A community at Winnipeg’s heart.
Before there was a Winnipeg, there was Saint-Boniface – a thriving French-Canadian community which has served as the spiritual, cultural and even political counterpoint to its neighbour across the river. Today, this vibrant multi-cultural community is an exciting blend of the old, the new and the future – a place that offers one of Winnipeg’s most exciting places to live and do business.
A community rooted in history.
Born during the time of the Fur Trade, Saint-Boniface enjoys the longest and most distinguished past of any Winnipeg community. Led by such notable historical figures as Bishop Taché and Louis Riel, Saint-Boniface played a central role in both the development of the Red River Colony (now Winnipeg) and the foundation of the Province of Manitoba. Today, signs of this illustrious past are still visible in the many important historical landmarks found throughout Saint-Boniface including Saint-Boniface Cathedral, Old Saint-Boniface City Hall and Saint-Boniface Museum.
A community reenergized.
These are exciting times in Saint-Boniface. With the completion of the new Provencher Bridge and its companion footbridge, Esplanade Riel, Saint-Boniface’s link to downtown Winnipeg is stronger than ever. But the excitement doesn’t stop there. Saint-Boniface’s residents, eager to capitalize on the neighbourhood’s rich heritage, are coming together to help restore historic Provencher Boulevard to its former charm.
This restoration can only add to what is perhaps Winnipeg’s most culturally vibrant neighbourhood. Not only is Saint-Boniface home to Le Cercle Molière (Canada’s oldest running theatre company), la Maison des artistes (the largest showcase of francophone artists in Manitoba), the Centre culturel franco-manitobain (the focal point for francophone culture in Manitoba) and an array of world class music and dance companies, it is also home to Le Festival du Voyageur, Winnipeg’s biggest party and Western Canada’s largest winter festival. There is always something exciting going on in Saint-Boniface.
A community for living.
Saint-Boniface is a community where life still moves at a “human pace,” a place where shop owners get to know you by name, a place neighbours still take time to look out for each other. It is also a neighbourhood of distinctive charm within the Winnipeg landscape, thanks to it being home to not only Winnipeg’s largest collection of historical landmarks, but also one of Winnipeg’s best collections of heritage homes, with many dating back to the turn
of the 19th century.
A community for business.
Located in Winnipeg at the centre of the continent, Saint-Boniface enjoys excellent transportation connections by air, road and rail (Winnipeg’s main rail yard is located in Saint-Boniface) to the rest of North America.
It is also Winnipeg’s most unique venue for business. Saint-Boniface has not one, but two main streets: Marion Street and historical Provencher Boulevard in Old Saint-Boniface. Each street has its own unique charm and atmosphere, but both provide a “pedestrian style” shopping experience, similar to main streets of old. One of the great advantages of Saint-Boniface is that business owners are able to draw on one of the largest bilingual workforces west of the Ontario and Quebec border. But the most important advantage of all is the spirit and warmth of Saint-Boniface itself, and the people who inhabit it.
» Saint-Boniface 2001 Census (PDF)
Source: Community Data Network, Custom Tabulation Statistics Canada, Census of Population - 2001