Back in 1937, Eugene and Isabelle (Bella) Bourgeault purchased the old dairy farm located beside what is now the Lougheed’s Funeral Home on Highway 69N in Hanmer. At the time, the farm belonged to Father Sequin and was actually the first jersey farm in Northern Ontario.

Bella was an integral part of the community in those days and, because of  her background as a nurse, her home saw the birth of over 75 babies as local mothers would use the nursing home facilities to await either the arrival of a doctor or the baby, whoever appeared first. Many residents of Valley East today can trace their roots back to the ‘delivery rooms’ of the majestic Bourgeault house.

Bella and Eugene raised their own large family out of that house as well. Religion was a major part of the Bourgeault tradition and Bella eventually constructed a wonderful grotto on her property. The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary looking up into the sky, with St. Bernadette kneeling before her, shown in the photo above, has been a famous landmark for over 50 years. In 1951, a special community ceremony was held at the grotto during which many residents gathered to pay their respects to the Virgin Mary and celebrate the consecration of the sacred site.

The grotto became symbolic of the peace and protection which emanated from the home as young mothers sought its shelter. Bella would often pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary to ask for help and guidance for the children whose lives began under her roof. The grotto meant a lot to Bella, who over the years, gave a big part of her life to the service of others. She actually felt that the grotto was so special that it belonged not only to her, but to everyone in the community. As you drive along the highway into Hanmer, you can’t help but notice the majesty of the statue, set in among the trees at the edge of the property.

When the house was sold to her daughter, Marie-Claire, Bella made her promise to keep the grotto and look after it. It was a promise that Marie-Claire has held dear to her heart ever since her mother’s death.

One morning recently, the Bourgeault’s woke up and discovered that the statue of St. Bernadette was gone.

It had been taken during the night and has yet to be discovered.

The family is heart-broken and feels as if Bella’s promise has been broken. Whoever took the statue would have had to use a vehicle to take it as the cement figure is too heavy to carry very far on foot. The authorities indicate that if it wasn’t broken on the site, it may still be in one piece, perhaps in someone’s garage; in a ditch; hidden in a wooded area; or some other obscure location.

The Bourgeault’s do not want anyone punished for this act. All they want is to restore the statue to it’s rightful place at the foot of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that the promise made to Bella can be fulfilled and so that the ‘community’ grotto can once again look out for the people of the area.