Where life is good! A great place to live! It’s a slogan that describes the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie to a tee.
Whether you’re looking for a historic location with Francophone heritage, a place boasting strong economic growth, or simply a family-oriented environment for raising and having fun with your family, the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie is the place for you.
It includes the town of La Broquerie, home to the greatest concentration of residents and services, the villages of Marchand and Zhoda, and a variety of rural residential areas.
Exceptional heritage
Located 70 km southeast of Winnipeg and 12 km from Steinbach, La Broquerie has an exceptional cultural heritage. It was founded in 1877 by pioneers from Quebec, France and Belgium.
The community has always taken great pride in preserving and promoting its Francophone culture. La Broquerie is also home to Manitoba’s longest-standing celebration of St. Jean Baptiste Day. Since 1897, more than 1,500 people flock each year to celebrate Francophone culture through music and a host of family activities, including the traditional parade.
The St. Joachim parish founded in 1883 has an important place in community life and still shows traces of the presence of the Grey Nuns and their legacy. Want to learn more? Hike the historic trail with content signs that guide you through the heart of La Broquerie’s history.
A rich past and a bright future
The community is growing fast. Over the past decade, the number of residents has doubled to 6,000, 65% of whom are of working age, making La Broquerie a youthful, vibrant community with a booming economy.
La Broquerie is known as one of the province’s largest milk producing centres, with some 30 dairy farms. This abundance was the inspiration for the municipal mascot: Brisette the cow, who stands at the entrance to the town’s main thoroughfare.
La Broquerie is also home to one of Manitoba’s leading hog farming and processing businesses: HyLife, founded and run by the Vielfaure family. In addition to agricultural operations, the town also has businesses in other economic sectors, including the transportation industry and restaurants and hospitality. The gateway to the Sandilands Provincial Forest, La Broquerie has also developed its lumber industry and mineral springs.
Families are welcome
The rural municipality has two schools, both of which are located in La Broquerie. École Saint-Joachim is a French language K-12 school, while the English language Arborgate School is for students from K-8.
La Broquerie also offers many recreational activities, including the La Vérendrye golf course, the Logging Days festival in Marchand as well as hiking, mountain bike and cross-country skiing trails, horseback riding and camping in the nearby Sandilands Provincial Forest. The area has truly become a year-round outdoor recreational paradise!
Sports play an important role in the community with its major downtown complex. The arenas at the HyLife Centre and Caisse Centre are open to the young and young-at-heart all winter long, while four neighbouring ballparks serve as training grounds for regional, local and recreational teams of all ages.
La Broquerie by the numbers
6,076 residents (2017) of which 1,185 are bilingual (French-English)
Lowest average temperature: -22°C in January
Highest average temperature: +25.4°C in July
83% of residents are homeowners
The main industry is agriculture (24.2%), followed by construction (22.1%) and transportation (16.5%)
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