As you travel south from Quesnel, Highway 97 passes Diamond View store (so named from Diamond Island in the Fraser River at its feet) and a rusting sawmill burner and then 200 m on, a small white church appears.
It sits alone at the top of a steep bank, with a magnificent view of the mouth of Cussion Creek, the Cummings Ranch
and the winding
river.
A small graveyard has seven graves in it, the earliest one in 1956, although one is not dated.
The ages range from eight to 82 years. Only Caucasian folks are buried here as a First Nations church and graveyard are at the old Fort Alexandria site on the reserve on the east side of the Fraser.
Highway 97 passed by directly in front of the church fence until the spring of 1960, on returning from the coast, we had to take a detour as a landslip, 200m north, destroyed that route. The pavement now is across a field in front of the building.
Obviously a small community once frequented the church at the top of Chinn Hill but times have changed as Alexandria elementary school, just north, has
also sat empty for
30 years and Mathesons sawmill with it’s burner, no longer awakens the day.
Arthur Gagnon, buried in the graveyard, donated the land in 1940, 68 years ago, so that a group headed by Wilfred and Mary Laviolette, raised funds, donations and labour to construct Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
It served the people. A priest came by PGE railway (now CNR) to serve the flock on Thursday, stayed at Laviolette’s home until returning on Tuesday.
Dora McMillan and Ruby Trudeau remember those times well as children of the Laviolettes.
One grave is the result of two brothers playing with a loaded gun which discharged, killing Lloyd Lavally, aged eight.
It closed in the late 1960s as its members moved away.
The Grade 6 and 7 classes from St. Ann’s school with Knights of Columbus help are restoring the old landmark to its former glory, with a bright coat of white paint.
A new roof is next.
While cleaning, a note was found on a stool announcing a mass in 1942.
Be sure to stop and visit this church
and reminisce of people and times gone by.
In Faith restored.
Andy Motherwell is an amateur historian and regular Observer contributor.