Saint-Boniface in 1908
The official incorporation of the City of Saint Boniface in 1908 is the defining moment in its history. On May 1st 1908, Saint Boniface became a city, with all the rights and responsibilities of a municipality of the stature of Winnipeg, its sister city. With a brand new City Hall and flourishing commercial and industrial development, Saint Boniface had high hopes.
The city limits in 1908 were: the Red River to the North and West, with a residential and commercial sector around the Cathedral and other religious institutions in the North end of Saint Boniface. In the early 20th century, the City stretches further South. « Norwood « has developed over the past 8 to 10 years… there a numerous Belgian and French (European) colonies as well; they are industrious and hard-working… » In 1908, DesMeurons street is prolonged, a consequence of residential development in the area, including the now famous Deschambault Street, made famous by writer Gabrielle Roy. Her birthplace was built in 1905.
The turn of the century is a period of rapid growth for the small city, as well as the province. In 1908, Saint Boniface has a population of 6,000, the majority of whom were French-speaking. Technology was evolving at a fevered pace. Electricity was becoming commonplace and a 150 mile-long aqueduct had been undertaken. The provincial government bought the Bell Telephone Company and created a Crown Corporation in order to ensure that all Manitobans had access to this new service “deemed essential” in 1908. Elsewhere, Henry Ford introduced the Model T, and Canada sent its first official team to the Olympic Games in London, England.
The year Saint Boniface became a City was a year full of important events: the province finally gave the city its own surrogate court; the celebrations surrounding the inauguration of the new Cathedral were nothing less than monumental; and after years of searching, an archeological expedition led by Jesuits from Saint Boniface, found to the remains of the explorers LaVerendrye, Aulneau and other victims of the the massacre near Fort Charles Ontario,
Economic development
Saint Boniface’s incorporation coincides with the first major period of development in Manitoba. Two main factors are responsible for the expansion : an important wave of immigration (1897-1912) attracted foreign capital along with it and bumper crops of wheat which had now found world markets.
After a year of economic crisis, caused mostly by a sluggish economy in the United Sates in 1907, Manitoba’s economy was in full motion, and Saint Boniface was no exception. In 1908, new businesses were opening on a regular basis. There were grocery stores, hardware stores, horses and livery stables, lumberyards. As is the case today, most commercial activity at the time centered on Provencher, Taché and Marion streets, as well as Dumoulin, Aulneau, Saint Jean-Baptiste and Eugenie streets.
Saint Boniface’s proximity to Winnipeg was both a blessing and a curse. Many French-speaking businesspeople opened shops on Main and McDermot Streets in downtown Winnipeg. The City of Saint Boniface actually ran a campaign in 1910 to encourage businesspeople to open businesses on the Saint Boniface side of the river.
Construction boom
1908 gave Saint Boniface some of its most precious architectural jewels. Buildings such as the Saint Boniface Cathedral and the Post Office were underway that year, as well as expansion projects for many institutions including the Oblate sisters convent and the Maison Chapelle. This construction frenzy mirrored what was going on in Winnipeg, with the construction of Union Station underway (to the tune of $1 million) as well as the beginning of construction on the Fort Garry Hotel, which cost $2 million. The Imperial Bank took possession of its palatial new building on Main street, and the provincial government also invested heavily in the Lieutenant Governor’s Residence.
Industrial Development
1908 saw the beginnings of what is known as Saint Boniface Industrial Park today. The Transcontinental railway promises to build shops in Saint Boniface. Major stock yards are set up East of the Seine river in September of that year, which sent real estate prices soaring in the area. All this industrial development necessitated new infrastructure; both Archibald and Marion streets were extended in 1908 to meet the demands of the new businesses in the area. Industrial enterprises were not all concentrated to the East of Saint Boniface. A tannery being built on Provencher boulevard near DesMeurons Street in 1908 brought opposition, namely from the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Marie.
Social life and Recreational Activities
In 1908, there was no television and no radio. So what did people do to entertain themselves? Newspapers of 1908 in Saint Boniface describe literary and recreational sessions at Saint Boniface College of Provencher School. There were concerts given by prominent music teachers of the day and their students as well as debates on such hot topics as: “Should sports be encouraged among our students, yes or no?”. There were also lectures on historical topics, for example: The Métis of Yesteryear.
Baseball was on the rise in 1908 in Saint Boniface. There seemed to be a growing number of teams, which seem to have drawn a large number of spectators, so say the newspapers of the time. Baseball games were played in Saint Boniface College’s schoolyard, north of the CN tracks on Taché Avenue and in Norwood. Near the end of the year, the long defunct Voyageur Snowshoe Club was reborn, with 40 members making a first excursion through Saint Boniface dressed in Voyageur period costumes. Among them were Monsignor Langevin, Archbishop and the Mayor of Saint Boniface Joseph Bleau.1
In February a group of citizens interested in building a new public skating rink hold public meetings. And the Saint Boniface Roman Catholic parish holds a series of Family programs at a local theatre to raise money for the new Cathedral. « Do not be afraid to send your children! » reads the ad in bold letters. In April, a children’s carousel was set up at the corner of Provencher and Taché for a week. The Starland, Saint Boniface’s first movie theatre opened to the public in may 1908. As well, new liquor laws adopted in April of that year allowed dining rooms in hotels to serve alcohol between 1 :00pm and 3 :00pm as well as 6 :00pm to 8 :00pm.2
Saint-Boniface: Cathedral City
Saint-Boniface is the seat of the Archdiocese of the same name, which in 1908 extends as far as the Rocky Mountains. The greatest symbol of the Catholic church’s strength at the time is the new Cathedral, under construction in 1908 and deemed necessary as the constant expansion of the city and its diocese brought more and more faithful to the area.
