The Lacombe Home was built by the legendary
Father Albert Lacombe, a priest of the Oblate Order and one of the best known and most revered early missionaries to work in Western Canada. The Lacombe Home was built on 200 acres of land near Midnapore donated by equally legendary local cattleman
Pat Burns. As well as the land, Burns also donated beef, dairy products and dairy cattle to the home. Lumber, coal, cash, even transportation of materials were all donated to build the home by well heeled friends of the Father.
Officially opened in 1910, the home continued in operation until fire claimed it in 1999. Several ancillary buildings survive, including the water tower, the site now the campus of
St. Mary's University. St. Mary's, which had its beginnings in 1985, moved to the site in 1999, offering a liberal arts program. The buildings from the Lacombe Home which survive have been repurposed for use by the university and new buildings have been added to the campus. In 1986 St. Mary’s College became St. Mary’s University College and in 2014 the university changed its name from St. Mary’s University College to St. Mary’s University.
An 80 foot tall water tower, which once held 1,898 litres of water, has been retained by the university and is now a local landmark. While there was consideration given to demolishing the tower, it survived until 2011 when the new president and vice-chancellor of the university saw value in the structure and by 2018 had turned it into an art gallery,
The Mauro Gallery.
Following is a bit of information provided by St. Mary’s University itself.
St. Mary’s University is an innovative teaching and research university that provides affordable, accredited and highly valued degrees in the Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education.
Located on a historic site in Calgary, Alberta, our students are inspired to combine academics with a passionate commitment to ethics, social justice and respect for diversity of opinion and belief. St. Mary’s has 875 full and part-time students, 80 full and part-time faculty, and an average class size of 25.
St. Mary’s University is accredited to offer four three-year Bachelor of Arts degrees with concentrations in General Studies, English, History, or Psychology. As well as five four-year degrees: a Bachelor of Arts with a major in English, a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology , a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Liberal Studies , a Bachelor of Arts with a major in History as well as a Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology. And see our after-degree Bachelor of Education (Elementary) Program.
From St. Mary’s University