Bell of Batoche Returns To Batoche, Saskatchewan 128 Years After It Was Looted As War Booty
128 years ago, the bell that rang in the Roman Catholic Church in Batoche, North West Territories (Saskatchewan) was stolen as a trophy of war by Canadian troops from Ontario. Today, the Bell was returned to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Cast in solid silver and standing about 30 centimetres tall, the bell is an important cultural relic of Canada's Metis.
The bell was seized from Batoche's church as a trophy of war by federal troops who put down the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, crushing the dream of Metis leader Louis Riel to build an independent Metis state. It was brought east and eventually ended up in a Royal Canadian Legion hall in Millbrook, Ont.
In 1991, it was stolen from the Legion by unknown conspirators and wasn't seen publicly until this weekend.
CBC Saskatchewan
-The 1885 Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
-Battle Of Batoche 1885
-Fixing A War Crime From 1885 - The Bell Of Batoche Coming Back To Saskatchewan
