Located about 130 km southwest of Winnipeg, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes exudes old-world charm and hospitality. Given that 97 percent of residents are Francophones, French is the everyday language of the community.
The village is nestled in the Pembina Hills, in a breathtaking setting with rolling hills that are a relative rarity in Manitoba.
European charm
The first pioneers from Quebec arrived in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes in the 1880s. After it became a parish in 1891, many French and Swiss immigrants began to settle in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes.
This wave of immigration shaped the municipality’s development. Today, residents strive to preserve and promote their French and Swiss roots, giving Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes a decidedly European flavour with their distinct accents and warm hospitality.
The name Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes is a reference to the Virgin Mary, who appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, in 1858. And, in 1954, residents decided to build a replica of the French grotto to pay tribute to the Virgin Mary for protecting the children of the village during a polio epidemic in 1946-1947.
Focus on sport, health and safety
Hockey, skating, soccer, tennis, cycling, taekwondo and cross-country skiing are just some of the activities available to the families of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes.
The Notre Dame Health Centre offers quality bilingual services, with a team of dedicated and experienced physicians and many specialists, including a physiotherapist, chiropractor, massage therapist, dietitian, psychiatrist, child psychiatrist, nurse practitioner and public health nurses.
A fire brigade of some two dozen volunteers associated with the Brandon Command Centre responds to emergency calls in the community and the surrounding area.
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes also has a French language school that is part of the Franco-Manitoban School division (DSFM).
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes provides its residents with quality services in both official languages while maintaining the village’s affordable cost of living.
Entrepreneurial spirit and determination
The community of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes has a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and its economic sector continues to thrive. One local business, Comte Industries, which supplies grain and equipment to farms around Manitoba, employs many area residents. Another exceptional company is the Notre Dame Creamery. Founded in 1921, it is one of only remaining small town creameries in Canada, and still makes its own butter.
Another company that helps put Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes on the map is Gravier Collet Gravel, founded in 1986. Its business activities include the wholesale distribution of stone, cement, lime, constructions and other construction materials.
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes by the numbers
683 residents (2011), of which 97% are bilingual (French and English)
54% of residents under 35 years old
Website