Proud past. Promising future. Ste. Anne’s motto reflects the community’s pride in its Francophone heritage and its desire to build on the prevailing harmonious relationship between residents. A mere 40-minute drive southeast of Winnipeg, Ste. Anne has a lot going for it.
A service community
Ste. Anne, also known as Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes, was the first parish established in Manitoba. The first settlers, French-speaking habitants from eastern Canada, were looking for farmland. The Hudson’s Bay Company featured prominently in the 19th century community, which also served as a stopover for exhausted voyageurs headed for Winnipeg along the historic Dawson Trail.
Today, the town of Ste. Anne, located in the heart of the rural municipality with the same name, is best known for its hospital. The Ste. Anne Hospital is a designated bilingual hospital offering health care services that include obstetrics, surgery and intensive care, 24-hour emergency services, palliative care and a full range of laboratory and radiology services. It is Manitoba’s leading rural health care centre.
The education sector is another major employer in the area. Ste. Anne has several schools, including a French language school, a French immersion school, an English language school and an adult learning centre.
A thriving tourism industry
In the past few years, Ste. Anne has considerably stepped up efforts to attract more tourists. The town now boasts a number of golf courses and campgrounds, and the Lilac Resort offers a number of vacation accommodation options.
Dawson Trail Days are held over the September long weekend. The three-day festival, named after the historic trail that crosses Ste. Anne, features baseball, a parade, music and dancing, a kids’ zone, a youth talent competition and fireworks. This event marks the end of summer.
Ste. Anne by the numbers
2,214 residents (2016), of which 840 are bilingual (French-English)
Lowest average temperature: -22°C in January
Highest average temperature: +25°C in August
60% of residents are homeowners
The main industry is agriculture (32.1%), followed by construction (19.9%), real estate and transportation (both 9%)
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