Official opening of Interpretive center at Spirit Lake
Interpretation Center Project
(POSTPONED)
http://www.campspiritlake.ca/projet.html
The Center’s main goal is to preserve, protect, and interpret the historical signifiance of the detention center at Spirit Lake, as well as to explain the cultural heritage of the colonization of La Ferme and the Amos region of Quebec and bring all this to life with many different activities.
Project outline:
- Acquiring the Church of St. Viateur at La Ferme;
- Obtaining financial suport;
- Building a mezzanine level and installing a permanent exposition;
- Locating artifacts to build up the museum collection;
- Promoting throughout Canada the history of the camp at Spirit Lake and the First World War.
http://www.campspiritlake.ca/projet.html
About Spirit Lake
The corporation Spirit Lake was born in 1998 following the will of local people to commemorate an important part of its history.
Since 1999, archaeological excavations are taking place on the former site where stood the prison camp, built during the First World War at the beginning of the colonization of Abitibi.
In 2001, the Spirit Lake Corporation purchased land near the Church of The Farm. This land was sold to the corporation to establish an interpretive center on the one hand the Spirit Lake camp, and secondly the colonization of La Ferme, which is closely linked.
In 2007, the corporation bought by mutual agreement with the church authorities, the church of La Ferme in which it may establish the interpretive center within the religious building.
Then, in 2008, the Spirit Lake Camp Corporation received a $400,000 grant from the Endowment Council of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund. This investment allowed the corporation to obtain sufficient funds to enable it to launch the project of construction of the interpretive center.
Finally, in August 2009, the corporation was able to conclude contracts for that work be initiated early in the month of November 2009.
