Notre Dame de Savoie Church (From 2014)

It’s abandoned, weather-beaten to all hell and found at a lonely prairie crossroads. Our subject, Notre Dame de Savoie Catholic Church is well over a century old now but last used for services some sixty years ago. So empty longer than used. It’s showing its age and keep in mind ten years have passed since we snapped these images.

The building is still witness to the occasional visitor, so passing farmers, oilfield workers, or the time of these captures, ones from the coal mine, or enthusiasts such as ourselves who seek out history.

The old timbers groan and move with the wind. Given its severely deteriorated state it’s doubtful there’s much time left. A good snow fall or storm and she’s done for. Like all things living or not, there’s a cycle and this building is surely near its end. Still, on last report, we understand it’s still standing, but just. The roof has partly collapsed and it looks as though it broke its back.

This is a post from ten years ago that due to a recent system crash, got corrupted. It was not a great piece and in need of some work anyway, so rather than simply restore from a backup, we present it here with edits as new. But using original photos. We haven’t returned since and are doing this for the record in the event the church is no longer standing by the time we get back.

Keep in mind, many time references in this post will be from ten years ago.

Notre Dame de Savoie Church dates from 1915 and funded by the local Francophone Community. While not the first Catholic Church in the area it was the first permanent in nature. Ones before were rather temporary affairs, in what ever building they could find space in and filled the need until a proper building could be constructed.

This church remained in use until the mid-1960s, when a new, larger and more modern replacement was built a few kilometres away. That building no longer exists and torn down to make way for a strip mine. Coal was extracted in the area until recently and anything in the way simply flattened and hauled away – case in point with the new church. Roads in the area have similarly been obliterated. The coal mine closed recently.

A mine pit, at the time of our visit, encroached on Notre Dame de Savoie Church, but stopped short due to a cemetery in the way. Had that not been the case, we suspect they would have kept right on digging passed. It may not be the hand of man which brings its end, but instead time and the elements. They have the job well in hand, although the building is seemingly not going without a fight. How has it remained standing?

We first visited the church back in the 1990s and at that time the alter remained in place but has since vanished. The building appeared pretty rough even back then, but still somewhat square and level.

You could even go inside without too much worry, but on this visit, it’s not something a smart person would do. With that in mind, we peek in cautiously from the entryway, but it’s disappointing to see that the only thing recognizable inside is one row of beaten-up pews.

Like any building open to air, it’s subject to a barrage of rain and snow. Birds quickly take up residence and you know they mess they make. It’s sad to see a place once so full of spiritual life, completely devoid of it today. The Holy Spirit has left the building…

The steeple has recently collapsed and older photos found online confirm this occurred not long before our 2014 visit.

There’s an old biffy out back, buried in the underbrush and it’s proof positive that every one regardless of spiritual orientation still has to pee at some point. In behind it is a large flat spot, perhaps the parking lot for cars (and earlier buggies).

The day of our visit turned ugly with grey tones and a heavy wind, but a sombre environment seems fitting.

A cemetery shares a name with and is kitty-corner to the church. It’s still kept up and that’s in sharp contrast to the old chapel. Burials go back to the time the church operated and continue on to this today. The surname Cordel and others French in origin are common on headstones here. Many early settlers in the area came by way of Quebec and plenty of their descendants continue to live nearby.

A crossroads called Cordel was the closest community to Notre Dame de Savoie Church. Never really a town, it was more so a small cluster of houses and represented by the smallest dot available on maps. Anything there got obliterated due to coal mining and now only a memory. The nearest real communities were and are Halkirk to the south, or Forestburg in the north.

Standing at the intersection here one can’t help but be reminded of the the famous Faustian legend. You know, making a deal with the devil and it’s often done at a remote rural intersection? It’s done in order to gain love, money, success or any number of other unobtainable wants or desires.

The legend of blue’s man Robert Johnson is a well known incarnation of the story and it’s at a place just like this where the deal went down. He went on to be well known for his musicianship, and it’s said they were devil supplied. Then he died suddenly. Lucifer demands to be paid, and on schedule.

The story plays out in the deep south of the US, but the setting here is so conceptually perfect – the remote and lonely crossroad – the forgotten church – a cemetery – it all fits. I sold my soul at Notre Dame de Savoie!

A big thank you goes out to Doris Cordel, an employee at the town of Halkirk and who helped with this report. She’s connected to the Cordel area and is one of many locals to share that name. She put this report on track when things went astray and her actions saved much time.

The Paintearth Coal Mine is now closed, but on our visit ten years back a busy concern. The then current workings came right up Notre Dame de Savoie Church and Cemetery. This afforded a good look at one of the coal pits and the monster that dug it, the dragline Bigfoot. It’s huge on a scale that’s hard to describe and this day, appeared to be getting some maintenance done. This chunk of land is likely recalcined now and Bigfoot has since been cut up.

Know more about the now closed mine (new tab): Paintearth Coal Mine Alberta.

They’re saying…

“…if you love our history this site is worth exploring.” Brian Holt.

Random awesomeness…
The Forgotten Cemetery of Morrissey BC.
A Few Minutes in Stavely Alberta.
Nobody’s Home: Ramsay.
Canada88.com.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: Contact Us!

Date of adventure: July, 2014.
Location: Cordel, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Book – From the Bigknife to the Battle – Gadsby and Area, Tim Swaren and Doris Cordel.

The Paintearth Mine came close.

Bigfoot got cut up recently.

Notre Dame de Savoie Cemetery.

Almost 100 years old on this visit and empty half that time.

A sad view inside.

The steeple crumpled shortly before our visit.

Simple in form, yet still beautiful.

Notre Dame de Savoie Church has since partly collapsed.

Out back…

Steeple details.

Salvation or the devil blues?