Friedenstal, Alberta

The locality was originally named Westphalia ^[4] after the Westphalia region in Germany. The locality was renamed St. Louis in October 1911,^[5] however the name was yet again changed in 1914 after the desire to build a post-office was put forward, due to the names Westphilia and St. Louis regulated to history, the name was changed to Friedenstal.^[6] The name Fridenstal was chosen after the Bessarabia German settlement of the same name in present-day south west Ukraine between Odessa and the Republic of Moldova^[7] meaning "Peace Valley"^[8]

In 1911 Rev. A Biehler O.M.I founded a small chapel in Friedenstal. In 1921 Father William Ebert built St. Boniface Church in Friedenstal, the parish was made up of the settlers around Friedenstal. St. Boniface closed a few years after the Friedenstal School and St. Theresa Dormitory,^[9] those who attended mass at St. Boniface began to go to St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Fairview. Over the years since its building the church has been maintained as a historical site. Many deceased settlers and residents of whom can be found in the small cemetery located behind the St. Boniface. .

When the new church was built in 1921, a Hall known as the Friedenstal Hall was built as well, the Hall served as an events center for weddings and family reunions in Friedenstal. Following a controlled burn of the old hall a new Friedenstal community Hall was constructed in 2010 costing over one million dollars raised by the Friedenstal historical society.^[10]

With the building of the chapel and rectory in Friedenstal, also came the building of a small public school in 1914. In 1937 the Sisters of Providence had begun teaching at the small school. In 1946 it was decided to build a new school house in Fridenstal, it was also decided to build a dormitory called St. Theresa Residence in Friedenstal, the St. Theresa Residence was Built for students attending the school from other communities^{[citation needed]} and operated by the Sisters of Providence. The school closed several years after the closure of the Dormitory,^[11] students who attended the Friedenstal School would be sent to St. Thomas More Catholic School in Fairview.