St. Norbert () is a

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

(French and English) neighbourhood and the southernmost

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, Canada. While outside the

Perimeter Highway Provincial Trunk Highway 100 (PTH 100) and Provincial Trunk Highway 101 (PTH 101), collectively known as the Perimeter Highway, form a beltway around the Canadian city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Perimeter Highway is approximatel ...

(the orbital road that surrounds most of Winnipeg), it is still part of the city. As of the 2016 Census, the population of St. Norbert is 5,850. The community is home to the St. Norbert Farmers' Market, drawing large crowds from Winnipeg and the surrounding area. Other attractions include the St. Norbert Provincial Heritage Park, and the St. Norbert Arts and Cultural Centre. St. Norbert is the closest community to the gates of the

Red River Floodway The Red River Floodway () is an artificial flood control waterway in Western Canada. It is a long channel which, during flood periods, takes part of the Red River's flow around the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba to the east and discharges it back ...

. St. Norbert is also part of the larger Winnipeg

city ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to ...

of St. Norbert-Seine River, which includes much of the Fort Garry South neighbourhood cluster and a small part of

St. Vital St. Vital () is a ward and neighbourhood of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Located in the south-central part of the city, it is bounded on the north by Carrière Avenue; on the south by the northern limit of the Rural Municipality of Ritchot; on ...

. In Winnipeg's nonpartisan municipal politics, Markus Chambers is the ward's representative on

Winnipeg City Council The Winnipeg City Council () is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Council is seated in the Council Building of Winnipeg City Hall.2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

. In provincial politics, St. Norbert is part of the

Seine River The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres p ...

riding, with

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

Member of the Legislative Assembly A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected to sit in a legislative assembly. The term most commonly refers to members of the legislature of a federated state or an autonomous region, but is also used for several nation ...

Billie Cross Billie Cross is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2023 Manitoba general election. She represents the district of Seine River (electoral district), Seine River as a member of the New Democratic ...

as its representative in the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba () is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at List of Manitoba genera ...

. She has served since

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

. In federal politics, the area is part of the

Winnipeg South Winnipeg South () is a electoral district (Canada), Canadian federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1917 to 1979, and since 1988. It covers the southernmost part of the ...

riding, with Liberal Member of Parliament

Terry Duguid Terry Duguid (; born 1954 or 1955) is a Canadian politician. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, he has been the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South since the 2015 federal election. Duguid was Minister of Environment and Climate Cha ...

as its representative in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

. He has served since

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

History

The original inhabitants of what is now St. Norbert were

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

peoples, including the

Assiniboine The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakoda ...

, the

Cree The Cree, or nehinaw (, ), are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people, numbering more than 350,000 in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada, First Nations. They live prim ...

, and the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

(

Saulteaux The Saulteaux (pronounced , or in imitation of the French pronunciation , also written Salteaux, Saulteau and Ojibwa ethnonyms, other variants), otherwise known as the Plains Ojibwe, are a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band governm ...

), who were drawn to this region because of its hunting and fishing opportunities. The community bordered on two rivers—the

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

and La Salle (called ''Ia riviere Sale'' until 1975)—and a bison trail ran from the south bank of the La Salle River to

bison hunting Bison hunting (hunting of the American bison, also commonly known as the American buffalo) was an lifeway, activity fundamental to the economy and society of the Plains Indians peoples who inhabited the Great bison belt, vast grasslands on the ...

grounds nearly 50 kilometres away. In 1822, with the development of the

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

in the 18th century, the Métis nation was the first to take over the region of current-day St. Norbert. In addition to their commercial endeavours, they cultivated the land into long river

lots Lot, LOT, The Lot or similar may refer to: Common meanings Areas *Land lot, an area of land *Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *A Quantity, great many of something, as in, "There are a lot of beetles," or "T ...

perpendicular to the waterway. The area would soon after be

settled A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among the first settli ...

in the early part of the 19th century by former employees of the

North West Company The North West Company was a Fur trade in Canada, Canadian fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in the regions that later became Western Canada a ...

—workers (primarily of

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

and Métis descent) who were left unemployed following the North West Company’s amalgamation with the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) in 1821. St. Norbert’s prime location along major

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...

and transportation routes proved advantageous; the

Pembina Trail The Pembina Trail was a 19th century trail used by Métis and European settlers to travel between Fort Garry and Fort Pembina in what is today the Canadian province of Manitoba and U.S. state of North Dakota. The trail followed the west bank of t ...

(now

Pembina Highway Route 42 is a major arterial road located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It connects the suburbs of North Kildonan, East Kildonan, Fort Rouge, Fort Garry, and St. Norbert with the city's downtown core. In the north, it is a continuation of Manito ...

) passed through St. Norbert as it routed travellers from

Upper Fort Garry Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in or near the area now known as The Forks in what is now central Winnipeg, Manitoba. Fort Garry ...

(present-day

downtown Winnipeg Downtown Winnipeg is an area of Winnipeg located near the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. It is the oldest urban area in Winnipeg, and is home to the city's commercial core, city hall, the ...

, and the primary southern outpost of the HBC) to

St. Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

—the nearest railhead. As such, along with taking part in the bi-annual buffalo hunt, the settlers took on seasonal work for the HBC, hauling goods between the

Red River Settlement The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement), also known as Assiniboia, was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, on of land in British North America. This land was granted to Douglas by the Hudson's Bay C ...

and St. Paul. Following the establishment of the community's first

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

in 1857 by

Roman Catholic missionaries A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

, many of the community’s inhabitants took on a more

sedentary Sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle type, in which one is physically inactive and does little or no physical movement and/or exercise. A person living a sedentary lifestyle is often sitting or lying down while engaged in an activity like soc ...

farming life. The parish was given the name ''St. Norbert'' by Bishop

Alexandre-Antonin Taché Alexandre-Antonin Taché (; 23 July 1823 – 22 June 1894) was a Canadian Roman Catholic priest, missionary of the Oblate order, author, and the first Archbishop of Saint Boniface in Manitoba, Canada. Early life Alexandre-Antonin Taché ...

in honour of the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of Bishop Joseph-Norbert Provencher, the first bishop of St. Boniface. The first parish priest, Father Jean-Marie Lestanc, was followed by Father Charles Mestre in 1860, then by Father Noël-Joseph Ritchot in 1862. Father Mestre helped the parish establish its first cemetery. In December 1858, Bishop Tache brought two

Grey Nuns The Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian religious institute of Roman Catholic religious sisters, found ...

to St. Norbert to establish a

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

and school. In October 1869, a public meeting was held at St. Norbert Roman Catholic Church (built in 1856) during which the '' Comite national des Métis'' was formed, with

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis in Canada, Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of ...

as secretary. As the first act of the committee, on October 16, the Riel-led Métis erected a

barricade Barricade (from the French ''barrique'' - 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. Adopted as a military term, a barricade denotes ...

across the Pembina Trail at St. Norbert to prevent the newly-appointed

lieutenant governor of the Northwest Territories This is a list of historical lieutenant governors of the North-West Territories, Canada. The position of Lieutenant Governor lasted from the acquisition of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory in 1869 to the creation of Alberta and Sask ...

, William McDougall from taking possession of the territory on behalf of the

Canadian government The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes ministers of the Crown ( ...

. During this crisis, Riel sent Father Ritchot and two other emissaries to Ottawa to negotiate the entry of Manitoba into

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

. Between the time following the crisis and the early 20th century,

French Canadians French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the provi ...

from

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, most of whom were farmers, gradually replaced the Métis in St. Norbert until they formed the majority of the population.

Geography

St. Norbert is the southern gateway into the city of

. Located just south of the

, the community consists of what is called St. Norbert Village (the original community) and several modern suburbs. The village is geographically bounded by the

and

La Salle River The La Salle is a river in Manitoba, Canada, with its source near Portage la Prairie and terminating in the Red River in Saint Norbert (southern Winnipeg). The La Salle River flows mainly through agricultural land. It is a slow-moving, meanderin ...

s, and by the Perimeter Highway.

St. Norbert-Seine River

St. Norbert is part of the larger Winnipeg

of St. Norbert-Seine River, which includes much of the Fort Garry South neighbourhood cluster and a small part of

. In addition to that of St. Norbert, neighbourhoods in the St. Norbert-Seine River ward include: * Normand Park * River Park South * Dakota Crossing * St. Vital Perimeter South *

Maple Grove Park Maple Grove Rugby Park is an park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Located in the St. Vital neighbourhood, the park is bordered by the Perimeter Highway to the south, St. Mary's Road to the east, and the Red River to the north and west. King' ...

Fort Richmond Fort Richmond is a provincial electoral division in the southern suburban part of Winnipeg in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was formed by redistribution in 2008 out of parts of the electoral divisions of St. Norbert and Fort Garry. ...

* Cloutier Drive * Richmond Lakes * University * Parc La Salle * Turnbull Drive * Perrault * Trappistes * La Barriere

Architecture and points of interest

Attractions and points of interest in St. Norbert include: * La Barrière Park * Place Saint-Norbert * St. Norbert Farmers' Market — Manitoba’s largest open-air market * St. Norbert Provincial Heritage Park * St. Norbert Arts and Cultural Centre * Trappist Monastery Provincial Park

Asile Ritchot

Visible from

, one of the most recognizable landmarks in St. Norbert is the Asile Ritchot, a large three-story building marked by a huge centre dome. Begun in the 1870s, the first building on the site was the home of politician and businessman Monsieur Joseph Lemay. The building eventually came into the possession of the local church, and in 1903, Father Noël-Joseph Ritchot arranged the donation of the building and of surrounding land to les Soeurs de Misericorde (Sisters of Mercy). The Sisters called the building Asile Ritchot and operated an orphanage there from 1904 to 1948. In 1911, a large expansion was begun. The new brick building was three stories tall, and featured the landmark centre dome. When Asile Ritchot closed its doors in 1948, the building was taken over by the

Oblate Fathers In Christianity (specifically the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person associated with a Benedictine monastery or convent who is specifically dedicated to God and service. Oblates are in ...

, and used as a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

. In 1970, the X-Kalay Foundation (now called the Behavioral Health Foundation) took over the building and currently operates a successful

halfway house A halfway house is a type of prison or institute intended to teach (or reteach) the necessary skills for people to re-integrate into society and better support and care for themselves. Halfway houses are typically either state sponsored for those ...

for the support and rehabilitation of individuals with drug or alcohol issues.

Trappist monastery

Another architectural landmark in St. Norbert is the former Trappist monastery, now an arts and cultural centre. In 1891, the Abbot of Bellefontaine in France agreed to establish a Trappist monastery on a secluded piece of parish land along the

, and monks arrived in St. Norbert in 1892. The order was dedicated to a life of prayer and hard work, following the basic tenets of St. Benedict – charity, obedience, and humility. The monks succeeded in building a large and prosperous agricultural operation complete with a sawmill, forge, apiary, cheese house, bakery and greenhouses. Between 30 and 45 monks inhabited the monastery at any given time. By 1975, St. Norbert had become a much more urban area, and the Trappist monks relocated to a more protected and rural location in

Holland, Manitoba Holland, Manitoba is an unincorporated community recognized as a local urban district in the Rural Municipality of Victoria, in Manitoba. It is located at the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 34. The town was founded along what is formerly ...

. In 1983, vandals set fire to the vacant chapel and monastery, reducing the historic buildings to shells. The guesthouse, located some distance away, remained untouched. In 1988, the Province of Manitoba designated the location a provincial historic site. The guesthouse became the home of the St. Norbert Arts Centre in 1991. In 2002, the provincial government announced the creation of the two-hectare Trappist Monastery Provincial Park, preserving the historic ruins and preventing future commercial development on the site.

St. Norbert Catholic Parish

The St. Norbert Catholic Parish (French: ''Paroisse Catholique Saint-Norbert'') is a

Roman Catholic church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in St. Norbert. The first church was built on the current site in 1857, and was made of logs. The newer building that replaced it in 1883 burned down in 1929. The current church was completed in 1937. The building has twin towers, and houses the body of Father Joseph Noël Ritchot, St. Norbert’s parish priest from 1862 to 1905. Father Ritchot was a supporter of the Métis people, and of

. Richot was a member of a delegation that travelled to Ottawa to meet with representatives of the Canadian government regarding the 1870 transfer of land in the

from the

Hudson’s Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

to the

Dominion of Canada While a variety of theories have been postulated for the name of Canada, its origin is now accepted as coming from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word , meaning 'village' or 'settlement'. In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec C ...

. Across from the church is the tiny open-air Chapel of Our Lady of Good Help (''la Chapelle de Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Secours''). Ritchot and his parishioners built the chapel in 1875, to commemorate the success of the Métis resistance of 1869–70. That dispute, eventually settled through negotiation, resulted in the inclusion of Métis land, language, and school rights in '' The Manitoba Act'' of 1870, the basis of the

’s entry into

. In 1989, the chapel was declared a Manitoba provincial heritage site.

People

* René Ernest Marie Francois, farmer, manager then expert surveyor, born May 28, 1844 in Saint-Martin-du-Bois (

Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire () is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indr ...

, France) and died around 1904, went into exile in Saint-Norbert, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (death certificate of his daughter Marthe). His wife, Adèle Marie Françoise Anna née Chopin (1852-1927) did not follow her husband to Canada, and settled at

Le Lion-d'Angers Le Lion-d'Angers () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. On 1 January 2016, the former commune of Andigné was merged into Le Lion-d'Angers.

References

{{Coord, 49, 45, 59, N, 97, 08, 50, W, display=title Neighbourhoods in Winnipeg Wards in Winnipeg Manitoba communities with majority francophone populations