Pierre Delorme (1831 – 1912) was born at St. Boniface, Manitoba. His father was Québecois and his mother, Métis. Pierre married Adélaïde Millet dit Beauchemin and raised a family of 13 children. In the mid-1850s, he settled on River Lot 21 at Pointe Coupée (St. Adolphe) south of St. Norbert, Read more…
Maison Turenne, formerly known as “The Grey Nuns House”, was built in 1870 by Joseph Turenne and is the oldest surviving house in Fort Garry. It was eventually acquired by the Grey Nuns and used by them. It was to be demolished in 1971 to make room for a senior Read more…
This white brick house close to the Red River and north east of the St. Norbert Nursing home was built in 1912-3 for the Henri de Moissac family. It replaced the log house the family had occupied since 1901. Born in France, Henri(1879-1944) married Angès Lachance of St. Norbert. They Read more…
Labelled ‘a character cutie’ when put up for sale during late summer 2010, this two-storey frame dwelling was built in 1902-3 by carpenter Bruno Verrier (1863-1926) for his family. Subsequent residents were the J.-B Lavery family and Auguste and Bernadette (nèe Ferland) Ritchot who occupied the home for nearly four Read more…
Of all the homes and businesses once on the Pembina Highway, it is the last of that vintage still standing on the west side. During the latter part of the 19th century, a hotel run by Napolèon Lemay was on that property, a short distance from the railway station. In Read more…
The original Red River Floodway was built between 1962 and 1968 and cost $63 million. At the time, excavation of the floodway channel was the second largest earth moving project in the world (second only to the Panama Canal and larger than the Suez Canal project). Since 1968, it has Read more…
Father Joseph-Noël Ritchot promised the Metis that he would build a chapel if there was no bloodshed between the Metis and Governor McDougall during the Red River Resistance. Governor McDougall had come to the settlement to see about claiming the land for Canada but was met with resistance from Riel Read more…
Many efforts have been made to clear Louis Riel of his charge of treason in 1885. One of the first bills introduced to the House of Commons pertaining to the exoneration of Louis Riel was the Private Members Bill C-417 in the 36th parliament called, “An Act Respecting Louis Riel” Read more…
Many Métis people were hired by the Hudson’s Bay Company as freighters, tripmen or buffalo hunters. They manned the York boats that took supplies to and from the Hudson Bay as well as other locations serviced by the HBC. Gradually, due to increased rail lines in their territory, the HBC Read more…
On the 19th of October, 1869, a meeting was held at the St. Norbert parish that elected the Comité national des Métis with Louis Riel as the secretary. On October 20th, 1869, the Métis learned that Govenor McDougall from Canada was heading to them with arms and men. The Métis Read more…