Friedenstal () is a

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada. It is located 4 kilometers southeast of Fairview in

Municipal District of Fairview No. 136 The Municipal District of Fairview No. 136 is a municipal district (MD) in northwestern Alberta, Canada. It is located in Census Division 19. The district stretches along the northwestern leg of Highway 2. Geography Communities and loc ...

in the Peace Region of northwestern

Founding

Friedenstal was founded in 1910 by Peter Gans and Lewis Flath just before the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Gans would soon send reports to German Newspapers urging Bessarbian settlers in the

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

and

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

(Several Bessarabian German Families settled in

Hays, Kansas Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 21,116. It is ...

and

Ellis County, Kansas Ellis County (county code EL) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 28,934. Its county seat and most populous city is Hays. Ellis County is the official German Capital of Kansas. G ...

). On August 9, 1911 Archbishop Célestin-Henri Joussard O.M.I visited the settlement bringing with him German speaking Rev. A Biehler O.M.I. Father Biehler would return in October of the same year with plans to build a small log chapel and

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

the settlement was populated by immigrant settlers of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

origin who had previously settled in the

(

Bessarabian Germans The Bessarabia Germans (german: Bessarabiendeutsche, ro, Germani basarabeni, uk, Бессарабські німці) were an ethnic group who lived in Bessarabia (today part of the Republic of Moldova and south-western Ukraine) between 1814 ...

). The settlement was officially founded sometime between 1911 and 1914, the consensus today is that the settlement was officially founded in 1912.

Naming

The locality was originally named Westphalia after the

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

region in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The locality was renamed St. Louis in October 1911, however the name was yet again changed in 1914 after the desire to build a post-office was put forward, due to the names Westphilia and St. Louis regulated to history, the name was changed to Friedenstal. The name Fridenstal was chosen after the Bessarabia German settlement of the same name in present-day south west

between

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

and the

Republic of Moldova A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

meaning "Peace Valley"

Church, Hall, and School

St. Boniface Church

In 1911 Rev. A Biehler O.M.I founded a small chapel in Friedenstal. In 1921 Father William Ebert built St. Boniface Church in Friedenstal, the parish was made up of the settlers around Friedenstal. St. Boniface closed a few years after the Friedenstal School and St. Theresa Dormitory, those who attended mass at St. Boniface began to go to St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Fairview. Over the years since its building the church has been maintained as a historical site. Many deceased settlers and residents of whom can be found in the small cemetery located behind the St. Boniface. .

Friedenstal Hall

When the new church was built in 1921, a Hall known as the Friedenstal Hall was built as well, the Hall served as an events center for weddings and family reunions in Friedenstal. Following a

controlled burn A controlled or prescribed burn, also known as hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing, or a burn-off, is a fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. A control ...

of the old hall a new Friedenstal community Hall was constructed in 2010 costing over one million dollars raised by the Friedenstal historical society.

Friedenstal School District

With the building of the chapel and rectory in Friedenstal, also came the building of a small

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

in 1914. In 1937 the Sisters of Providence had begun teaching at the small school. In 1946 it was decided to build a new school house in Fridenstal, it was also decided to build a dormitory called St. Theresa Residence in Friedenstal, the St. Theresa Residence was Built for students attending the school from other communities and operated by the Sisters of Providence. The school closed several years after the closure of the Dormitory, students who attended the Friedenstal School would be sent to St. Thomas More Catholic School in Fairview.

References

{{Reflist Localities in the Municipal District of Fairview No. 136