1600 – 1800

Allied Aboriginal groups: Assiniboine, Cree and Ojibwa (Saulteaux) inhabited the area of St. Norbert. These groups worked together against the Dakota (Sioux) People. The 3 groups used the Red river for transportation to trade and it was a great raiding route. The La Salle River’s wooded banks offered a great spot for ambushes.

Era: Exploration (1610 – 1800)

1734: Europeans Arrive

Era: Exploration (1610 – 1800)

1790: Salteaux Camp Move to Red River

Era: Exploration (1610 – 1800)

1812: Metis conflict with HBC

HBC gave Lord Selkirk 116,000 acres on the Red River to welcome Scottish Settlers. The Metis feared losing their land because they had no legal title.

Era: Fur Trade (1800 – 1821)

1820: Metis Families to St. Norbert

Era: Fur Trade (1800 – 1821)

1821: HBC merges with North West Company and beginnings of St. Norbert

After years of unrest between the two fur trading companies England forced them to merge with threat of the British Army coming over to settle the disagreements. This caused many workers of the two companies to lose their jobs. Metis that were once employed by the companies settled on river lots along the red river becoming farmers and going on large bison hunts with their community and family. This increased the population of many parishes and towns including St. Norbert.

Era: Settlement (1821 – 1869)

1836: River Lots Surveyed

Just like Quebec’s River lot system all of the Red River Settlement was surveyed. This system provided each lot owner with a wooded lot and access to the river water.

Era: Settlement (1821 – 1869)

1856: St Norbert Church was built

This log church was home to our very first priest ‘Father Jean-Marie Lestanc’, as well as two missionaries sent to open a boys school.

Era: Settlement (1821 – 1869)

1867: Confederation

On July 1st, 1867, Canada became a country.

Era: Settlement (1821 – 1869)

1869: La Barriere Erected

A group of about 40 men created a 3-foot barrier at the north side of the La Salle River crossing on the Pembina Trail into St. Norbert, blocking the road. This was created to stop McDougall from entering the territory and was successful.

Era: Time of Troubles (1869 – 1871)

1870: Manitoba Act

Beginning with Canada purchasing Rupert’s land from the Hudson’s Bay company. The Manitoba Act is the legal document making Manitoba Canada’s fifth province. John Black, Reverend Noel Jean Ritchot and Alfred H. Scott went to Ottawa as delegates of Manitoba to share the wishes of the people in the Red River Valley. This included; keeping French and English as the official language in Manitoba, Metis land arrangements, schooling options in French, English, Catholic and Protestant. Click Here for more info

Era: Time of Troubles (1869 – 1871)

1878: The first Railway

On the east side of the Red River the St. Paul, Minnesota and Manitoban railway steamed through the prairies.

Era: Development (1871 – 1889)

1885: Battle of Duck Lake

The beginning of the North-West Rebellion. Click Here for more info

Era: Development (1871 – 1889)

1887: The second Railway in St. Norbert

The Red River Valley Railway, later became Northern Pacific and now Canadian Northern ran on the west side of the Red River running over the La Salle River.

Era: The Wait (1889 – 1970)

1892: Monks arrive in St. Norbert

Father Ritchot offered land to the Trappists from Bellefontaine France. Four monks arrived to come into possession of land in the banks of the La Salle River. The monastery included a farm, dairy and services of a variety of trades men.

Era: The Wait (1889 – 1970)

1929: St Norbert Parish Fire

The Church fell to another fire and wasn’t finished being rebuilt until 1937.

Era: Present (1970 – )

1972: St Norbert became apart of Winnipeg

In the Unicity act of 1971 St Norbert became apart of Winnipeg. Officially on January 1st, 1972 the unicity act went in to effect.

Era: Present (1970 – )

1979: Formation of St. Norbert

Originally Heritage St. Norbert was formed due to the issue with a French school in St. Norbert, this brought together the group and then there were other issues raising the importance of an organization. The bank of Montreal, an important historical building, was demolished. There was also talk of a huge suburb to be built where the behavioral health stands today. February 26, 1979 our constitution was signed and we officially became an organization to get our projects underway.

Era: Present (1970 – )

1997: Flood

This was the biggest flood on the Red since 1826. In St. Norbert countless volunteers and city officials constructed a sand bag dike in order to try and save our important historic suburb with hundreds of homes and people living here. Farther up the river private contractors, the military and provincial highway department built the Brunklid dike due to fear of the La Salle River, that drains into the Red, being over flowed by the Red before it drains.

Era: Present (1970 – )