"Christ the King" church history
Adapted from the “Water Valley Bituma Story” by Lorraine Yates and the Cremona and area
history books “Under a Chinook Arch” & “The Chinook Wind Still Blows”.
Over 85 years ago the first settlers arrived in the west area now known as Water Valley. The roads were trails for horse - drawn vehicles and Carstairs was the nearest shopping centre.
From North Dakota came Mr and Mrs. James Haley with their family of six. A few years later, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Laveque (sometimes spelled Lavec or Laveck) and family from Ontario came to the area.
Being devout Catholics, these new settlers felt the need for religious instruction for their families. Father Forget, the priest then serving in Carstairs was contacted and arrangements were made for him to come and hold services in the homes. He travelled by horse and sleigh, or horse and buggy depending upon conditions.
By the 1930’s there was a store, school and a post office which was officially then named Water Valley. The people of the area met and decided to build a church. The site was donated by Howard Gazeley.
Bishop Carroll was in charge of the diocese at that time. He promised a five hundred dollar donation if the church was built at Water Valley. There was a great deal of discussion as other sites were suggested. Finally, to take advantage of the cash donation, it was agreed that the church would be built in Water Valley and be named, “Christ the King”. It was completed and dedicated in 1936 when a large crowd, many of which were Protestants, assembled for the occasion.
Conrad Rivard, a carpenter from Carstairs, was engaged to do the building with the help of volunteer labor. The church was constructed with a square tower on the south side which terminated in a dome surmounted by a white cross. Four Gothic type windows were placed on sides, and two on the end - one on either side of the tower. The bubble type glass is translucent, admitting light yet eliminating glare. Mr. Guy Gazeley built the pews. Each family paid $7.00 for its pew thus defraying the cost of construction. Mr. Haley donated the red rug that was in the sanctuary. The original altar, which was painted white and trimmed with gold, was built by Conrad Rivard. This was covered by a fine alter linen trimmed with lace crocheted in a religious motif by Mrs. Gazeley. This altar was in use for many years but was later replaced by a more modern altar given by St. Mary’s Church in Cochrane. The original altar was relegated to the sacristy. To add to the seating capacity of the church, a balcony was built at the rear of the building. This balcony provided extra room to be used for weddings, funerals or other special occasions. On one pew that was in the balcony, was a cross carved by Mr. Gazeley. On the walls were illustrations of the fourteen stations of the Cross. Each was in a beautiful hand-carved frame. These and the statues that stood in the niches above the altar were both donated by the Church in Carstairs.
The sacristy (room at the front) contained the vestments used by the priest at different times throughout the year and the communion set was also kept in this room. The Chalice, goblet and ciborium (tray used in serving the Eucharist) were pleasing in the simplicity of their lines. The communion set and font for Holy Water that was near the door came from St. Mary’s in Cochrane as did the antique fixtures. The three original kerosene lamps that once hung from the ceiling are now in Heritage Park. A natural gas furnace provides heat, replacing the original wood and coal burning heater.
This church has been a landmark for years. Volunteer trees now surround the grounds. Christ the King Church has given many years of service and was the setting of many weddings, Christenings, and funerals until its decommission by the Catholic Church in 2001. It is a symbol of the faith of the early settlers and was kept in good condition and lovingly maintained through the years by volunteer labour.
This building now known as Water Valley Church Events Centre, is privately owned by Richard and Kristine Sarsons. The Church has been restored but retains all the character in the original windows and woodwork, balcony, hardwood floors and glass door knobs. It has been updated to suit a wide variety of events for not only the community that built it but anyone who wants a unique venue to host or celebrate with friends and family.
history books “Under a Chinook Arch” & “The Chinook Wind Still Blows”.
Over 85 years ago the first settlers arrived in the west area now known as Water Valley. The roads were trails for horse - drawn vehicles and Carstairs was the nearest shopping centre.
From North Dakota came Mr and Mrs. James Haley with their family of six. A few years later, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Laveque (sometimes spelled Lavec or Laveck) and family from Ontario came to the area.
Being devout Catholics, these new settlers felt the need for religious instruction for their families. Father Forget, the priest then serving in Carstairs was contacted and arrangements were made for him to come and hold services in the homes. He travelled by horse and sleigh, or horse and buggy depending upon conditions.
By the 1930’s there was a store, school and a post office which was officially then named Water Valley. The people of the area met and decided to build a church. The site was donated by Howard Gazeley.
Bishop Carroll was in charge of the diocese at that time. He promised a five hundred dollar donation if the church was built at Water Valley. There was a great deal of discussion as other sites were suggested. Finally, to take advantage of the cash donation, it was agreed that the church would be built in Water Valley and be named, “Christ the King”. It was completed and dedicated in 1936 when a large crowd, many of which were Protestants, assembled for the occasion.
Conrad Rivard, a carpenter from Carstairs, was engaged to do the building with the help of volunteer labor. The church was constructed with a square tower on the south side which terminated in a dome surmounted by a white cross. Four Gothic type windows were placed on sides, and two on the end - one on either side of the tower. The bubble type glass is translucent, admitting light yet eliminating glare. Mr. Guy Gazeley built the pews. Each family paid $7.00 for its pew thus defraying the cost of construction. Mr. Haley donated the red rug that was in the sanctuary. The original altar, which was painted white and trimmed with gold, was built by Conrad Rivard. This was covered by a fine alter linen trimmed with lace crocheted in a religious motif by Mrs. Gazeley. This altar was in use for many years but was later replaced by a more modern altar given by St. Mary’s Church in Cochrane. The original altar was relegated to the sacristy. To add to the seating capacity of the church, a balcony was built at the rear of the building. This balcony provided extra room to be used for weddings, funerals or other special occasions. On one pew that was in the balcony, was a cross carved by Mr. Gazeley. On the walls were illustrations of the fourteen stations of the Cross. Each was in a beautiful hand-carved frame. These and the statues that stood in the niches above the altar were both donated by the Church in Carstairs.
The sacristy (room at the front) contained the vestments used by the priest at different times throughout the year and the communion set was also kept in this room. The Chalice, goblet and ciborium (tray used in serving the Eucharist) were pleasing in the simplicity of their lines. The communion set and font for Holy Water that was near the door came from St. Mary’s in Cochrane as did the antique fixtures. The three original kerosene lamps that once hung from the ceiling are now in Heritage Park. A natural gas furnace provides heat, replacing the original wood and coal burning heater.
This church has been a landmark for years. Volunteer trees now surround the grounds. Christ the King Church has given many years of service and was the setting of many weddings, Christenings, and funerals until its decommission by the Catholic Church in 2001. It is a symbol of the faith of the early settlers and was kept in good condition and lovingly maintained through the years by volunteer labour.
This building now known as Water Valley Church Events Centre, is privately owned by Richard and Kristine Sarsons. The Church has been restored but retains all the character in the original windows and woodwork, balcony, hardwood floors and glass door knobs. It has been updated to suit a wide variety of events for not only the community that built it but anyone who wants a unique venue to host or celebrate with friends and family.
Our Journey to the church
Rick and I met in November of 2001. We were set up by a mutual friend who obviously had great instincts. It didn't take long to realize how much we had in common. One of both of our greatest passions has always been antiques. We soon purchased our first house together. It was a 1910 built, four square farm house known as the Shannon house. Named after the family that built it and many others in Olds, Alberta. The home was destined for demolition as it had been purchased for its commercial land value. Rick masterminded the relocation of this 3 story beauty to our acreage just outside of Sundre. It took 12 hours to make the 42 kilometer journey and was seen and photographed by hundreds of people who came out to see this beloved building head off to its new location and life. This was the beginning of our “That’s a lot of work.” projects.
This was not however the first building relocated and/or refurbished by Rick. His first restoration project was part of a family business. In 1996 he bought a 1913 store in Irvine, AB and breathed new life into it. This is when a keen interest in renovating old buildings became a passion. Soon he was helping move heritage buildings to the local museum grounds to bring them back to their former glory. Many years of being a Jack of all Trades and being coached by talented mentors, he made the seemingly impossible projects happen.
I can’t say that my encounters with old buildings have been as interesting as Rick's. While they have always been my pleasure to photograph, paint and sketch, I had to that point only been involved with the new construction industry in which I drew on my Art and Design background. Turning my attention to restoration was a natural progression.
After putting our blood, sweat and tears into our Shannon house, Rick and I were married there in 2004. We then designed and built a new home in the Sundre area. It was then that our pursuit of the Church property actually began. That was in 2009. Like a lot of people in the area, we watched as this historic building sat empty and began to deteriorate with dismay. After failing to acquire the property then, we sold our Sundre acreage in 2011 and bought, renovated a home in Cochrane. Rick and I had just about finished that project when we learned that the Church property was once again a viable option for us. It took only two days to make it happen and so in May of 2013, we were off and running again. We finished the Cochrane house and went to work in Water Valley. Cleaning, restoring and renovating took just under a year and we were able to open our doors of our new Events Centre in time to host an amazing Kim Wempe concert on February 6, 2014. It was then that we decided that we wanted to be a part of the Water Valley Community full time. We finished renovations of our small home in this tiny “town” and moved in April of 2014.
Restoring the former “Christ the King” church has been a labour of love. We are happy to be able to share this beautiful space with the community, friends and family and look forward to seeing all the amazing possibilities happen here in its new life.
Kristine Sarsons - 2014
This was not however the first building relocated and/or refurbished by Rick. His first restoration project was part of a family business. In 1996 he bought a 1913 store in Irvine, AB and breathed new life into it. This is when a keen interest in renovating old buildings became a passion. Soon he was helping move heritage buildings to the local museum grounds to bring them back to their former glory. Many years of being a Jack of all Trades and being coached by talented mentors, he made the seemingly impossible projects happen.
I can’t say that my encounters with old buildings have been as interesting as Rick's. While they have always been my pleasure to photograph, paint and sketch, I had to that point only been involved with the new construction industry in which I drew on my Art and Design background. Turning my attention to restoration was a natural progression.
After putting our blood, sweat and tears into our Shannon house, Rick and I were married there in 2004. We then designed and built a new home in the Sundre area. It was then that our pursuit of the Church property actually began. That was in 2009. Like a lot of people in the area, we watched as this historic building sat empty and began to deteriorate with dismay. After failing to acquire the property then, we sold our Sundre acreage in 2011 and bought, renovated a home in Cochrane. Rick and I had just about finished that project when we learned that the Church property was once again a viable option for us. It took only two days to make it happen and so in May of 2013, we were off and running again. We finished the Cochrane house and went to work in Water Valley. Cleaning, restoring and renovating took just under a year and we were able to open our doors of our new Events Centre in time to host an amazing Kim Wempe concert on February 6, 2014. It was then that we decided that we wanted to be a part of the Water Valley Community full time. We finished renovations of our small home in this tiny “town” and moved in April of 2014.
Restoring the former “Christ the King” church has been a labour of love. We are happy to be able to share this beautiful space with the community, friends and family and look forward to seeing all the amazing possibilities happen here in its new life.
Kristine Sarsons - 2014
