Timeline of French Manitoba (1712-1993)
1712 to 1899
1712-1713:
Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) employees in York Factory indicate in their report to London that [French] Canadians were trading on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, harming the HBC’s own trade.
1738:
La Vérendrye reaches the current site of St. Boniface. French Canadian traders and voyageurs coming from Lower Canada use La Vérendrye’s route on their way to Western Canada.
ca. 1780-1810:
A Métis identity develops among a distinct Indigenous community.
1812:
The first Scottish and Irish colonists recruited by Lord Selkirk arrive at the Forks.
1816:
The Métis declare themselves a nation, following the Battle of Seven Oaks. Perhaps one of the first written references to the Métis Nation was made by Alexander MacDonnell, in a letter to Duncan Cameron dated March 13th, 1816.
1818:
Arrival of the Rev. Norbert Provencher, the Rev. Sévère Dumoulin, and seminarian Guillaume Edge to the Red River. Permanent establishment of the Catholic Church in Western Canada.
1822:
Creation of the Council of Assiniboia, a local government put in place by the Hudson’s Bay Company to assist the company’s governor in running the Red River Colony. The Council performed mainly judicial functions.
1829:
Establishment of St. Boniface’s first girls’ school. The school was placed under the management of two lay women, Angélique and Marguerite Nolin.
1835:
The Council of Assiniboia is transformed into a legislative and executive assembly. To ensure the enforcement of laws and facilitate administration, the Council creates committees, establishes courts, and organizes a police force. Several Francophones, Canadian and Métis, were called on to fill various positions in the judiciary and the police.
1837:
Mgr Norbert Provencher is appointed to the Council of Assiniboia, becoming the first francophone in the Red River colonial government.
1838:
Establishment of Western Canada’s first technical school in St. Boniface. Two Canadian weavers, Ursule Grenier and Marguerite Lapalice, teach weaving to Red River Métis women and girls.
1839:
Cuthbert Grant, a Métis leader from St. François Xavier, is appointed to the Council of Assiniboia, becoming the first Métis member of the Red River government.
1844:
Arrival of the Grey Nuns of Montreal to St. Boniface. They work primarily in the fields of health and education.
1845:
Arrival of Pierre Aubert and Alexandre Taché, the first Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Western Canada.
1851:
Due to political pressure from the Métis, the Council of Assiniboia replaces its unilingual anglophone chief magistrate with a bilingual magistrate.
1853:
French speaking Métis are appointed to the Council of Assiniboia, such as François Bruneau, a former student of St. Boniface College.
1854:
Arrival of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in St. Boniface. They undertake the running of a boy’s school and St. Boniface College. The Christian Brothers leave St. Boniface and the Red River six years later in 1860.
The Rev. Louis Laflèche, a member of the Council of Assiniboia, is tasked with compiling and translating all the Council’s rules and laws into French.
1855:
Construction begins on the first St. Boniface College building. The work is finished in late 1858. The building could house fifty boarders.
1867:
Canadian Confederation. According to the British North America Act, provincial governments have exclusive powers in various areas, including natural ressources and education.
1868:
Classical college starts at St. Boniface College. The first four students are Alex. Kittson, Louis Kittson, Georges Lemay and Maxime Goulet.
1869:
The Red River’s first democratic elections are held. Twelve representatives from Protestant parishes and twelve representatives from Catholic parishes are elected on the 16th of November and form a provisional government.
1870:
The provisional government, presided by Louis Riel, is expanded and adopts a new list of rights. Many of its articles would be integrated into the Manitoba Act a few months later.
On the 12th of May, the Manitoba Act (a law also called the Manitoba act, 1870) receives royal assent and is enacted on the 15th of July.
On June 24th, a special session of the Assiniboia Legislative Assembly is called to hear Reverend Joseph-Noël Ritchot’s report. The Legislative Assembly ratifies the Manitoba Act the same day. The Honourable Louis Schmidt proposed that “the Legislative Assembly of this land adopt the Manitoba Act, on behalf of the people, and decide to become part of the Dominion of Canada in accordance with the conditions proposed in the Constitution Act.” The Honourable Pierre Poitras seconded the motion. (Translation, taken from L’histoire de l’Assemblée législative d’Assiniboia / le Coneil du Gouvernement Provisoire by Norma Hall, Clifford P. Hall and Erin Verrier, n.d.).
Manitoba becomes the first province to join Confederation after the original four. Article 23 of the Manitoba Act, based on Article 133 of the British North America Act (1867), stipulates that while either English or French may be used in the Legislative Assembly or in law courts, laws, records, proceedings, and official publications must be published in both languages. Article 22 of the Manitoba Act guarantees a system of public denominational schools subsidized by the province.
1871:
Opening of the first session of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. A bilingual Throne Speech is read in both English and French. Joseph Royal is elected Speaker of the Assembly.
The Manitoba Legislative assembly adopts its first law on the school system. It creates a Board of Education with two sections: one Catholic, and one Protestant.
On May 27th, the first issue of weekly newspaper Le Métis, Manitoba’s first French-language paper, is published. In October, 1881, it would change its name to Le Manitoba. Le Manitoba would appear weekly until July, 1925, at which time publication ceased.
1873:
A law on municipalities stipulates that official notices appearing in the Manitoba Gazette must be bilingual.
1875:
Manitoba electoral law makes provision for the use of French and English in voter instructions, proclamations of elections, and the preparation of voter lists.
1876:
A Manitoba law concerning jurors and juries specifies that when a French trial is requested, the court can order the composition of a half-English, half-French jury.
1878:
The Catholic Section of the Board of Education adopts a bylaw concerning the language of instruction in Manitoban Catholic schools, specifying that the language spoken by the majority of taxpayers in a district will be the one taught in its school.
1879:
The English Party caucus proposes, among other things, to cease the publication of official documents in French. The matter is debated in the House, but Lieutenant-Governor Joseph Cauchon refuses to sign the bill adopted by the Legislative Assembly.
1880:
Obligatory creation of municipal governments in the province of Manitoba.
1883:
Creation of the village (or town, as it was called at the time) of St. Boniface, the first Francophone urban municipal government in Manitoba
1885:
Management of St. Boniface College is entrusted to the Jesuits.
1887:
Publication of the first issue of Trappeur, the Liberal Party of Manitoba’s first French-language newspaper. Weekly Liberal papers never lasted long: Le Courrier du Nord-Ouest (1888), L’Ouest canadien (1889); L’Écho du Manitoba (1898-1903), L’Avenir de l’Ouest (1905), Le Soleil de l’Ouest (1911-1916); La Libre Parole (1916-1927?). For many years, however, French speaking Manitobans had access to numerous locally published French language newspapers.
1890:
An educational law is adopted on the 19th of March, secularizing denominational schools. Government funds would be reserved for the now public schools; Catholic schools survived as nonsubsidized, private institutions. In 1890, there were 74 Catholic schools taking in 3,677 students.
The Manitoba Legislative Assembly votes to eliminate the official status of the French language in the province. The Official Language Act would be declared unconstitutional approximately 90 years later when the Supreme Court of Canada rules in favour of Georges Forest, a St. Boniface businessman who challenged the act’s constitutionality.
1896:
Adoption of the Laurier-Greenway Compromise. This ruling was named after the Canada’s Liberal Prime Minister, Sir Wilfred Laurier, and Manitoba’s Liberal Premier, Thomas Greenway. The compromise reached by the two governments to address the elimination of denominational schools permitted religious instruction in classes after the regular school day and authorized teaching in a language other than English at the request of parents, if 10 or more students attended one of the province’s schools.
1900 to 1949
1902:
Foundation of the Société historique de Saint-Boniface by Archbishop Adélard Langevin.
1908:
The village of St. Boniface becomes the city of St. Boniface, Western Canada’s most important bilingual city.
1913:
Adélard Langevin, archbishop of St. Boniface, founds La Liberté, a weekly French-language catholic newspaper, independent from any political party. Management of the newspaper is entrusted to lay journalists, such as Hector Héroux (whose brother founded the daily paper Le Devoir) and Donatien Frémont, until 1941.
1916:
New legislation on schools is passed by Manitoba’s liberal government. The Thornton Act eliminates bilingual schools, in practice abolishing French education. The law also rendered primary education mandatory for Manitoba children.
Foundation of the Association d’éducation des Canadiens français du Manitoba (AECFM, “Manitoba French-Canadians’ education association”). For 50 years, it functioned as a sort of alternate department of education to improve French education for Manitoban Francophones.
1919:
Creation of the Association des commissaires d’école de langue française du Manitoba (“Manitoba association of French-language school trustees”), which became the Commissaires d’écoles franco-manitobains (“Franco-Manitoban school trustees”) in 1976.
1923:
The AECFM organizes its first annual French contest. Its last French contest would be held in 1967.
1925:
Foundation of the Cercle Molière, the oldest currently active theatre troupe in Canada.
1936:
The Club La Vérendrye is legally established by the Assemblée 127 of the Canadiens de Naissance.
1937:
Foundation of the Comité permanent de la Survivance française (“standing committee for the survival of French”), a national organisation based in Quebec.
The Caisse populaire de St. Malo is the first credit union to be chartered in Manitoba.
1941:
The newspaper La Liberté is placed under the management of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The Oblates merge La Liberté with the weekly Fransaskois paper Le Patriote. From this point, the only weekly French-language paper in Manitoba is published under the name La Liberté et le Patriote.
1946:
CKSB, a radio station created with donations from Manitoba’s francophones, begins broadcasting on the 27th of May. Société Radio-Canada, wanting to extend its broadcasting network from coast to coast, purchases CKSB in 1973 for $265,000.
Creation of the Conseil de la coopération du Manitoba.
1947:
A folk dance troupe is established in St. Boniface. The Gais Manitobains would change their name in 1978, becoming the Danseurs de la Rivière-Rouge, and have been known since 1993 as the Ensemble folklorique de la Rivière-Rouge (Red River Folk Ensemble).
1950 to 1993
1952:
Foundation of the Caisse centrale de St. Boniface Credit Union Society Ltd., which in 1982 became the Fédération des Caisses populaires du Manitoba.
1955:
The provincial government authorizes instruction in French from the fourth to sixth grade.
1958:
A law establishing school divisions for secondary education is adopted.
1959:
A Royal Commission on education recommends that teaching French be permitted starting in the first grade.
1960:
CBWFT, Société Radio-Canada’s French language television station, begins broadcasting on the 24th of April.
1967:
Law 59 is adopted by premier Duff Roblin’s conservative government. This school legislation reinstates the right to teach French in Manitoba schools, although French teaching is limited to half the school day.
The Jesuits relinquish St. Boniface College to the Diocese of St. Boniface. The priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus had taken over management of the College in 1885.
The first volume of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism’s report is released.
Foundation of Le 100 Nons (a Franco-Manitoban music organization).
1968:
St. Boniface College receives funds from the provincial government for the first time following the creation of the Universities Grant Commission by Duff Roblin’s conservative government.
The Éducateurs franco-manitobains (EFM) (formerly the Société des enseignants de langue française) are established. The Éducateurs franco-manitobains (Franco-Manitoban educators) become a branch of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society in 1972. They are responsible for advising the MTS in matters relating to French-language education. The EFM change their name to the Éducatrices et les Éducateurs francophones du Manitoba (to include female educators) in 1986.
The Fonds de sécurité des caisses populaires (and Credit Union Stabilization Fund) are created in July.
The Société franco-manitobaine (1) is officially established at the rally-conference of December 6th, 7th, and 8th.
1969:
The Official Languages Act is adopted into federal law. This law grants Canadians the right to receive federal services in French or in English.
1970:
The first Festival du Voyageur is organized in the year of the one hundredth anniversary of Manitoba’s creation.
Law 113 is adopted by Edward Schreyer’s New Democratic government, The French language regains the status it enjoyed until 1896 as a language of instruction, on equal footing with English in Manitoba’s public schools.
The publishing firm Presse-Ouest Limité is legally established on the 1st of April. Presse-Ouest Limité is the company that published the newspaper La Liberté et le Patriote. The Société franco-manitobaine (1) and the Association francophone de la Saskatchewan are the co-owners of the weekly paper run until this time by the Oblates.
1971:
Creation of the first Mini-franco-fun, an informal get-together for francophone mothers and their preschool-age children at the Précieux-Sang children’s center.
End of the merger of the two weekly papers La Liberté and Le Patriote. Le Patriote, Saskatchewan’s French-language newspaper, is published under the name L’eau-vive from this point on.
1972:
Bicolo, friend to all the francophone children of Manitoba, makes his debut in the pages of La Liberté.
Opening of the Institut pédagogique (institute of pedagogy, which has since become the Faculty of Education) at St. Boniface University College.
First year of Unicity, the forced amalgamation of the 12 rural and urban municipalities of the Winnipeg metropolitan region. St. Boniface ceases to exist as an autonomous city, becoming a city ward of Manitoba’s capital. The City of Winnipeg Act guaranteed bilingual services in some neighbourhoods in the former cities of St. Boniface and St.Vital, as well as some City of Winnipeg offices.
1973:
Creation of the Fondation Radio Saint-Boniface (St. Boniface radio foundation). This foundation distributes grants, funded by the investment of money from the sale of CKSB to the Société Radio-Canada, to Franco-Manitoban associations. It merged with Francofonds in 1990.
Foundation of the Conseil jeunesse provincial (provincial youth council), the provincial organisation of Manitoba’s francophone youth.
1974:
Appointment of a French educational programs coordinator to the Manitoba Department of Education
Opening of the Centre culturel franco-manitobain.
A Franco-Manitoban publishing company, Éditions du Blé (3), is founded.
1975:
The Department of Education establishes the Bureau de l’éducation française (BEF).
Opening of the Collège communautaire de Saint-Boniface (St Boniface community college), which has since become the University of Saint Boniface’s École technique et professionnelle (technical and professional school).
Georges Forest, a St. Boniface businessman, receives a unilingual parking ticket from the City of Winnipeg. He begins a legal challenge that will go all the way to the Supreme Court.
1976:
Creation of the Fédération provinciale des comités de parents, which unites the province’s Franco-Manitoban parent committees.
An assistant deputy minister is put in charge of the Bureau de l’éducation française (BEF).
The Fédération des francophones hors Québec (FFHQ) is established, which has since become the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (F.C.F.A. du Canada). It serves as the national mouthpiece of provincial and territorial francophone associations.
1978:
Foundation of Francofonds, a foundation established to offer financial aid to francophone organizations and associations in Manitoba.
Creation of the Fédération des aînés franco-manitobains (Franco-Manitoban elders’ federation)
The Centre des études franco-canadiennes de l’Ouest (CEFCO) is established at CUSB.
Opening of the Centre de ressources éducatives françaises du Manitoba (which has since become the Direction des ressources éducatives françaises) at CUSB
Opening of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages in St. Boniface.
The Department of the Secretary of State offers financial aid to Georges Forest and all those pursuing legal action at the constitutional level.
1979:
The Official Languages Act of 1890 is declared unconstitutional on December 13th, 1979 when the Supreme Court of Canada judges in favour of Georges Forest, a St. Boniface businessman who had challenged the legality eliminating the French language’s official status in Manitoba.
The Commission nationale des parents francophones (CNPF), a national association unifying 9 provinces’ and 2 territories’ francophone and Acadian parents’ associations, is created in Winnipeg.
1980:
Unveiling of the Franco-Manitoban flag, chosen in a provincial contest organized by the CJP.
Riel House (2), a national historic site managed by the Société historique de Saint-Boniface on behalf of Parks Canada, opens in St. Vital.
A second Franco-Manitoban publishing company, Éditions des Plaines, is founded by Annette Saint-Pierre and Rev. Georges Damphousse.
Foundation of women’s organization Réseau.
Roger Bilodeau, a law student, receives a unilingual speeding ticket. His case will go all the way to the Supreme Court.
1981:
Creation of the French Language Services Secretariat by the Government of Manitoba.
1982:
The Canadian Constitution is patriated and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is adopted. Article 23 of the Charter guarantees to official language minorities access to and management of schools in their native languages.
The non-profit Pluri-elles (Manitoba) Inc. is founded
Negotiations begin with the provincial government to amend Article 23 of the Manitoba Act in order to include services in French.
1983:
The SFM offices burn down (1). An investigation reveals that the fire was arson.
An impressive rally is held in Ste. Anne des Chênes to support SFM president Léo Robert’s speech to the public audience of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly Committee charged with studying the proposed amendment to Article 23 of the Manitoba Act.
Presentation of the first Prix Riel, a prize awarded annually by the SFM (1) to Franco-Manitobans for significant contribution to Manitoba’s francophone community.
1984:
Howard Pawley’s provincial government withdraws the bill containing the constitutional amendment of Article 23 of the Manitoba Act.
The SFM asks the federal government for a direct referral to the Supreme Court of Canada to settle the matter of Article 23’s reach definitively.
Creation of the Institut Joseph-Dubuc, a resource center for those working in the field of Common Law in French in Western Canada. The Institut Joseph-Dubuc would be incorporated into CUSB’s École de traduction in 1988.
1985:
The Supreme Court of Canada declares all of the province of Manitoba’s laws unconstitutional. They give the province a period of three years to translate all its laws and statutes.
The Department of Education officially recognizes the definition of French schools.
The Conseil jeunesse provincial organizes the first Shows sont nous, a demonstration by youth from Franco-Manitoban schools. The rally now goes by the name Foule faire.
The Société franco-manitobaine (1) settles into its new location in the Maison franco-manitobaine. This building was built following the arson. The Maison franco-manitobaine, built in part with community donations, also houses the offices of several Franco-Manitoban associations and weekly paper La Liberté’s newsroom.
1987:
The Credit Unions and Caisses Populaires Act is adopted. It confirms the specific nature of caisses populaires, that is they “provide a comprehensive range of financial services” in French and provide for the “direction and democratic control” of these services by French-speaking residents of Manitoba, “on a cooperative basis”.
The États généraux de la francophonie manitobaine are organized.
The Société des communications du Manitoba, Inc is founded. Its goal is the promotion of all forms of communications in the Franco-Manitoban community.
1988:
Foundation of the Association des juristes d’expression française du Manitoba following the restructuring of the Institut Joseph-Dubuc. The Association’s principal mandate is the promotion of an officially and functionally bilingual justice system in Manitoba.
1989:
Creation of the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities.
1990:
The Supreme Court of Canada’s Mahé Judgement confirms that Article 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the francophone parents of Edmonton a degree of control over the management of their French schools.
1991:
The nonprofit Pluri-elles opens its Centres Alpha to combat illiteracy in francophone communities. These centers help those who wish to function in French.
CKXL, Radio communautaire du Manitoba Inc. (“Manitoba community radio”), begins broadcasting.
1992:
In a unanimous judgement, the Supreme Court of Canada publishes criteria to guide Manitoba in the translation of its laws and documents incorporated in legislation. This judgement was reached following a joint appeal from the Province of Manitoba and the Société franco-manitobaine (1).
The Charlottetown Accord, a series of proposed amendments to the Canadian Constitution, is rejected by a national referendum.
The Canadian Government recognizes Louis Riel’s unique and historical role as Manitoba’s founder.
Modifications of Part III of the City of Winnipeg Act are put into effect. They include the extension of bilingual services to the neighbourhood of St. Norbert.
1993:
The Supreme Court of Canada affirms that Article 23 of the Charter grants Franco-Manitobans a maximum degree of control of their French schools in an appeal by Manitoba’s francophone parents.
Law 34 is adopted on July 27th by Premier Gary Filmon’s conservative government. This new school law, in accordance with Article 23 of the Canadian Charter, provides for the creation of a French-language school division for the beginning if the 1994 school year.
The Department of Education announces the results of the first round of the school management implementation committee’s consultation. The committee was presided by Alfred Monnin, Manitoba’s former Chief Justice. The parents of children in French schools in La Broquerie, Ste. Anne, Lorette, Île des Chênes, St. Norbert, Ste. Agathe, St. Leon, St. Lazare, St. Boniface (Taché, Louis Riel, Précieux Sang, Lacerte) and St. Vital (Lavallée) overwhelmingly indicate (with an average of 94% in favour) that they want to be a part of the new French-language School Division.
Entre-temps des Franco-Manitobaines, a women’s domestic violence shelter, is opened. The shelter was a project of Réseau.
The Société franco-manitobaine (1) celebrates the 25th anniversary of its foundation.
Bibliography
- Jacqueline Blay, L’Article 23; les péripéties législative et juridiques du fait français au Manitoba, 1870 – 1986, Saint-Boniface, Les Éditions du Blé, 1987.
- Luc Dauphinais, Histoire de Saint-Boniface, Tome I, À l’ombre des cathédrales, Saint-Boniface, Les Éditions du Blé, 1991.
- Lionel Dorge, Le Manitoba, reflets d’un passé, Saint-Boniface, Les Éditions du Blé, 1976.
- Lionel Dorge, Petite histoire de la langue française au Manitoba in Bulletin de l’ACELF, April 1980, vol VIII, issue 3, p.1-3.
- Maurice Gauthier, De la table de cuisine à la rue principale, 50 ans d’histoire des caisses populaires du Manitoba (1937-1987), Saint-Boniface, Le Conseil de la coopération du Manitoba, 1987.
- Bernard Pénisson, Henri d’Hellencourt, un journaliste français au Manitoba (1898-1905), Saint-Boniface, Les Éditions du Blé, 1986.
- La Liberté, from 1913 to 1993.
- The Archives of the Société historique de Saint-Boniface.
Norma Hall, Clifford P. Hall and Erin Verrier, L’histoire de l’Assemblée législative d’Assiniboia / le Conseil du Gouvernement Provisoire, n.d.