René-Arthur Fréchet


René-Arthur Fréchet was a Canadian architect who was active in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, modern day Acadia. He designed many churches and public buildings, a number of which are now protected for their architectural significance.

Life

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Fréchet obtained a degree in architecture from Laval University in 1898 and the same year he obtained a job with the Intercolonial Railway as an architect. Two years later, in 1900, he moved to Moncton, New Brunswick, for the railway, and resided at the Minto Hotel. In 1905, he opened his own architecture firm, developing a specialty in religious and domestic architecture. However, he was not limited to these architectural fields. Notably, he designed the Capitol Theater in Moncton in the mid-1920s.
Fréchet became involved in the Acadian community. In 1903, he married Elvina Cormier, daughter of local merchant Simon Cormier. Fréchet was a member of the provisional management team for the French-language Acadian newspaper, a founding member of the revitalized newspaper, a city councillor for Moncton City Council for several years, and a member of Société Nationale l'Assomption.
René-Arthur Fréchet died on May 28, 1950 in Moncton. Two days later, Émery Leblanc published a letter in L'Évangéline in memory of Frechet, highlighting his accomplishments.

Works

In Moncton:
Elsewhere in New Brunswick:
In Nova Scotia
In 2012, a park in the Sunny Brae neighbourhood of Moncton was named to recognize the legacy of René-Arthur-Fréchet. Fréchet had been virtually forgotten at the time of the park's naming, and in 2016 residents petitioned to have it given another name. The publicity revitalized his memory.