THE CHURCH of OUR LADY of GOOD HOPE, Fort Good Hope, North West Territories Canada

This is a historic Carpenter Gothic-style Roman Catholic church located on a bluff overlooking the Mackenzie River in this tiny native community. Only 13.7 by 7.6m in size, it was built as a mission of the Oblate Fathers. Father Emile Petitot, a renowned ethnologist, linguist and geographer of the Canadian northwest was a resident of the mission from 1864 to 1879. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1977.

The simple exterior of simple white wooden clapboard siding, a steep pitched roof, lancet windows and lancet entryway make it a plain example of the style.

But it belies the extraordinary painted decoration of the interior: It took 20 years to complete the large painted murals between the windows and the borders around the murals painted by Father Petitot using paints made from plants he collected in the area. The ceiling is a vibrant blue covered with gold stars.


The cemetery has small white picket fences and shelters covering the stones.
The Church of Our Lady of Good Hope was designated a National Historic Site of Canada on June 6, 1977. The designation does not include the historic cemetery located to the left of the church building.