A BriefHistory of the Community of
Grande Pointe
Grande Pointe was a settlement dating back to around 1870. There were some twelve or
so families living in Grande
at the time, a mixture ofMetis, French, European and
English. Most of those early settlers settled along the Seine River before The Dominion
Government started building the railroad through Grande Pointe in 1874. It was The
Pembina Branch Railway (a part of the CPR) and was completed to Emerson by 1878. It
is now known as the CPR Soo Line. Some of the residents Jiving in Grande Pointe
worked on building the railroad. Once the railroad was completed the people started to
settle near the railway. Some four years after the railway was built a passenger train
service was begun and a small railroad station was built Grande Pointe. Later a stock
yard was added which enabled
farmers to load their stock on the train to the market in
Winnipeg.
Some of the early settlers and pioneers between the years 1880's to 1895 were:
Andre Beauchemin and son Andre, Ambroise Berard, Napoleon Bousquet, Hector
Lapointe, Louis Lamirande, Alfred & Pierre Villebrun, Joseph Laurence, Alex & Joseph
Vermette, Pierre Lavallee, Ambroise & Louie Lepin, Ernest Feld, Thomas Ramsey
Andre Ritchot & son Andre, John Rowan & son John, \iVencelaus HaHama.
Pioneers and settlers that arrived between 1896 - 1910 were:
Anton HaUama, Frank Blahnik, Arsene Hebert, Elzear Roy, Louie Leveille, Philipe St.
Germain, G. LaLoune and J. B. Strebly.
In 1896 a building was moved to the property which is now Lot 483 Louie Rd. It was
named Riel School #844. Prior to that time classes were held in a private home . Riel
School burned down the winter of 1943. It was rebuilt and later expanded to two
rooms. Riel School dosed April 1, 1967 and the building and property were sold.
Three former students of Riel School became teachers and t,aught in the school, namely,
Elizabeth, Anne and Mildred HaUama.
Grande Pointe also had a meat canning company , (which was located on the property
between Lots 2477 and 2443 Hallama Drive) a cheese factory (1897 - 1910) which was
located on the north side of the railway tracks in the area of what is now Lot 2410. There
was a store and post office (located at what is now Lot 2446 Hallama Drive) and later a
garage and gas pumps which were located at Lot 2599 HaUama Drive. There were also
two dance halls. The first one was in the hayloft of a barn on what is now Lot 2380 on
the north side of the railway tracks. This was only used during the summer months as it
was not heated. When WW2 started the owner joined the army and the barn w~s closed.
Another
was started and located between Lots 263 I and Lot 2643. It also only held
dances and some weddings during the summer months. The grocery store and post office
were also relocated at the same property for a few years .
Due to the small youth population everyone gathered on the school grounds on a Sunday
· afternoon to play baseball. There was an organized ball team dµring th,e 1930's to the
start ofWW2, and then in the late 1950's.
During the 1930' s a "back to the land" movement was implemented by the Federal
Government. Small houses were build on plots ofland and people were settled in them.
Some of these homes ~ere located on Lot 2553 and up to Lot 2584 Hallama Drive.
There were also a few of plots on Lavallee Road east of Highway 59.
In 193 8 a bachelor was murdered in his home. He lived in a small cabin on the east side
of the Seine River in the area north of Bernard Drive. Someone was charged ~ed on
circumstantial evidence and served time in jail.
Grande Pointe also experienced floodip.g to a great extent during the 1900' s. The year
1950 which caused great damage in parts of Wimiipeg, isolated Grande Pointe and it
became a refuge for school children, the railway, and relatives and friends of t)le
residents. The 1997 flood completely devasted Grande Pointe forcing evacuation of
most of the residents and will remain in the memory of the people who lived thrrn.lgh this
period, for all time.
Grande Pointe at one time was mainly a farming community with few people travelling
into Winnipeg to work. When Highway 59 was built and bypassed the main ar;ea of
Grande Pointe lots were sold and people started moving in and it has now beco1lle a
bedroom community.
·
Sources of Information:
1. Manitoba Provincial Archives
2. Legislative Library
3. The Railway Stations of Western Canada: An architectural history/
by J. Edward Martin, White Rock, B. C.: Studio E, 1979
4. A L'Ombre Des Chenes, 1980 (History of Ile des Chenes and Grande Pointe)
Compiled and researched by: Agnes Hallama - 2002
Names of persons attending meeting of Riel School District #844 as found in the
Provicial Archives dated: March 1896
Thomas Ramsay
Joseph Larence
Louis Lepine
Hector Lapointe
Charles Menu
Andre Beauchemin
Pierre Villebrun
Ambroise Berard
Louis and Joseph Ritchot
Ernest Feld
John Rowan
Napoleon Bousquet
Wenceslaus Hallama
Patents for Land granted to the earliest residents of Grande Pointe:
John Rowan - July 4, 1887
Andre Ritchot - January 18, 1887
Andre Beauchemin - May 15, 1885
Marie Larence - January 15, 1885
CPR Passenger Train
Section Foreman's House
Grande Pointe
,
Original Riel School
Riel School burned winter of 1943:
New Riel School - September 1943
first teacher was Mrs. Joe Laurence, daughter of Ambroise Lepin, a resident of
Pointe. ~Ambroise
m
home of Ambroise M ......., ..r11 "'"'"""'""'
.rrm1r1""
1910/11 Aurore Morissette
1911/12 Marie La~~1moaier
12/13 ,__,....,,~H.., Richard
1913114 Agnes Gwchon ·
1914/15 Ruth Burroughs
(4 months)
Couture
1916/ 17
(Burroughs) Campeau
1917/19 Leontine Gregoire
1919/21
1/23
1923/25
Desautels
1925 (4 months) Laurette Trottier
1926 (6 months)
Paradis
1926/29 Elizabeth Hallama
1929/30
1930/33 Elizabeth HaHama
Mary
Gertrude Kelly
Name tmki,own
Gertrude Kelly
Anne I-IaUama
Germaine Baccaert
(Sept/Dec.) Marcene Lernarre
1943/44 Georgette Bissonnette
1944/47 Marie Dedieu
1947/49
Goebel
1949/50 Agathe
(Allard) Champagne
'-'--~ Ma.5sicorte
1953/55 Alexina Manaigre
1955/56
1933/35
1935/37
1937/38
1938/39
1939/41
194
1956/57
1957-1964 Ob1ateNuns
';StfPteri'tHuli~';;St.l'J~~.' ~iMaM;;Regtna·,r:r: .· .
Sr. Lou.iseR0tifdomt;HSt.;$t;·_R~~, 1·SrL 1 >St:Illenll• ·
Sr. St. Rene, Sr. St Daniel.. Sr. St. Hyacinthe, Sr. Marie Luce
1964/65
1965/67
Names unknown
Angele A.mould and Sally Lichka
;;
,_,.
Grande Pointe Canning Co.
MANITOBA
LEOISLATIVE LIBRARY