A historic statue of a late priest that was knocked over in Memramcook, N.B., last month has been restored. Mayor Maxime Bourgeois noticed the toppled statue while he was walking to work the morning of Aug. 26. “I was quite shocked and it’s definitely upsetting,” he told CTV News Atlantic’s Derek Haggett that day. Police believe vandals knocked down the statue sometime between 7:35 p.m. on Aug. 25 and 8:10 a.m. on Aug. 26. The statue was then removed from the site for repairs. The Village of Memramcook issued an update on Tuesday, stating the statue was restored and returned to its base around 7 a.m. “Père Lefebvre is back! Just in time for the start of the school year,” said the village in a statement on social media. “We thank all those who took care of the restoration of the statue of this great believer of higher education in Acadie.” Meanwhile, police are still looking for the vandals responsible for the incident. Last week, the RCMP said it was searching for a pickup truck – a white 2019 or 2020 Dodge Ram – which was seen in a parking lot on Centrale Street between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Aug. 26. Anyone with information about the incident or the truck is asked to call police at 506-533-5151. History of the statue The statue was built in memory of Father Camille Lefebvre, who was born in Quebec in 1831. He founded the former Catholic Acadian University of St. Joseph’s College in Memramcook, where he died in 1895. The building on Centrale Street was later preserved as a memorial to Acadian culture and Lefebvre’s work. “Père Camille Lefebrve played a pivotal role in Acadian history,” Bourgeois previously told CTV News. “He was one of pillars that really brought higher education to the Acadian population.” The bronze sculpture was done by artist Philippe Hébert and erected near Monument Lefebvre in 1914 in memory of the 50th anniversary of the founding of St. Joseph’s College. Monument Lefebvre was named a National Historic Site in 1994. With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Derek Haggett and Sean Mott For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
