At the departure of Mrs. Jean-Baptiste Gauthier (first teacher in Ste-Anne), Father Giroux asked the Grey Nuns of Saint-Boniface to take charge of his school. He would wait ten years for the arrival of the Sisters.

On August 22, 1883, the small bell of the parish announced the arrival of the Grey Nuns at Sainte-Anne. Father Giroux gave the blessing and welcomed the foundresses of the convent of Sainte-Anne, Sisters M-J. Adeline Lapointe, Mary-Ann O’Brien and Marie-Louise Lagarde. Shortly afterwards, Sister M. Hermine Brouillet joined the small community as the students were more numerous than expected.

The Sisters soon showed interest in the parishioners and love for the students. Many of them marked their presence at Sainte-Anne with remarkable devotion. Soeur Lagarde would serve the parish for 22 years, 12 as a teacher and 10 as Mother Superior. Father Giroux himself recognized that the “students loved her like a mother and that nothing but good could be said of her”.

Source:   Villa Youville Inc. (1976). Paroisse de Ste. Anne des Chênes 1876-1976 (P.41). Published by « le Comité historique du Centenaire, » Ste-Anne, Manitoba. Retrieved June 3, 2020 from http://www.mb1870.org/localhistory/125%20-%20La%20Paroisse%20de%20Ste.%20Anne-des-Chenes.pdf

The convent of the Grey Nuns in Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes. Convent of the Grey Nuns in Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes. The first convent of the nuns was built in 1882, one year before their arrival in the parish. The first Grey Nuns in Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes were Sister Joseph-Adéline Audet-Lapointe, first superior, Sister Mary-Ann O'Brien, Sister Marie-Louise Lagarde and Sister Hermine Brouillet who joined them shortly thereafter. Source: Archives of the Historical Society of St. Boniface, St. Boniface Museum Collection, MSB 327. Retrieved from: http://shsb.mb.ca/couvent-ste-anne

In 1883, at the request of Father Giroux, the Grey Nuns came to Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes to provide education for the youth of the parish. The region has several rural schools that depend on the work of lay teachers as well as a boys' school run by the Marist Brothers between 1913 and 1917. With the development of agriculture, a cheese factory was founded in 1896. Then, the arrival of the railway in 1898 attracted many travellers and settlers to the region.

Convent of the Grey Nuns of Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes. The first convent of the nuns was built in 1882, one year before their arrival in the parish. The first Grey Nuns in Sainte-Anne-des-Chênes were Sister Joseph-Adéline Audet-Lapointe, first superior, Sister Mary-Ann O'Brien, Sister Marie-Louise Lagarde and Sister Hermine Brouillet who joined them shortly afterwards. Source: Archives of the Historical Society of Saint Boniface, Fonds Musée de Saint-Boniface, MSB 327. Retrieved July 1, 2020 from http://shsb.mb.ca/couvent-ste-anne 

“On this ridge, [John] Snow, in the summer of 1869, had built a spacious house for immigrants. In his imagination, this house was to be the nucleus of a large city that would be named Redpath after a Montreal refiner. Immediately after the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway to Winnipeg, the Dawson road was partially abandoned. A sizeable building had been constructed on Côteau Pelé at first; however, the distance and the difficulty for emigrants to resettle had prompted the federal government to move this building and its outbuildings to a lot across from the Hudson's Bay store. This house was used for a few more years to receive emigrants passing through and as a residence for the superintendent of the Dawson Highway. By 1881, this spacious and warm house no longer had any use. Mr. Giroux cast his eyes on this unoccupied building. Together with Bishop Taché, he asked the Honourable McKay to petition the federal government to obtain this abandoned house for the sisters. Providence came to the rescue of the good parish priest ...

"In the fall of 1881, the sisters sold their land to Mr. Isaie Richer and had the building demolished. Monsieur Giroux appealed to his parishioners. They came in large numbers with cars and in two days, all the wood was transported to the lot near the church. Mr. Pierre Curtaz undertook to build the convent with these merchants. The house was finished in 1882. The sisters, despite their good will, were unable to find the subjects they wanted that year.” The building was demolished in 1928."

Source: Villa Youville Inc. (1976). Paroisse de Ste. Anne des Chênes 1876-1976 (p.22 and 40-41). Published by « le Comité historique du Centenaire, » Ste-Anne, Manitoba. Retrieved June 3, 2020 from http://www.mb1870.org/localhistory/125%20-%20La%20Paroisse%20de%20Ste.%20Anne-des-Chenes.pdf

Original convent building in 1902 covered in fake red brick. The wing to the right was built in 1928. Source: Villa Youville Inc. (1976). Paroisse de Ste. Anne des Chênes 1876-1976 (p.39b). Published by « le Comité historique du Centenaire, » Ste-Anne, Manitoba.  Retrieved June 3, 2020 from http://www.mb1870.org/localhistory/125%20-%20La%20Paroisse%20de%20Ste.%20Anne-des-Chenes.pdf

Villa Youville Inc. (1976). Paroisse de Ste. Anne des Chênes 1876-1976 (p.14). Published by « le Comité historique du Centenaire, » Ste-Anne, Manitoba. Retrieved June 3, 2020 from http://www.mb1870.org/localhistory/125%20-%20La%20Paroisse%20de%20Ste.%20Anne-des-Chenes.pdf

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