A walk around St. Norbert

[imec]

I took my camera with me on a little walk around my neighborhood yesterday. Much of the walk took place on some greaan space which skirts the north side of the community of St. Norbert (on the Southern edge of Winnipeg). I walk past 9 houses along the river before reaching this space. One of them has decorated a tree in their front yard.




The green space is entered through a kissing gate in order to keep out ATV's, snowmobiles, dirt bikes and so on.





The first thing I recognize (for the first time ever) as I pass through the gate is that, despite my appreciation for the trees in straight lines in France, I never noticed that the Oblate Fathers who previously occupied this property planted trees in a similar fashion.





The path follows a dike to protect against flooding of the Red River.










The path takes a turn away from the river and through a wooded area.










Some trees here have been marked for removal - likely to prevent the spread of Dutch Elm disease which continues to threaten Winnipeg's urban forest.







After emerging from the wooded area, we notice a a building on the left with a small dome on it's roof - this is an addictions centre. Outside the centre, you will notice several odd tent-like structures. These structures are sweat lodges - a sort of sauna used by North American Aboriginals for a purifying sacred ceremony.











We then approach the community centre with its various recreational facilities...




Toboggan Slide




Indoor facilities for banquets, meetings and so on.





Outdoor ice hockey rink







Indoor ice hockey rink





Splash pad






Next door is the farmers market grounds




And then some historical buildings from the oroginal Metis settlement here (the blue and white flag is that of the Metis First Nation)












Not many geese left now - these birds have likely nested very far north - possibly in the arctic.




We then pass the St. Norbert Hotel with its bar, le Nob.




In summer, some folks arrive on horseback and tie the horses up here. In winter, snowmobiles are parked in this space.




The is the second river which runs through St. Norbert - the La Salle.




A mural (on the side of a very bad pizza joint) commemorates Louis Riel and the rebellion he led which eventually led to the founding of the Province of Manitoba




A small number of the early houses still survive.




This building, now residential, was once the local bank.







This is number 860 in case you didn't notice.




The little park on the corner.






Thought I might see a deer on my walk but had to wait until I got back to the house.

[bixaorellana]

Imec ~~ this is great! It's so intimate and revelatory in so many ways. For one thing, it locates you better in my mind and explains all the waterfowl you see around your house. How wonderful that the town of St. Norbert never got smothered out of existence by "progress", and that so much still looks so beautifully like praire farmland and village.

As an American, I loved seeing this bit of Canada with a character very distinct from my own country. I looked up St. Norbert online and was most surprised to see that it's still French/English bilingual. Isn't that out-of-the ordinary for that part of Canada?

Online it says that the addiction center is a half-way house. Your pictures seem to show some impressive security though, with the tall fence topped by barbed wire. Are the sweat lodges inside the fence, and were they built by residents of the facility?

How did you all come to live there? It's a fascinating, beautiful place, and must be perfect for your family.

Thanks so much for letting us visit!

[bixaorellana]

pee ess: y'all rent ice??! I though all Canadians just got it free. ;D


What is a splash pad?

[Deleted]

Yes, I was surprised also to see so many things in French.

It's a great view of the area, but it certainly look like most things are hunkered down until next spring...

[hwinpp]

It looks quite rural, and exactly like late autumn. It's funny how grey autumn days are terrible but blue autumn days can be so exhilarating.

[Deleted]

Exactly.

[lagatta]

Ice rentals means renting ice time for playing or practising hockey (usually), or perhaps curling or skating.

bixi, the first Europeans to settle Manitoba were French. It was an outpost of the fur trade. The Métis were the descendants of French (directly from France or more often from Québec) voyageurs and their Indigenous wives. I see reading about St-Norbert that not only were there the rivers one sees in the photos (for fishing, clean drinking water and river travel) but also a bison trail and nearby bison hunting grounds. Dinner!

When was this village incorporated into the city? It still looks very "villageois" though there must be more suburban-type areas. Sure doesn't look anything like central Winnipeg or the nearby suburbs.

I love the little yellow house! Banque d'Hochelaga would indicate some ties to Montréal - Hochelaga is the name of the original Indigenous (Algonquinian people) settlement on the island that became Montréal.

[bjd]

Thanks for reminding me about Hochelaga, Lagatta. When I saw it, it looked familiar but I couldn't figure out why.

In Grade 13, I had to write an essay about Louis Riel -- don't remember much about him either.

[imec]

Thanks folks, I didn't realize this would generate as much interest as this - it was just a walk around the block. I guess we all take our surroundings for granted more than we should. I'll try to answer some questions.

First of all, I should assure you that it's not all rural and characterful around here - I focused on the stuff that might be a little different and interesting. We've got plenty of typical North American commercial features and modern residential buildings as well - I just avoided those. The community does have a bit of a rural feel to it as it's right on the edge of the city - sort of in between both worlds.

As for the French influence, lagatta is quite right. The French played a very large role in the fur trade and the original settlement here (Fort Garry) did indeed occur as a result of the trade. St. Boniface, now a part of Winnipeg, on the east side of the Red River is the largest French Speaking community outside of Quebec - and there are many french speaking communities in Southern Manitoba. St. Norbert has both English, French and French Immersion schools - my kids attend French Immersion.

We're in an "in-between" season at the moment - dreary grey days (like the one on which my walk occured) mixed with glorious blue sky days (like today)- too cold for summer activities though but also no snow or the extreme cold necessary for winter activities such as tobogganing, outdoor skating, snowmobiling, nordic skiing, snowshoeing and such.

Sorry about misleading you on the security of the addictions centre. The tall fence you see in the first image is a backstop for a softball diamond and the shorter chainlink (atop the white wooden fence) is another outdoor hockey rink - part of the addiction centre's recreational facilities - there is no barbed wire at all.

Ice rentals - this facility rents their rinks typically for hockey practices or games. There are highly organized community hockey leagues (the feeder system for professional hockey) and there are also less organized groups (usually adults) which rent ice wherever they can get it for friendly games. The ice surfaces are also used for pleasure skating and skating instruction.

A "splash pad" is a sort of wet playground for kids - those couloured pipes spray and gush water in all directions - the kids have a blast.

St. Norbert was incorporated into the city of Winnipeg in the late sixties or early seventies.

We used to live in the south west part of the city. We decided we wanted to live on a river lot and looked at places in both the north and south ends of the city. Luckily we found one in the south as that's where most of our friends reside.

I've added a couple of aerial views from Google Earth which show 1) my route, 2) a broader view of St. Norbert (the area west of hwy 75 is the newer part, and 3) a view of Winnipeg so you can see St. Norbert in relation to it. I've also marked the ruins of a former Trappiste Monastery, now an Arts and Cultural centre - subject of a future post.

Sorry, the pics are oversized to make them practical

[Deleted]

Thanks for this, imec. Enjoyed viewing it. Yes, I remember my French ex-husband telling me about the Boniface area in Winnipeg.

Amazing what we can see on Google Maps now.

[bixaorellana]

Whooo ~~ Imec, your response plus the fabulous google-earth views really enhance an already excellent thread. That is a lot of work to locate and place all the markers, then screenshoot everything. This was an immensely clever and beautifully executed thread. Fun -- thanks!

[imec]

Oh, forgot to mention... the thing that looks like a giant highway, stretching from the bottom centre to the right centre of the second aerial view and skirting the full length of the city on the right side of the third view, is the Greater Winnipeg Floodway. It diverts massive amounts of water from the Red River around the city during the spring, preventing very serious flooding. Its construction (in the mid sixties) was one of the world's largest civil engineering projects and the floodway has literally saved the city on more than one occasion (most notably in 1997 - the first spring after we bought the house :.

[Deleted]

Remarkable to see all of these things in the proper perspective! Are those wooded areas fully protected or might they be "developed" in the future?

[imec]

Nov 27, 2009 17:59:54 GMT kerouac2 said:

Are those wooded areas fully protected or might they be "developed" in the future?

Anything could happen.

[spindrift]

Imec - I've enjoyed following your walk. Thank you very much. I can now envisage where you live. When does the snow come? Do you have a boat?

[Deleted]

I think that Spindrift inspired all of us with her first thread about Winchester.

[spindrift]

Thank you. I have more pictures to add soon.

[imec]

Nov 27, 2009 21:01:19 GMT kerouac2 said:

I think that Spindrift inspired all of us with her first thread about Winchester.

Yep, I'll second that.

[bixaorellana]

Both of y'all are champs!

[Deleted]

Imec,so glad you took that walk.(Walking off your Quebec City feasts eh?) Pictures #6 &7 remind me so much of my home town this time of year.(If you go back and look at the pictures of the empty field in my post Solitude in the image bank you will see what I mean,almost exactly!)
Do people cross country ski much up there? That would be my choice. And of course ice skating. Great memories of many,many fall/winters evoked here. Thanks.Very lovely.

What's the deal with the flag with the infinity symbol on it?

[imec]

Yeah, x-country skiing is quite popular - there are groomed trails in all of the larger parks and snow packed down by snowmobiles is somewhat suitable as well.

The flag is that of the Metis and the symbol is said to represent the joining of two cultures and the immortality of a nation.

[Deleted]

How very cool (the flag). Glad I asked,I love it!

Haven't been cross country skiing since let's see,1990. Outside of Santa Fe,N.M. Used to go all the time in New England while in college,even before that. Many good times.
Would probably fall on my ass or die from the cold if I tried now...Ice skating? Forget it.Would not take the chance of reinjuring my knee.

A very beautiful thread I. Thanks.