Rundle's Mission
Encyclopedia
Rundle's Mission was established in 1847 on the shores of Pigeon Lake
near Thorsby, Alberta
by a Methodist missionary named Robert Rundle. From the mission Rundle taught Cree
people about Christianity
and agriculture
, refusing to acquiesce to pressures from the Hudson's Bay Company
or the government to further influence local First Peoples.
peoples and the missionaries who were attempting to convert
them to Christianity
. After working out of Fort Edmonton from 1840, in 1847 Rev. Robert Rundle received permission to establish a mission on Pigeon Lake from the Hudson's Bay Company
and the Wesleyan Missionary Society. After initially focusing on the Assiniboine, Rundle began to focus on the Cree
. He translated hymn
s and biblical scriptures into written and spoken Cree.
There was a Hudson's Bay Company
post at the lake, as well as a number of agricultural enterprises fostered by the mission. However, Rundle did not view his role as that of a "company man" or government representative. Instead, he sought to help the Aboriginal people around him survive in the face of incoming European settlement. When the Hudson's Bay Company pressured him to establish mission schools, he spent some time looking for an appropriate site - but intentionally did not establish the mission school.
Robert Rundle permanently departed to England only a year later after he took a bad fall from his horse and seriously injured his arm. When it did not heal properly, he decided to return home to England to seek proper medical attention. After he left, a follower named Benjamin Sinclair took charge, only for the church to be abandoned in 1850. Methodist Reverend Thomas Woolsey opened it for a short time after 1855, and abandoned again due to the area's poor suitability for farming.
Due directly to Hutchinson's labor, today Rundle's Mission is home to a hand-hewn log lodge
, two bungalows, and an interpretive boardwalk with a natural artesian spring. There is also a beach area on the lake, called Mission Beach, and a nature reserve next door.
Pigeon Lake (Alberta)
Pigeon Lake is a large lake in central Alberta, Canada. It is a popular recreation lake, with some shores having sandy beaches and others having steeper banks that are less suitable to "beach activities". Pigeon Lake is located close to large communities such as Edmonton, Leduc and Wetaskiwin...
near Thorsby, Alberta
Thorsby, Alberta
Thorsby is a village in central Alberta, Canada. It is located 38 km west of the city of Leduc, along Highway 39. Pigeon Lake and Pigeon Lake Provincial Park are located 20 km south of the community.- Demographics :...
by a Methodist missionary named Robert Rundle. From the mission Rundle taught Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
people about Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, refusing to acquiesce to pressures from the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
or the government to further influence local First Peoples.
History
In the mid-19th century Pigeon Lake was a gathering place for First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
peoples and the missionaries who were attempting to convert
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
them to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. After working out of Fort Edmonton from 1840, in 1847 Rev. Robert Rundle received permission to establish a mission on Pigeon Lake from the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and the Wesleyan Missionary Society. After initially focusing on the Assiniboine, Rundle began to focus on the Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
. He translated hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s and biblical scriptures into written and spoken Cree.
There was a Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
post at the lake, as well as a number of agricultural enterprises fostered by the mission. However, Rundle did not view his role as that of a "company man" or government representative. Instead, he sought to help the Aboriginal people around him survive in the face of incoming European settlement. When the Hudson's Bay Company pressured him to establish mission schools, he spent some time looking for an appropriate site - but intentionally did not establish the mission school.
Robert Rundle permanently departed to England only a year later after he took a bad fall from his horse and seriously injured his arm. When it did not heal properly, he decided to return home to England to seek proper medical attention. After he left, a follower named Benjamin Sinclair took charge, only for the church to be abandoned in 1850. Methodist Reverend Thomas Woolsey opened it for a short time after 1855, and abandoned again due to the area's poor suitability for farming.
Modern facilities
In 1948 the Reverend Dr. Gerald Hutchinson moved to Pigeon Lake, and inquired why a local lake access point was called "Mission Beach". After finding no suitable explanation he spent the next fifty years researching the answer. In 1965, Hutchinson's work exploring Rundle's Mission was recognized, and the site was dedicated as a National Historic Monument; in 1997 the 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) site where early mission buildings and native burial grounds are located was recognized as The Benjamin and Margaret Sinclair Provincial Historic Site. Rundle's Mission is now held by the Government of Alberta and managed by the nonprofit Rundle's Mission Society. In 2001 Hutchinson was recognized for his work at Rundle's Mission by Museums Alberta with a "Lifetime Achievement" award.Due directly to Hutchinson's labor, today Rundle's Mission is home to a hand-hewn log lodge
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
, two bungalows, and an interpretive boardwalk with a natural artesian spring. There is also a beach area on the lake, called Mission Beach, and a nature reserve next door.