The community of Lac Sergent, which was connected to the Centre Educatif 4 Saisons, has three brothers, who now reside in Résidence de la Salle.
Composition
The community of Lac Sergen now lives in Résidence de-la-Salle with Br. Superior Omer Beaulieu, Br. Guy Sigouin and Br.Jean-Jacques Guilmain as guests.
The Start
From 5th December 1933, there is a community in Lac Sergent, originally connected with “a School of Colonization”, now the Educational centre Four Seasons, in which that community does no longer take part. The community is now making itself useful in the parish.
“The Agricultural Orphanage”
In 1932 the more important Superiors decided to transfer the few Brothers, who were still busy in Swan Lake, to Huberdeau. They ordered Brother Gaudence to liquidate the “Agricutural College” because it was no longer liveable without pupils.
After a very tiring trip of 2750 km the Brothers Gaudence, Ignace and Remi as well as two postulants, arrived at Huberdeau on 14th October. Thanks to this personnel reinforcement, Brother Lucien who was “Visitator Representative”, could finally take up the offer to take over the administration of the agricultural orphanage, which had been asked him repeatedly by Brother Omer Plante, Auxiliary Bishop of Québec. Half of December this Brother started his trip together with the Brothers, Rombaut, Romain, Remi and Alfons.
In 1964 the “Agricultural Orphanage” existing under the name “Institution Saint-John-Baptist”, consisted of a primary school and a secondary school, in general 140pupils.
Brother Michel De Becker and his second fire.
13th September1945, Brother Michel succeeded Brother Gaudence as headmaster. A quick inspection of his new house made him shivering; only a few outside walls in stone, all the rest was made of wood and cardboard! And then in December 1949 that, what was the greatest fear of this benignant father, happened: while the children were bathing, a fire broke out about half past three in the afternoon. In less than no time, only a few carbonized walls were left. For Brother Michel, this was his second fire; he had already gone through it, once in Huberdeau.
For the second time, the Canadian hospitality found its expression: in the neighbourhood there were quite a lot of pavilions belonging to a governmental Institution which were meant for the training of surveyors and foresters. The Ministry of agriculture generously renounced them to help the Brothers and the children in their most extreme need. They immediately started with the construction of the fire-proof “Institution Saint-John-Baptist.