On September\u00a013, 2019, the Village of St. Jean Baptiste will unveil a life-size statue commemorating the arrival of the first permanent residents in the village 150 years ago.<\/p>\n
Antoine Vandal and Raymond Rajotte sculpture<\/p>\n
The idea came up in spring 2016, during a discussion among members of the St. Jean Baptiste Club des Pionniers. Club member Mona Lavall\u00e9e explains: \u201cWe wanted to showcase the village\u2019s cultural and historical values. That led to a discussion about the first residents of St. Jean Baptiste, and we wanted to pay tribute to them.<\/p>\n
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A committee was quickly established to prepare the event celebrating the village. The goal was to keep St. Jean Baptiste\u2019s history alive, starting with the village\u2019s heritage and culture.<\/p>\n
The committee then had to secure funding to deliver on this ambitious undertaking. \u201cWe submitted a grant application to Canadian Heritage for the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first permanent residents in St. Jean Baptiste.\u201d<\/p>\n
The committee had three years to prepare the anniversary celebrations in 2019. Its members decided to create a park that will be \u201ca gathering place for village residents,\u201d according to Mona Lavall\u00e9e.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also thought about how to highlight the village\u2019s history. We got the idea for a statue when we came across a photo of Antoine Vandal and Raymond Rajotte, two St. Jean Baptiste pioneers,\u201d she adds. (Also read – A Double Family Connection Cast in Bronze<\/a>)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n