileau; Mme Octave Bussière”, digital image of an 1890 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Mme Lionel Boileau, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710024/data?n=22 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  14. “Bureau de poste”, digital image of a photo taken before 1916 (photographer unknown) donated by Lucy Wilson, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1708948/data?n=23 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  15. “Jos, Mélanda et George Laflamme”, digital image of a 1950 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Bernadette Thivierge, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710000/data?n=28 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  16. “Le labourage avec trois chevaux”, digital image of a 1938 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Mme Lionel Boileau, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710022/data?n=30 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  17. “Des lattes de bois de chauffage”, digital image of an undated photo (photographer unknown) donated by Réal Dallaire, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709118/data?n=32 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  18. “Le moulin à scie McIntyre”, digital image of a 1900 photo (photographer unknown) donated by S. Ivorson, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1708883/data?n=36 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  19. “Lionel Boileau et sa voiture”, digital image of a circa 1930 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Dora Boileau, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709040/image/834283?n=39 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  20. “Billots venant de la forêt des Tuckers”, digital image of an undated photo (photographer unknown) donated by Réal Dallaire, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709118/data?n=32 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  21. “Maison Henri Dupont”, digital image of a 1930 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Henri Dupont, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1708951/data?n=49 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  22. “La famille Bazinet et quelques amis”, digital image of a 1919 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Mme Dérémise Bazinet, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710034/data?n=54 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  23. “Honoré Chevalier et sa soeur”, digital image of a, 1890 photo by E. Paul of Rockland donated by Rose Maisonneuve, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709016/data?n=57 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  24. “Le moulin à scie McIntyre”, digital image of a 1900 photo (photographer unknown) donated by S. Ivorson, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1708884/data?n=63 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  25. “M. et Mme Villeneuve”, digital image of a 1930 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Bernadette Thivierge, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710004/data?n=67 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  26. “Madame Laurencia Potvin devant l'hôtel du coin”, digital image of a 1934 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Mme Emile Potvin, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709013/data?n=70 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  27. “Classe de Valence Desjardins. École chez Bérard Barbeau”, digital image of a 1925 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Mme Lionel Boileau, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710009/data?n=68 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  28. “Le magasin général de Onésime Guibord”, digital image of a circa 1923 photo by E. Paul of Rockland, donated by Mme Bissonnette, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1709021/data?n=76 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  29. “Un groupe d'hommes construisant une rallonge à une grange”, digital image of a 1904 photo (photographer unknown) donated by Mme Lionel Boileau, Digital Prescott Russell en Numérique (http://images.ourontario.ca/PrescottRussell/1710023/data?n=79 : accessed 7 Feb 2019).

  30. “Église Sainte-Félicité, Clarence Creek, Ontario”, digital image of a 1947 photograph (photographer unknown), Bibliothèque et Archives nationales, BAnQ numérique (http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/3126601 : accessed 7 Feb 2019)

  31. Journal “Le Ralliement”, 11 Apr 1895 edition, Library & Archives Canada (http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/001094/pdf/18970311-le-ralliement-clarencecreek.pdf : accessed 11 Feb 2019).

  32. "Ontario, Roman Catholic Church Records, 1760-1923," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 11 Feb 2019), Prescott and Russell > Clarence Creek > Ste Felicité > Baptisms, marriages, burials 1855-1871, Vol. 1 > image 5 of 337; Catholic Church parishes, Ontario.