Rioux, Joseph Gabriel
(died 7 or 14 Nov. 1917), church artist. The Lancaster columnist in the Cornwall Freeholder of Thursday 15 Nov. 1917 wrote: “Joseph Gabriel Rioux a former Lancaster boy died in Montreal on Wednesday. Mrs. F.H. Love is a sister of the deceased. Mr. Rioux was an artist and spent most of his life working on the interior of churches, doing much work of high quality throughout Quebec and in Montreal.” Inquiry in 1998 failed to uncover further information about Rioux’s career. It appears that his name is not one generally known to art historians or to people involved in architectural conservation or restoration, and is not a name retrievable from their principal indexes. No doubt he was a journeyman craftsman, not one of the leading men of his occupation. However, it is likely that any researcher who cares to bear his name in mind will find it occasionally in church financial records and old newspaper reports.