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Family Stories

A Park Dedicated to Baptiste Charette

4/5/2018

10 Comments

 

​New park commemorates St. Norbert’s Métis history

The legacy of one of Manitoba’s early Métis families has been recognized with a new park in St. Norbert.
​
On June 16, a newly minted greenspace on the east side of Pembina Highway at Grandmont  Boulevard was named Parc Charette Park after the Charette family. The new park commemorates the homestead the Charette family established at that site in the early 1800s that served as a halfway point between the Red River Settlement and the Morris River (formerly Scratching River) and a resting place for travelers making their way to the settlement.

The original half-log home was built by Baptiste Charette, the family’s patriarch and a carpenter with the North West Company, using glass imported from England and metal hardware brought by ox cart from St. Paul, Minn.
Picture
Charette House on Scratching River
The house was considered to be the earliest home built in the Red River Settlement area. The home was condemned following the flood in 1952.

The home was also used as a small store carrying goods from the Hudson Bay Company and at one point was a meeting place for Joseph Charette and a group of Métis who were opposed to Louis Riel’s agenda.

Local historian Philippe Mailhot said the Charette family predated the arrival of the Selkirk Settlers and the naming of the park recognizes St. Norbert’s rich Métis history.  ​"A lot of people don’t realize that there was a significant Métis population in the area before 1812," Mailhot said. "It’s a recognition of the Métis history of the Red River Settlement and St. Norbert in particular and one of the old time Métis families."
Picture
Jean Baptiste Charette dressed in his finest hunting attire is a famous sketch maintained by the Glenbow Museum.
In attendance at the park naming were many community members and organizers including Guy Savoie of the Union Nationale Métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba, Robert Roehle of Group Action Saint Norbert, Norm Gousseau from Entreprises Riel, and Corrine Tellier of the Fort Garry Historical Society.

Descendants of the Charette Family were also in attendance to mark the occasion.

The park also features benches, shade trees and a pathway installed by the St. Norbert Business Improvement Zone.

​"The tradition of that site was that there was the Charette place, which was a stopping place to grab a bite to eat," Mailhot said. "In my misspent youth, which I grew up about five doors from that site, there were drive-in restaurants... and now with a couple of park benches it’s still a stopping place."

Winnipeg Free Press
Picture
From left, Denny Lindemoen (a descendant of the Charette Family), Coun. Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert), and Gabriel Forest celebrate the naming of Parc Charette Park.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/New-park-commemorates-St-Norberts-Metis-history--384731201.html
10 Comments
Samantha Sansregret
4/6/2018 12:33:12 pm

My paternal grandmother was Emma Charette the daughter of Daniel Charette and Marie-Alexandrine Parenteau. Jean Baptiste would have been her great great grandfather.

Reply
Barb Bouchard
2/18/2019 11:48:16 am

I have found my Charette family ancestors go up to Charlotte Sansregret (and Charette)

Reply
Jessica (Charpentier) Fujimoto
2/25/2019 06:01:28 pm

Hi! I’m just wondering if you have any information on Charlotte Sansregret. She is my GGGGG-Grandmother and I’m having trouble finding information about her. Was she métis or aboriginal? I’d really like to know when the aboriginal line entered the family. I’m a decendant of Marie (Charette) Venne’s son, Solomon Jean Venne.

Barb Bouchard
2/18/2019 11:46:01 am

Do you know the name of the family in the picture on the left?

Reply
Barb Smialek
2/26/2019 08:08:17 am

So far, all I am seeing is she was at least part Metis, as her father Ambroise(Sansregret) Paul identified as Metis. Can find no info on a mother identity. We are cousins as one of my Charette's married one of your Venne's.<G>

Reply
Sheila
7/30/2019 01:21:20 am

Jean Baptist Charette was my Great Gtreat Grandfather. I'm just getting started on my family tree and am so happy I came across this. First time seeing a photo of him, so exciting

Reply
Sheila
7/30/2019 01:55:15 am

Grandmother - Mary Saint Jean
Great Grandmother - Dalphine Charette
Great Great Grandmother - Eliza Dease
G G G Grandmother - Marguerite Genthon
G G G G Grandmother - Marie Louise Jerome
G G G G G Grandmother - Louise Indian
I would love to hear from any of my cousins!

Reply
Fiona St. Jean
10/18/2019 04:38:10 pm

You must be related to my husband, David!
His father was Victor St. Jean
His Grandmother was Delphine Charette who married Adolphe St. Jean and they had 4 children...Harvey (Herve), Mary, Charles and Victor.

Reply
Sheila M Gabrielle
10/25/2019 03:58:11 pm

Yes! I do recall meeting Uncle Vic (my great Uncle) a couple times at my grandmother's, Mary, home in New Westminster when I was very young.
Sheila

Claudette Charette
9/14/2019 10:05:18 pm

Not sure where our family fits into the Charette heritage.We're the grand kids of Marie Ange & George Charette.Our dad was Philip-Louis-Charette.Can anyone help me piece our family together?Any help is appreciated,thank you.

Reply



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