Ste. Anne, Manitoba

:"For the rural municipality surrounding the town, see Ste. Anne, Manitoba (rural municipality)."

Ste. Anne is a town in Manitoba. The population at the last census (2006) was 1534. The population was 1513 in 2001 and 1511 in 1996. Notable people from Ste. Anne include NHL's Garnet Exelby, The Honourable Maria Chaput, Senator, The Honourable Paul Massicotte, Senator, and The Honourable Raymond Simard, Member of Parliament.

History

Ste. Anne was the first parish established in the area, dating back to 1856, and is therefore older than Canada. The early settlers arrived looking for farmland. The first 198 families in the community busied themselves with their first major industry, supplying lumber for the construction of the St. Boniface Cathedral. The Hudson's Bay Company also had a strong presence in the community in the 1800s. Ste. Anne served as a stopover for weary travelers on their journey to Winnipeg, along the famed Dawson Trail. It's full name is Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes. It is known for being located on the Seine River and at the heart of the Dawson Trail.

In June 1959, Ste. Anne experienced the worst flood in its history. Water rose at a rate visible by eye, and the Ste. Anne Hospital was evacuated. In 1960 the Seine River diversion project was completed to prevent future floods.

Geography and climate

Ste. Anne is situated just east of the longitudinal centre of Canada (near the geographical centre of North America), and approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the border with the United States. It is near the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies. It is surrounded by rich agricultural land to the west, and the boreal forest to the east. The Seine River runs through the middle of town. The tree-lined river is very picturesque and gives the area a beautiful naturalist look. The closest urban area with over 500,000 people is Winnipeg, approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Ste. Anne.

Ste. Anne has an extreme continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfb). Ste Anne is approximately 250 kilometres (150 miles) northwest of International Falls, Minnesota, which according to USA Today is the coldest place in the continental USA. Summers are short and cool, with only three months (June to August) when the average high temperature exceeds 20°C (68°F). Even during the summer months, evening and night temperatures are quite cool, for example the average low in July is 13°C (55°F). Spring and autumn are highly variable seasons, but generally very cool. On average there are only 110 frost-free days per year. Winters are best described as extremely long and bitterly cold, with snow cover generally from November to March. According to Environment Canada, the daily average high temperatures range from -13°C (9°F) to 26°C (79°F), and average low temperatures range from -23°C (-9°F) to 13°C (55°F). The weather is characterized by an abundance of sunshine throughout the year. July is the sunniest month, and November the least sunny.

Transportation

Ste. Anne is located 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Winnipeg. This distance is covered by a four-lane divided highway (Highway 12 and the Trans-Canada Highway). Highway 12 connects Ste. Anne with the United States border, as well as the Trans-Canada Highway. Winnipeg's James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is 60 kilometres (36 miles), or less than a one hour drive, from Ste. Anne. There are no freeways or expressways in Ste. Anne, however the main road, Avenue Centrale Avenue, is a divided road in some sections.

Ste. Anne has no traffic lights, but there is a no U-turn sign in front of the Villa Youville.

Economic Base

The largest employers in Ste. Anne are in the health and education services sector. The town boasts a senior's care home that houses 150 residents. The Ste. Anne Hospital serves the town and the surrounding area, and provides emergency medical services 24-hours a day. A medical clinic in the town also has ten doctors on staff, and an onsite pharmacy. The Seine River School Division #14 has its administration building in Ste. Anne. Most other businesses in Ste. Anne provide retail goods and services to the town's residents and those in the surrounding community.

Education

Ste. Anne has four schools: Ste. Anne Elementary (English, K to grade 6), Ste. Anne Immersion (French, K to grade 6), Ste. Anne Collegiate (English, Grade 7 to 12), and Ecole Pointe-des-Chênes (French, K to grade 12). French immersion students wishing to continue in French usually attend Lorette High School, approximately 20 kilometres west of Ste. Anne.

Health Care

Ste. Anne Hospital was opened in 1954. The hospital is currently a 21-bed, acute-care facility serving the residents of Ste. Anne and the region. Recent investments in Ste. Anne Hospital include a $1.5-million project for safety and security upgrades including the relocation of the nursing station and the creation of two new birthing rooms. In October 2007 the Health Minister of Manitoba announced that more than $6 million will be invested in renovations to the Ste. Anne Hospital to increase the number of surgical suites and establish a post-anesthetic care unit. Renovations are scheduled to be completed by 2010.

For senior citizens, Ste. Anne has the Villa Youville, which combines a personal care home with an 85-suite seniors housing complex. The francophone facility is located in a park-like setting on the banks of the Seine River.

The Centre Medicale Seine Medical Centre, with a staff of 10 doctors and one dentist, provides excellent medical services to residents of Ste. Anne and the region.

Housing

Homes in Ste. Anne range from mobile homes to houses. Ste. Anne also has apartment buildings, including a 28-unit apartment project for those with lower-incomes and those with mental health-care needs. The project, led by the Ste. Anne Knights of Columbus Council, was supported by funding from the Canada-Manitoba Affordable Housing Initiative, and by land donated by the town.

Churches

Ste. Anne has two two churches. The Ste. Anne Catholic Church (opened in 1898) is a town landmark. Masses are held in French and English. The church interior was completely renovated in 2007. Ste. Anne also has the Dayspring Fellowship Church, with services in English.

Crime

Unlike in nearby Winnipeg, the crime rate in Ste. Anne is quite low, and violent crimes are very rare. Police services are provided locally by the Ste. Anne Police Department.

Services

Ste. Anne has a fairly large public library constructed from a donated residence, whose character is still evident in the arcitecture of the building (the children's section used to be a kitchen). It offers the cheapest public internet access in town and is open for about half the week. It offers a wide variety of fiction and French literature, as well as children's materials and videos, but it does not offer very good sciene texts for adults.

The town has a volunteer fire department that serves the surrounding municipality and the municipality of Taché when they have need. The municipality of Taché also helps out Ste. Anne when it needs aid.

Restaurants

Ste. Anne has many fine restaurants catering to a wide variety of culinary tastes and budgets. Restaurants include Vicky's, MBG and Cordon Bleu Restaurant. The name of the latter was chosen by Elaine Doyle as part of a school contest. There is also an excellent Chinese food restaurant in the Ste. Anne Hotel, which provides take-out service.

Accommodation

The Lilac Resort offers overnight motel and campsite accommodations and seasonal RV sites. Located off the Trans-Canada Highway, the resort provides Eastern Manitoba's only combination of accommodations and waterslide park, and offers hot tubs, speed slides, waterslide, pool side pool table and arcade.

Major Attractions

Ste. Anne plays host to two large festivals during the year. The Dawson Trail Days held during the September long weekend is a celebration of the area's heritage and the history of the Dawson trail. Many activities are planned each year, and the event serves as a windup for local residents after an enjoyable summer. Especially popular is the beer garden.

Sports

Ice hockey and curling are the favorite sports in Ste. Anne. The town has an ice-skating arena and curling rink. The Ste. Anne Aces, an ice hockey team, play in the Carillon Senior Hockey League. Soccer and Baseball are also popular sports in this town. On Friday March 28th 2008, the Ste-Anne Aces hockey team won the 2007-2008 CSHL Championship.

Parks

Ste. Anne has the Parc des Redemptoristes, situated beside the Seine River in the center of town.

Rural Municipality

The town is Ste. Anne is located in the Rural Municipality of Ste. Anne, which has a population of 4509 (2006 census).

The Rural Municipality of Ste. Anne has five golf courses: The Links at Quarry Oaks Golf & Country Club, Cottonwood Golf and Country Club, Oakwood Golf Course, Ridgewood South Golf Course and the Girouxsalem Golf & Country Club.

One can say Ste. Anne is close to Paradise. The Rural Municipality of Ste. Anne includes Paradise Village, a 55 plus retirement community, which was founded in early 1990. Paradise Village has grown rapidly, with residents embracing the condominium lifestyle that "mobile home living" affords them, while being able to enjoy the beautiful rural setting. Many of its residents are "snowbirds" who travel south in the Winter.

Town Council Members

The Mayor of Ste. Anne is Bernard Vermette. Other members include Craig Cumming, Deputy Mayor, Donald Simard, Councillor, Randy Yestrau, Councillor, Hélène d`Auteuil, Councillor and Nicole Champagne, Chief Administrative Officer

References