“Sur la Diable”

Painting by Dominique Beauregard from the exhibition « Les Stations du curé Labelle »

Shortly after arriving in Saint-Jérôme, in 1868, Labelle began making regular trips into “his north,” exploring the areas drained by the legendary rivers of the Ottawa Valley. Sur la Diable is a tribute to the deep friendship that bound Antoine Labelle and the very loyal Isidore Martin. From being just a guide, Martin soon became Labelle’s right-hand man, organizing expeditions and taking care of household affairs, to the point of forgetting about himself and thinking only of the well-being of the man he worshiped. Together, they made some 50 trips into the heart of this unexplored wilderness.

Initially, the purpose of the expeditions was to assess the economic and agricultural potential of the vast region and identify sites suitable for settlement and new parishes. Subsequently, Labelle made a habit of going to visit settlers regularly and help new arrivals to get set up on their land. Occasionally, he travelled to remote logging camps to celebrate Mass for the workers there.