Official Naming of Parc Charette Park

Nov 9, 2015

After much consultation with St. Norbert community residents, I’m very pleased to bring forward a motion for the official naming of a new park in the community of St. Norbert.

Parc Charette Park sits on the banks of a curve in the Red River in St. Norbert. The park is located alongside Pembina Highway at Grandmont Avenue, and is across the street from the Château Versailles residences. The park commemorates the homestead of the Baptise Charette family. Monsieur Charette was a carpenter with the North West Company who built his story and a half log home in 1811–1812 “on the road to The Forks”.

The home had window glass imported from England, and nails and hinges brought by ox cart along the Pembina Trail from St Paul, Minnesota. The Charette home was also known at the ‘Halfway House’ as it was situated half way between the Red River Settlement and Scratching River (now known as the Morris River), and provided a resting place for tired travellers.

Earlier this year, the St. Norbert Business Improvement Zone installed beautiful benches, shade trees and a winding pathway at Parc Charette Park to allow today’s travellers a place to rest and enjoy the scenic view of the meandering Red River. In spring of 2016, the community of St. Norbert, along with the St. Norbert BIZ and Heritage St. Norbert, will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the newly named park.

Watch my website for details. For interesting heritage information on St. Norbert, please see: Heritage Saint Norbert