Calvaire de Yamaska

English translation (Google): , Calvary and Rebellion , The history of this ordeal is intimately linked to the Patriot rebellions of 1837-1838. The navigator Dominique Charland, a patriot who risked his life at the Battle of Saint-Denis on 23 November 1837, was imprisoned in Trois-Rivières and was likely to be added to the list of death row inmates. He then promises that if he makes it out alive, he will have an ordeal erected in Yamaska, his native village., Against all odds, Charland is released and thus avoids the gallows. At this time, the patriotic movement is still relevant, the repression well felt and the scaffolds still in operation. Individual freedoms are suspended while the army can arrest anyone suspected of conspiracy. It is in this context that Charland keeps promise and calls on a renowned sculptor and architect, Alexis Milette, to sculpt Christ on the cross and erect this ordeal as the ex-voto of his life., Heritage and Collective Identity , Witnesses to the faith of the inhabitants, the crosses of paths and calvary stake the landscape since the time of New France. They mark the territory and, although this is not always the original purpose, generally become places of devotion and popular gathering., With the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s, the population abandoned religious practice en masse, but the collective identity of Quebecers remained largely marked by Judeo-Christian values and traditions. Today, in addition to churches, presbyteries and cemeteries, about 3,000 crosses of paths and calvary still remain in our landscape. These treasures of Quebec's heritage bear witness to our history and culture., Restoration of Corpus Christi , Built in 1838 near the house of Dominique Charland, the ordeal moved here in 1922. It was first maintained by the patriot until his death in 1857. Then, many took turns in this task, including Mr. Albert Mondou, who took care of it from 1942 to 2005. Despite the good care given to the statue and the building that protects it, the weather and the harshness of Quebec's climate end up affecting the whole ordeal. In 2016, major work is undertaken for the renovation of the building and the restoration of the Corpus Christi., The statue, made of wood, is entrusted to the restoration expert Martin Gauthier of the Heritage Workshop. The delicate operation allows the rediscovery and preservation of the work considered one of the 25 national treasures in terms of ordeals., The Patriot Revolt , It is against the background of political, economic, agricultural and social crisis that the ideals of democracy and social justice of the patriots are confronted with a corrupt system, discrimination and the abuse of power of a privileged minority. The shameless concentration of power and wealth, injustices and military terror lead to the rebellion of a part of the population against the British imperial government in an unequal struggle that then pits ordinary citizens against the most powerful army of the world., Church and Rebellion , Although several priests supported the patriotic movement, officially, the Church sided with imperial power and systematically condemned any insurrection against the government of the day.