Looking for a beautiful natural setting near the provincial capital and fertile farmland? Nestled in southeastern Manitoba in the heart of the Red River Valley, the Rural Municipality of De Salaberry has it all.
Located roughly 30 minutes south of Winnipeg and 30 minutes north of the Canada-US border, the RM of De Salaberry comprises the communities of St. Malo, St. Pierre Jolys, La Rochelle, Carey, Dufrost and Otterburne.
Celebrating French-Canadian heritage
De Salaberry communities never miss an opportunity to celebrate their Francophone culture and heritage. Charles De Salaberry was a French-Canadian noble who served as an officer in the British Army and repelled the American advance on Montreal during the War of 1812. The area is also known as the Chaboillé region, named after Charles Jean-Baptiste Chaboillé, who established the area’s first fur trading post in 1799 at the junction of the Rat and Red rivers.
Throughout the year, the various communities in De Salaberry hold bilingual activities to celebrate and promote their culture. These include the Frog Follies and the St. Pierre Jolys sugaring off festival (click here to read the article on St. Pierre Jolys), where people can celebrate Francophone joie de vivre every spring.
A thriving economy and agriculture
De Salaberry is known for its incredibly rich farmland. The agricultural economy is highly diversified and includes poultry houses, grain and dairy farms. Other municipal resources include tourism and recreation.
Besides agriculture, De Salaberry has a wide range of businesses and services, making it a great place to invest and prosper. The municipality also offers a number of services to help its merchants. In addition to the chambers of commerce of St. Malo and St. Pierre Jolys, De Salaberry introduced BizPal, an innovative online service that provides simplified access to information on permits, licences and other requirements for creating and operating a business, in partnership with the provincial and federal governments.
Countless activities
De Salaberry has a recreational gem in St. Malo Provincial Park, one of Manitoba’s most popular provincial parks with more than 250,000 annual visitors. Its impressive vegetation includes tallgrass prairie, bur oak, trembling aspen and rough fescue grassland.
Near the St. Malo Wildlife Management Area, St. Malo Lake offers many activities year-round, including hiking, cross-country skiing, tobogganing, skating, snowshoeing, windsurfing, beach volleyball, miniature golf, cycling, kayaking and sport fishing.
De Salaberry families enjoy plenty of opportunities to have fun. The Rat River Recreation Commission offers a wide range of cultural and sports activities, including arts and crafts, gymnastics, dance, outdoor family playgroups, cooking, hockey and baseball.
Promoting education
In Otterburne, the Providence University College and Theological Seminary is one of the largest Christian academic communities in Canada. Founded in 1925, it welcomes some 250 students each year.
Students K-12 can choose from four schools in the municipality: one French language school and three English language and immersion schools.
Given its many assets and attractions, De Salaberry is one of the most sought-after rural residential areas in Manitoba.
De Salaberry by the numbers
3,580 residents in 2016
94.1% are homeowners
The main industry is agriculture (45.3%), followed by real estate (16%) and construction (12%).
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