Northwestern Alberta has had a Catholic presence, under the authority of a bishop, since 1860, as part of the Apostolic Vicariate of St. Boniface. The territory was reconfigured three more times, finally being erected as the Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan in 1967. The area’s first Indian Residential School was at the St. Bernard Mission in Grouard and operated from 1866-1961. There were five other Indian Residential Schools at Catholic missions in this part of Alberta: Assumption, Desmarais, Fort Vermilion, Joussard, and Sturgeon Lake. 

The Archdiocese of Grouard-McLennan holds nearly 30,000 photographic images of the peoples and places in this part of Alberta, dating back to the late 1800’s. 

Given its role in the Indian Residential School System, and as a party to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the Archdiocese participated at the seven national events hosted by Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2010-2014.