René-Arthur Fréchet Explained

René-Arthur Fréchet
Nationality:Canadian
Birth Date:6 June 1879
Birth Place:Montreal, Quebec
Death Place:Moncton, New Brunswick
Alma Mater:Laval University
Practice:Religious and domestic
Significant Buildings:Memorial Church in Grand Pré (1910)
Significant Projects:Numerous churches in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Capitol Theatre, Moncton

René-Arthur Fréchet (June 6, 1879 – May 28, 1950) was a Canadian architect who was active in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, modern day Acadia. He designed many churches and public buildings, a number of which are now protected for their architectural significance.

Life

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Fréchet obtained a degree in architecture from Laval University in 1898 and the same year he obtained a job with the Intercolonial Railway as an architect. Two years later, in 1900, he moved to Moncton, New Brunswick, for the railway, and resided at the Minto Hotel. In 1905, he opened his own architecture firm, developing a specialty in religious and domestic architecture.[1] However, he was not limited to these architectural fields. Notably, he designed the Capitol Theatre in Moncton in the mid-1920s.[2] Fréchet became involved in the Acadian community. In 1903, he married Elvina Cormier, daughter of local merchant Simon Cormier. Fréchet was a member of the provisional management team for the French-language Acadian newspaper, a founding member of the revitalized newspaper (1920s, see Valentin Landry), a city councillor for Moncton City Council for several years, and a member of Société Nationale l'Assomption.[1]

René-Arthur Fréchet died on May 28, 1950, in Moncton. Two days later, Émery Leblanc published a letter in L'Évangéline in memory of Frechet, highlighting his accomplishments.[3]

Works

In Moncton:[4]

Elsewhere in New Brunswick:

In Nova Scotia

Legacy

In 2012, a park in the Sunny Brae neighbourhood of Moncton was named to recognize the legacy of René-Arthur-Fréchet. Fréchet had been virtually forgotten at the time of the park's naming, and in 2016 residents petitioned to have it given another name.[14] [15] The publicity revitalized his memory.[16]

Notes and References

  1. Regis Brun, The Acadians in Moncton, a century and a half of French presence at the Coude, Moncton, 1999, p. 83.
  2. Encyclopedia: Joan . Mattie . Theater Design to 1950 . The Canadian Encyclopedia . 7 February 2006 . 7 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170308142622/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/theatre-design-to-1950/ . 8 March 2017 . live .
  3. News: Emery. LeBlanc. M. René Arthur Fréchet. 3. L'Évangéline. Moncton, New Brunswick. May 30, 1950. fr .
  4. Web site: Fréchet, René-Arthur. Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800–1950. Robert G.. Hill. Toronto, Ontario. 2017-03-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20170308140653/http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/1576. 2017-03-08. live.
  5. Web site: Saint-Antoine l'Ermite Church . Canada's Historic Places . . 2019-08-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160309184053/http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=7366 . 2016-03-09 . live .
  6. Web site: Léger Pharmacy. Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. 2019-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160308053508/http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5522. 2016-03-08. live.
  7. Web site: 21 Gray Street. Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. 2019-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307221517/http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=12281. 2016-03-07. live.
  8. Web site: John Peck House. Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. 2019-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310194946/http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=18166. 2016-03-10. live.
  9. Web site: Creaghan Block. Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. 2019-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305041813/http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=9010. 2016-03-05. live.
  10. Web site: Church of St. John the Baptist and St. Joseph. Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. 2019-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160309180216/http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=7206. 2016-03-09. live.
  11. Web site: Dr. Bourgeois House. Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. 2019-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305125310/http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=8173. 2016-03-05. live.
  12. Web site: Government of Canada Building. Canada's Historic Places. Parks Canada. 2019-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160606204537/http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=9482. 2016-06-06. live.
  13. Web site: North Head, New Brunswick, Government of Canada Building. Historicplaces.ca.
  14. News: Kashmala . Fida . Moncton's Sunny Brae area choosing new name for park: People complained the current name didn't reflect the local history of the former town . CBC news . March 21, 2016 . March 7, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170308141640/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-sunny-brae-park-voting-1.3501002 . March 8, 2017 . live .
  15. Web site: City of Moncton . René-Arthur Fréchet Park . March 7, 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170308144105/https://www.moncton.ca/Residents/Recreation_Parks_and_Culture/Recreation_Master_Plan/Ren_-Arthur_Fr_chet_Park.htm . March 8, 2017 .
  16. Web site: fr. Qui était René-Arthur Fréchet?. Who was René-Arthur Fréchet?. L'Acadie Nouvelle. January 19, 2017. March 7, 2017. . https://web.archive.org/web/20170308135843/http://www.acadienouvelle.com/mon-opinion/2017/01/19/etait-rene-arthur-frechet/. March 8, 2017. live.

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