Not many live on the same land their whole lives, even less people can say their family has lived on the same land for four generations. Earlier this month, the Mercier family celebrated that significant accomplishment.
Not many live on the same land their whole lives, even less people can say their family has lived on the same land for four generations.
Earlier this month, the Mercier family celebrated that significant accomplishment. Through four generations and 100 years, their family homestead has remained just that.
"It feels good. You don't see too many families these days that have farms that are 100 years in the family," said Patrick Mercier, the farm's current owner and third generation on the homestead just southeast of Bonnyville.
It all started with a man by the name of Antonio Mercier, Patrick's grandfather. In 1907, Antonio first stepped foot in Alberta with his parents and three siblings. Together the family made the trip by coach from Vegreville to Duvernay, where they crossed the river by boat. From there, they got on a wagon to make the trek to an immigrant house in what is now St. Paul.
When summer finally rolled around, the family finally set their roots in Bonnyville. Antonio's father and eldest brother traveled to what they referred to as Moose Lake (it would later be named Bonnyville) to take a homestead.
Over the years Antonio took on various jobs to save up money including trapping muskrats and building roads. In 1915, at the age of 19, he filed for his homestead, unaware that would be the land even his great-grandson would grow up on.
After being rejected from the army due to sinus problems, in 1918 Antonio planted his first crop. In 1923, he moved back to Ontario with his father for six years before returning to his homestead with a wife and four children.
Once he was settled down, Antonio became a councilor for the M.D. of Bonnyville from 1937 to '52. Eventually the couple had five more children, but it would be his middle son Julien that would carry on the Mercier homestead.
"When I bought it (from my father) I never thought it would go this far," admitted Julien.
Julien caught the farming bug at a young age. Just as his father had, at 19-years-old Julien bought a quarter section of land just west of the quarter his mother owned. By 1963, Julien and his new wife of one-year bought the family's home quarter section and his mother's quarter, along with equipment and all of the farm animals accept one cow for butchering.
In 1967, Julien and his wife Gert adopted Patrick who, with his wife Marv, would help make the family homestead into what it is today. The couple proved that 'once a farmer, always a farmer'.
"I was living in the city and then when (my son) Ryan was born, I decided I'd come back to Bonnyville to help dad and he gave me a heifer and said I could do what I want with her," explained Patrick.
He joked, "I thought she was bored so I bought some more and continued on."
After retiring from carpentry in 1994, Julien farmed full-time. With Patrick, the father-son duo farmed together until Julien finally quit in January '08.
"Some years it's tough and some years it's rewarding. You have to love it, especially when it's tough and you have a down year like this year where there's drought and grasshoppers," said Patrick.
The Mercier's farm now sits around 300 acres with about 86 cows and 17 horses, miniature horses and donkeys.
"We're going to be getting some pigs as well. Julien tried it so we'll try it once," said Marv.
For the Mercier's farming is more of a hobby, a family passion that they've kept alive alongside their full-time jobs. Nonetheless, both the former and current homestead owners would like to see the farm continue to be passed down within the Mercier family. Luckily, Patrick instilled his love of farming into his son Ryan.
At just 10-years-old, Ryan was given his first cow as a gift. Now 23, he has grown his heard up to 20 head and has already put his name on the homestead sign. His girlfriend, Angie, has also started to grow her heard from a cow given to her by Patrick and Marv.
"I'm going to give it a try. Everyone else did, so I might as well. I like the cows and I've always liked being on the farm," said Ryan.
Earlier this month, the Mercier's were presented with a plaque from the M.D. of Bonnyville to commemorate a centennial on their original homestead. They will also be receiving recognition from the Alberta Government for their 100 years of hard work and dedication to keeping the original family homestead in the Mercier family.
