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Grandin Province was established on May 1st, 1986, when the Oblate Vice-Provinces of Grouard, Mackenzie, and the Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan were merged to form Grandin Province. Grandin Province encompassed the western area of the Northwest Territories, Alberta, and northern Saskatchewan. It was also declared a bilingual Province. Like its predecessors, Grandin Province was both the civil corporation and the canonical entity of the Oblates in the west. The Provincial Administration consisted of eight members and included a Provincial, a Provincial Vicar, and six advisers. Grandin Province administration also included a Finance Committee composed of the Provincial Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Financial Consultant and three other members. The Provincial Administration of Grandin Province was moved from its traditional base in St. Albert, to the newly acquired Provincial House in Edmonton.

The responsibilities of the Provincial administration within Grandin Province continued along the lines of its predecessors: to manage the administration, the religious operations, and the financial aspects of the corporation, and to direct all the activities of the region that aim to evangelize, to establish mission stations, elementary and advanced schools, orphanages, hospitals, dispensaries and carry out other works of Christian charity, to erect chapels and churches.

The Oblates of Grandin Province congregation carried out the administrative functions and the duties related to mission and parish work, vocation and the formation of future Oblates, continued their administrative responsibilities at the provincial and diocesan levels, carried for the sick and the elderly, and were present in their local communities by teaching in universities, carrying out bible studies, and participating in retreats and pilgrimages.

The Provincial was responsible for overseeing the administration of the various properties, including the scolasticates, the Star of the North Retreat House, various colleges, CHFA radio and other subordinate institutions. The Provincial Vicar, was responsible for the missions in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the Kisemanito Centre, Lac St-Anne pilgrimage, and the laymen ministry training committee.

Grandin Province worked closely with the churches in the various local communities, and by the early 2000s included 158 Oblates, consisting of four bishops, 116 priests, 37 brothers and one scolasticate, who served six Roman Catholic dioceses: Mackenzie, Grouard-McLennan, St-Paul, Edmonton, Calgary and Prince Albert.

The administrative and canonical entity of Grandin Province ceased to exist when, on December 8, 2003, the western Oblate provinces of Grandin, St. Peter’s, Manitoba Corporation, St. Mary’s and the Order of OMI British Columbia, also known as St. Paul’s Province, and the central provinces, were canonically amalgamated to form OMI Lacombe Canada.

Provincials, Grandin Province:

• Maurice Joly (1985-1986)
• Félix Vallée (1986-1989)
• Jacques Johnson (1989-1995)
• Camille Piché (1996-2003)

The Oblate Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan was created on January 20th, 1921, from the Vicariate of Missions of Alberta-Saskatchewan. The earliest Oblate presence in the west was first overseen by the Vicariate of Missions of St. Boniface, Manitoba. In 1868, the Oblate Congregation also established the Vicariate of Missions of St. Albert, and in 1864 the Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska-Mackenzie. The Vicariate of Missions of St. Albert was divided in 1891 to administer the west and the north, into the Vicariate of Missions of St. Albert and the Vicariate of Missions of Saskatchewan. These merged again in 1906 into the Vicariate of Missions of Alberta-Saskatchewan; in 1921 the Vicariate became the Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan.

The new province consisted of 146 members and physically encompassed much of Alberta and part of Saskatchewan, from 55 North latitude, down to its southern boundary of the Canadian-American border, and from the Rocky Mountains and the South Saskatchewan River from the Alberta-Saskatchewan border to the south of Saskatoon and east to the Manitoba border.

The Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan was both the civil corporation and the canonical entity for the Oblates in the west. The Provincial administration consisted of the Provincial and a council of up to five advisors, the Provincial Treasurer, who advised on financial matters, as well as various committees as required. The Provincial was responsible for administrative matters, obediences and assignments, community life and operations of missions. The province also oversaw the administration and operation of numerous Indian Residential Schools, hospitals and orphanages.

The responsibilities of the Provincial administration within the Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan continued along the lines of its predecessors: to manage the administration, the religious operations, and the financial aspects of the corporation, and to direct all the activities of the region that aimed to evangelize, to establish mission stations, elementary and advanced schools, orphanages, hospitals, dispensaries and carry out other works of Christian charity, to erect chapels and churches. This included the monitoring of properties and investments, pensions and personnel finances, project funds, and funds used for training and material missionary work in the communities. By 1935, the Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan consisted of 155 personnel, and was responsible for all the First Nations and Métis missions within the Edmonton, Calgary and Prince-Albert Archdioceses. The Province was also responsible for the administration of numerous Indian Residential Schools in Alberta-Saskatchewan, including those at Brocket, Cardston Cluny, Delmas, Duck Lake, Dunbow, Hobbema, Onion Lake and St. Paul. The Province possessed the francophone newspapers La Survivance in Alberta, and Le Patriote in Saskatchewan a Cree publication, an orphanage at Prince Albert, two pilgrimage sites, eight schools, including the Juniorat Saint-Jean and numerous churches and missions. The Province established various organizations for Catholic education, including a retreat house, the Star of the North, as well as the Juniorat, later Collège Saint-Jean.

Following a division in the Oblate Provinces of the west based on language or origin of personnel, the Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan was considered a French language province.

By 1965, the Province consisted of 145 members who carried out charity, parish and educational work. By 1982, the Province consisted of a number of local districts with 83 members: the District of St-Paul, South District, District of Saskatchewan, District of Hobbema, District of St-Albert, District of St-Jean, Foyer Grandin and the Provincial House. The governing of each district was entrusted to a Council consisting of a Superior and two advisers.

The Oblate Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan ceased to exist in 1986 when it merged with the Oblate Vice-Provinces of Grouard and Mackenzie to form Grandin Province.

Superiors, Vicariate of Missions of St. Albert:

• Vital Grandin (1867-1897)
• Emile Legal (1897-1906)
• Henri Grandin (1906-1921)

Superior, Vicariate of Missions of Saskatchewan:

• Albert Pascal (1891-1906)

Superior, Vicariate of Missions of Alberta-Saskatchewan:

• Henri Grandin (1906-1921)

Provincials, Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan:

• Henri Grandin (1921-1923)
• François Blanchin (1923-1926)
• Jean-Baptiste Beys (1926-1929)
• Ubald Langlois (1929-1938)
• Henri Routhier (1938-1944)
• Armand Boucher (1944-1950)
• J. Osias Fournier (1950-1956)
• Guy Michaud (1956-1962)
• Maurice J. Lafrance (1962-1965)
• Georges-Marie Latour (1965-1971)
• Thomas Bilodeau (1971-1975)
• Joseph Regnier (1975-1979)
• Maurice Joly (1979-1985)

The Oblate Vice-Province of Grouard was established in 1901 as part of the Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska. The Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska-Mackenzie had been established in 1864, and encompassed the geographical area of what is now Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

The Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska-Mackenzie was administratively divided along the 60th parallel, into the Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska (Northwestern part of Alberta) and the Vicariate of Missions of Mackenzie (Northeastern part of Alberta and the Northwest Territories). The Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska had three regions: Athabaska District (including Fort Chipewyan and Fond-du-Lac), Lesser Slave Lake – St. Bernard’s as Center (called Grouard since 1909), and the Peace River District.

In 1927, the District of Athabaska was moved to the Vicariate of Missions of Mackenzie, and the Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska became the Vicariate of Missions of Grouard. Mackenzie would administer the Athabaska district and Grouard, all areas east of the 113th meridian. The Vicariate of Grouard included Hay Lake, Fort Vermilion, Peace River, Fairview, Fort Dunvegan, Spirit River, Tangent, Grande-Prairie, Guy, Atikameg, Girouxville, Falher, McLennan, Grouard, Slave Lake, Wabaska and Desmarais until 1948.

In 1967, Rome abolished the system of vicariates of missions under the direction of Superiors, and all vicariates became Vice-Provinces under the direction of a Provincial. This elevated the Vicariate of Missions of Grouard to the Vice-Province of Grouard.

The Vice-Province of Grouard was both the civil corporation and the canonical entity for the Oblates in the northern regions of Alberta. Its administration consisted of the Superior / Vicar, later Provincial, and a council of four advisors that included the Treasurer, who advised on financial matters, with committees for support as needed.

The responsibilities of the Provincial administration was to manage the administration, the religious operations, and the financial aspects of the corporation, and to direct all the activities of the region that aimed to evangelize, to establish mission stations, elementary and advanced schools, orphanages, hospitals, and carry out other works of Christian charity, to erect chapels and churches. This included the monitoring of properties and investments, pensions and personnel finances, project funds, and funds used for training and material missionary work in the communities.

The Provincial Administration worked closely with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grouard-McLennan to carry out mission work in the territory that spanned 250,000 square kilometers. The superiors of the Vicariate often at the same time served as the bishop of the Diocese. The Vice-Province provided Oblates to support the work of the Diocese, and the administration of the missions, parishes and the financial responsibilities for staff often overlapped. The Oblates also supported the work of the Diocese in administering its seven Indian Residential Schools.

By the 1970s, the Oblates would carry out their missionary work under an agreement with the Roman Catholic archbishop of the Diocese, and financial affairs and property ownership were also separated in the 1970s.

The Provincial was also responsible for overseeing the administration of the various Oblate institutions in the Vice-Province, including the Centre Notre-Dame de la Paix, the Notre-Dame Collège (closed 1971), the Provincial House, the museum, and the pilgrimage grounds in Girouxville, and the Kisemanito Centre in Grouard.

By 1982, the Vice-Province of Grouard had four administrative districts based on geographic representation: The west sector contained Spirit-River, Eaglesham, Girouxville, Falher, and Jean-Côté. The central sector consisted of McLennan, Donnelly, Guy, Calais and Valleyview. The northern sector was comprised of Assumption, Meander-River, Fort-Vermilion and High Level, and the eastern sector consisted of Trout Lake, Wabasca, Smith, Slave Lake, Faust, Joussard, High Prairie, Gift Lake and Grouard.

The Oblate Vice-Province of Grouard ceased to exist in 1986 when it merged with the Oblate Vice-Province of Mackenzie and the Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan to form Grandin Province.

Superiors, Vicariate of Grouard:

• Emile Grouard (1901-1930)
• Jules Calais (1930-1932)
• Joseph Guy (1932-1938)
• Ubald Langlois (1938-1944)
• Henri Routhier (1944-1950)
• Armand Boucher (1950-1956)
• Marjorique Lavigne (1956-1965)
• Jean Marsan (1965-1966)

Provincials, Vice-Province of Grouard:

• Jean Marsan (1967-1973))
• René Bélanger (1973-1979)
• Clément Richer (1979-1985)

The Oblate Vice-Province of Mackenzie was originally established in 1901. Its predecessor, the Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska-Mackenzie, had been established in 1864, and encompassed the geographical area of what is now Alberta and the Northwest Territories. In 1901, the Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska-Mackenzie was administratively divided into two Vicariates along the 60th parallel. The Vicariate of Missions of Athabaska (northwestern portion of what would become Alberta, south of the 60th) and the Vicariate of Missions of Mackenzie (northeastern portion of what would become Alberta and the Northwest Territories, north of the 60th).

Mackenzie included of missions and schools in a number of communities, including Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Fort Wrigley, Fort Liard, Fort Rae, Fort Norman, Good Hope and Peel River. In 1927, the District of Athabasca became an administrative unit of the Vicariate Apostolic of Mackenzie, and all areas west of the 113th meridian would become the Vicariate of Grouard. This included Fort Chipewyan, Fond-du-Lac, Fort McMurray and Fitzgerald. Chard followed in 1935 and Yellowknife in 1935.

In 1967, Rome abolished the system of vicariates of missions under the direction of Superiors, and all vicariates became Vice-Provinces under the direction of a Provincial. This elevated the Vicariate of Missions of Mackenzie to the Vice-Province of Mackenzie.

The Vice-Province of Mackenzie was both the civil corporation and the canonical entity for the Oblates in the north. Its administration consisted of the Vicar, later Provincial, and a council of four advisors that included the Treasurer, who advised on financial matters. The Council was drawn from Fort Smith or the south, one advisor from the central zone (Lac des Esclaves), one advisor from the lower part of the Mackenzie River.

The responsibilities of the Provincial administration was to manage the organization, the religious operations, and the financial aspects of the corporation, and to direct all the activities of the region that aimed to evangelize, to establish mission stations, elementary and advanced schools, orphanages, hospitals, and carry out other works of Christian charity, to erect chapels and churches. This included the monitoring of properties and investments, pensions and personnel finances, project funds, and funds used for training and material missionary work in the communities.

The Provincial administration worked closely with Roman Catholic Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith to carry out mission work in regions of Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. The Vice-Province provided Oblates to support the work of the diocese, and the administration of the missions, parishes and the financial responsibilities for staff often overlapped. The Oblates also supported the work of the Diocese in administering Indian Residential Schools in the north. The Oblates also worked closely with the Grey Nuns of Montreal. Together, they opened and administered six hospitals, Fort Smith in 1914, Fort Simpson in 1916, Aklavik in 1925, Fort McMurray in 1938, Fort Resolution in 1939 and Fort Rae in 1940.

By 1948, the Oblate Congregation consisted of more than 100 fathers and brothers. By 1982 the Vice-Province of Mackenzie had three administrative districts: Fort Smith and the south, Lac des Esclaves for central and Inuvik for the north. The Provincial House in Fort Smith was the only property that belonged to the Oblates, other properties belonged to the diocese.

The Oblate Vice-Province of Mackenzie ceased to exist in 1986 when it merged with the Oblate Vice-Province of Grouard and the Province of Alberta-Saskatchewan to form Grandin Province.

Superiors, Vicariate of Mackenzie:

• Gabriel Breynat (1901-1943)
• Joseph Trocellier (1943-1950)
• Jean-Louis Michel (1950-1956)
• Robert Haramburu (1956-1962)
• Lucien Casterman (1962-1966)

Provincials, Vice-Province of Mackenzie:

-Lucien Casterman (1967-1971)

• Gilles Mousseau (1971-1980)
• Jean Porte (1980-1985)