TACHÉ, ALEXANDRE-ANTONIN. — Archbishop of St. Boniface, born on 23 July 1823 at Fraserville (Canada), died at St-Boniface on 22 June 1894. In 1845 he entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and that same year departed for the Red River mission, working successfully among the Indians and Métis.
In 1851 he became coadjutor to Bishop Giuseppe Norberto Provencher, and in 1853 assumed the governance of the diocese of St-Boniface, which at that time encompassed all of northwestern Canada. He promoted and directed the Indian mission, which the Oblates had extended as far as the extreme north. The northern part was subsequently detached in 1862 in order to establish the apostolic vicariate of Athabasca-Mackenzie. With intrepid courage and clear-sighted spirit, he avoided the dangers arising from the region’s incorporation into the Canadian Confederation in 1870 and from the numerous immigrations. During the Métis rebellion in 1871, he succeeded in preventing bloodshed. In 1871 the diocese of St-Albert was detached, and St-Boniface was elevated to an archdiocese. With great zeal he promoted the development of the archdiocese, establishing parishes, churches, chapels, and schools. In 1889 he held the first provincial Council. His prudent activity on behalf of Catholic schools was suddenly cut short by the law of 19 March 1890, enacted by the liberal government of the province of Manitoba. His protest achieved nothing more than permission to establish Catholic schools, on condition that taxes also be paid for the public schools. He is recognized as the organizer of the Catholic Church in northwestern Canada.