1911

Hudson’s Bay Company Arrives

Sept 3, 1912

• Arrival in C.I. of Fa. Arsène Turquetil, o.m.i. and Fa. Armand LeBlanc, o.m.i.
• Started construction of the mission house (28’ x 16’) (the little house is still standing);
• Completed the exterior September 22^nd – held the First Mass
• Church named Notre Dame de la Delivrande by Father Turquetil who as a young seminarian in France prayed to Notre Dame de la Delivrande to receive the consent of his Bishop to enter the Oblate novitiate. At that time he promised to name his first mission Notre Dame de la Delivrande
• Father Turquetil becomes the Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Hudson Bay in 1925. (now called Diocese of Churchill Hudson Bay).

Aug 26, 1914

Baptism Catholique Assolar (father – Albert Arola, mother – Meni Ittimangnak) Catholique was born in 1909

1920 – 22

Lamson and Hubbard trading post operates

1921

RCMP establish a post at Chesterfield

1922

Visit of the members of the famed Fifth Thule Expedition (Knud Rasmussen, Kaj Birket-Smith, Helge Bangstad, Jacob Olsen)

1923

Statue of Jesus (between hospital and church) arrives gift from family of Fa. E. Duplain, o.m.i.

1925

Mission has a radio – people from the south send their messages to the missionaries through a radio broadcast station in Pittsburgh KDKA!!

c. 1925 – 26

First Post-Office

1926

60 CI people move to Southampton Island

1927

Separate church section added to RC Mission

Bishop Turquetil is glad to hire a strong dedicated guide – Jean Ayaruar who leads Fa. Turquetil in a round trip from Chesterfield to Arviat, Baker Lake and back.

1930

• Chesterfield Inlet becomes general headquarters for federal gov’t health officials
• Dr Livingstone the first doctor in charge

1930 – 31

Construction of St Theresa’s Hospital

1931

• Hospital opens officially September 27^th – owned by RC Vicariate of Hudson Bay and operated by the Grey Nuns (Nayait)
• Founding Sisters of the hospital: Sr St Ignace of Loyola, Sr. Therese of the Child Jesus, Sr Adelaide Fafard, Sr Marie-Anne Frechette arrive August 12^th Hospital looks after various epidemics from 1934 to 1954.

1946

Chicken coop built by Br G.M. Paradis – operates until 1970

1950

HBC closes – Br R. Bedard runs a trading post the two years the HBC closes

1951

A Federal Day School opens with 2 classrooms – first principal Roland Larivière

1953

First Grey Nuns arrive to teach at the federal day school – Sr Elizabeth Herauf, s.g.m. and Sr Pauline Cotè, s.g.m.

1954

Grotto between St. Theresa’s and mission was built by Fr L. Fournier

1955

Student residence opens (originally called St Mary’s Residence – later called Turquetil Hall) – students mainly come from Igloolik, Pelly Bay, and Repulse Bay, a small number come from Baker Lake, Arviat, and Pond Inlet

1955 – 56

A temporary DEW Line site operates in C.I.

1956

Fr Roland Courtemanche brings the first ham radio (Marconi) to Chesterfield. (Fr Courtemanche lived in CI 1948 – 68 and 1975 – 1987)

1956

Last resident doctor at the hospital leaves

1962 – 76

Br R Boisclair operates a post-office in the basement of the hospital

1964

New RC church built

1965

Telephone service comes to Chesterfield Inlet

1968

Chesterfield Inlet Housing Association was incorporated September 13, 1968

1969

Last year of operation of Turquetil Hall – later used for Adult Education, post-office, temporary hostel, co-op store, arts and crafts room, etc.)

1970s

St Theresa’s Hospital now becomes a Home for the disabled instead of a hospital and home for the aged

1977

First government nursing station is established in CI – Sister Boulet is in charge

1980

Hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet - Municipal government was incorporated April 1, 1980

1984

Turquetil Hall torn down and replaced in 1985 with the Community Complex

1999

The Last Grey Nuns (Nayait) leaves Chesterfield Inlet – Bishop Reynald Rouleau thanks the Grey Nuns for their service at St Theresa’s Home and in the school 76 Sisters have lived in Chesterfield Inlet!

2002

Chesterfield Inlet Development Corporation takes over the operation of St. Theresa’s Home, Pimakslirvik – new name of St Theresa’s Home