The federal riding of St. Boniface contains the historically and culturally significant French Quarter of Winnipeg, and much more. Comprising the southeast portion of Winnipeg, St. Boniface begins across the Red River from downtown and extends east and south to the edges of the city. The riding encompasses the Winnipeg suburbs of Old St. Boniface, Norwood, most of St. Vital, Southdale, Windsor Park, Island Lakes, Royalwood, Southland Park and Sage Creek. There are also thriving retail, business and industrial neighbourhoods throughout the area.
St. Boniface was founded in 1818 by French-Canadian missionaries, led by Bishop Joseph Norbert Provencher. It remains the largest Francophone community in western Canada, as evidenced by its numerous French language and French immersion schools, St. Boniface College (one of the three founding colleges of the University of Manitoba), Francophone newspapers, radio and television stations, the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre as well as the annual winter celebration Festival du Voyageur held during the month of February.
Aboriginal and Métis people have always been central to the makeup of the population of the St. Boniface area. Most notably, it is the birthplace of Louis Riel and other Métis individuals who led the struggle to gain favourable terms for Manitoba’s entry into the Canadian Confederation.
In recent times, St. Boniface has been the site of several large housing developments, pushing the city limits further to the east and south, thereby increasing the number and diversity of area residents. Today, the riding can be seen as a microcosm of Canada – a host of languages, ethnicities, various age groups, businesses and several community centres all combine to make St. Boniface an exciting destination located right in the heart of the country.