Trail Talking

On Mar. 8, I had the opportunity to deliver a speech to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly in honour of the remarkable one hundredth birthday of a Dawson Trail constituent, Albertine Lagassé, my grandmother.

Albertine Grégoire was born on June 15th, 1918. Albertine married Armand Lagassé in 1944. They lived in Barrie, Ontario for a time, after which they settled in St. Adolphe. Armand Lagassé served in the second world war, and Albertine wrote a letter to him every day until his return. Together, they raised nine children in St. Adolphe.

Albertine was considered a domestic engineer; she would get up at five o’clock in the morning to milk the cows and then come in, get the lunches made and send the kids off to school.

Albertine suffered many challenges over the years, caused by five major floods. They also lost their house to a fire in 1967. The volunteer help they received at that time from friends and family proved how much they were loved and respected in the village of St. Adolphe. They were also saddened by the death of their son, Ron, in a car accident in 1969.

Albertine was very involved in her community as a member of La Ligue des Femmes Catholique and the Club Amical. She never had a driver’s license, never drank or smoked, and is also in very good physical health. These are the reasons why we believe she will reach her 100th birthday very soon.

Today, she is loved and cherished by 21 grandchildren, and 41 great grandchildren, some of whom were able to be present in the viewing gallery at the Legislature that day to help celebrate her incredible milestone.