Monument to Curé Labelle, place du Curé-Labelle, Saint-Jérôme

A man and his children pose proudly beside the monument to Curé Labelle not long after its dedication in the centre of Parc Labelle. It took four committees and several fundraising campaigns for the monument to be built. An initial committee was struck early on, in 1891, but the curé of the time was adamantly opposed to any tribute being paid to his predecessor—perhaps he saw Labelle as a competitor, even in death! Later, a lack of money and the outbreak of the Great War resulted in delays to the project. It was finally completed and inaugurated in 1924. The statue, by Alfred Laliberté, was unveiled by Labelle’s loyal friend, Isidore Martin. In the early 2000s, the work was removed from its pedestal for restoration, without the public being notified. The citizens of Saint-Jérôme thought their beloved curé had been stolen! Authorities received many calls from worried residents, which showed how attached Jérômiens still were to Antoine Labelle, even more than a century after his death.