The religious, historic, and cultural home to many of western Canada's French-speaking Catholics was St. Boniface, established in 1818. The museum in the old convent house of the Grey Nuns is Winnipeg's oldest building and one of the oldest oak log structures in North America, and it tells the story of the region's early Francophone settlers, with a sharp focus on the story of Louis Riel, the messianic Métis leader who was instrumental in the establishment of both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Also on the grounds is St. Boniface Cathedral. All that remains of the historic stone structure are portions of the walls and the noble facade -- a fire in 1968 destroyed the rest of the structure. The current cathedral was rebuilt within the original walls.