Édouard Beaupré was born on January 9, 1881 in Willow Bunch (Talle-de-Saules). He was the eldest son of Gaspard Beaupré and Florestine Piché.
This year, the Willow Bunch Museum chose to commemorate the year when Beaupré’s ashes were restored back to his home in southern Saskatchewan from the University of Montreal 30 years ago.
Beaupré was buried on the grounds of the Willow Bunch Museum on July 7, 1990.
His ashes were buried in front of a life-sized statue dedicated to him at the Willow Bunch Museum.
“The University of Montreal had his mummified body from 1907 to 1989. In September 1989, they finally released his body to the family under the condition that he was cremated, which the family was reluctant to but agreed, so the family could bring his body home, so he could finally be laid to rest,” said Nicole Gellner from the Willow Bunch Museum.
“July 7, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of Edouard Beaupre’s ashes being returned home to Willow Bunch for a proper burial, 86 years after his death on July 3, 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri,” a statement from the Willow Bunch Museum read.
Also, the Town of Willow Bunch planned to celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2020 along with remembering Beaupré’s life, but the Willow Bunch festivity won’t happen until 2021 because of COVID-19.
At the age of three, Beaupré was the height of an average child, but by the age of nine, he’d grown to 1.85 metres (six feet) then 2.15 metres (seven feet) at the age of 17.
Beaupré left Willow Bunch to tour the world as a strongman. He bent iron bars and lifted horses onto each shoulder to the delight of his audiences.
Once, Beaupré wrestled Louis Cyr, deemed the strongest man in the world, at a match in Montreal in 1901. Cyr won the fight. At this time, Beaupré was 2.34 metres (7 foot, eight inches) and 164 kilograms (362 lbs).
He died in 1904 after appearing at the St. Louis World’s Fair with the Barnum and Bailey Circus.
When he passed away in St. Louis at 23 years of age, Beaupré was 251.46 centimetres (or eight feet and three inches tall).
Beaupré died from a lung hemorrhage caused from tuberculosis. The autopsy exposed an acromegaly tumour on his pituitary gland – the tumour secreted growth hormones, helping Beaupré to grow to his astounding height.
Édouard Beaupré’s statue at the front of the Willow Bunch Museum underwent a makeover starting in June 2020 with the help of Assiniboian artist, Lauren Golling.
Before settling in Assiniboia, Golling lived in Vancouver and other parts of British Columbia. She studied fine arts at Langara College and graduated in 2007.
She moved from B.C. to southern Saskatchewan in 2014.
She’s a multifaceted artist who enjoys teaching painting, sculpting, photography and other creative pursuits to children.
Her latest task involved repainting the Willow Bunch Giant’s statue.
“Over time, the statue has deteriorated. So, we have hired artist Lauren Golling to restore it. This project has been made possible through gracious donations received from the Gerard and Richard Cayer Charitable Foundation, the Assiniboia Knights of Columbus and Rita, Jen and Jill Lesperance (in memory of Claude Lesperance),” the Willow Bunch Museum stated.
For more information on the Willow Bunch Museum, see willowbunchmuseum.ca. Additionally, the website has a biography on Beaupré written by the Willow Bunch Giant’s nephew, Ovila Lesperance.
