Ken Donahue’s grandfather was always a mystery to the Innisfail resident. Setting the record straight about James Joseph Donahue aka Jock was important to Donahue, especially since the St. Albert Street, Donahue Close, was named after the family patriarch.
Donahue has written Father Lacombe: A Young Man’s Freedom, an 87-page memoir that takes the reader through personal and ancestral history. It follows Father Lacombe’s journey in taking responsibility for 14-year-old Jock, a decision that shaped the future of an entire family for several generations.
The priest first met Jock, 14, during several of his trips to a Montreal recruiting settlers. Jock was living in an orphanage dealing with childhood struggles and unable to live with family.
“Father Lacombe visited the orphanage in Montreal and treated the kids to stories about the wilderness out west and the bison. And it fueled their imagination,” said Donahue.
Following Jock’s entreaties to take him out west, Father Lacombe boarded a train to Winnipeg with both Jock and his friend George in 1884.
They traveled from Montreal to Winnipeg by train, a rapidly growing western city with a population of about 10,000 people. From Winnipeg to St. Albert, the trio joined an oxen train and slowly travelled to St. Albert, covering large swaths of rough terrain.
“It was quite a surprise for Jock. But he loved the adventure,” Donahue said. “He was excited being on the train and having the world put before him. It was shock, but still delightful.”
As a young adventurer exploring the world, Jock “had a natural curiosity about life,” and was full of mischief, even pushing the limits of societal expectations. One time, Father Lacombe was preparing for mass and discovered the communion wine was missing.
“They found Jock and a friend sleeping off the effects of the wine. Father Lacombe punished him by saying “no hunting” and he had to attend morning mass for two weeks. Jock never stole wine again.”
On another occasion, a parishioner died, and Jock and a friend were tasked with making a casket. During the funeral, the casket broke open and the parishioner’s body fell out.
In his 20s, Jock returned east with Father Lacombe to recruit settlers. One of the settlers was the lovely Ophelia (Leah) Lapierre, and the duo were married in St. Albert in 1896.
“He was quite attracted to her and spent a lot of time visiting her farm. When they got married, it was one of the first white weddings at the church.”
James had homesteaded a farm north of St. Albert and received title to it in 1891. A census recorded the St. Albert village’s population at 543 people in 1890. But by 1896, the newlyweds moved to Hay Lakes to take up another homestead. Their first child, James Joseph Donahue, was born in Hay Lakes, the first of 11 children.
Through his grandfather’s life, Donahue has fleshed out the highs and lows of early settlers’ unpredictable journeys. The story also reflects painful truths about Canadian history and offers insights and apologies into the lasting impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples.
Printed by Woodhouse Publishing, Father Lacombe: A Young Man’s Freedom is $20 and is available on Amazon.
