Belgian Settlers in Manitoba

As the founding of "Le Club Beige" is so closely related to the establishment the Belgian Colony in Manitoba, it will be of particular interest to the general reader and to future generations in particular, to devote this introduction to the early settlers who arrived in this Province about the last decade of the 19t century.

It would appear that the first Belgian settlers arrived in Manitoba in June 1888. They were Charles-Louis Menu, his wife, Mathilde Van Lerberghe, and their son, Joseph, all from Passendale, West Flanders. They settled successivel at St. Pierre, Joliette in North Dakota, Ile-des-Chenes, St. Boniface, Ninette and Pine Falls. Felix Menu Junior, brother of Charles-Louis, who hailed from Wingene and settled at St. Pierre and St. Boniface, accompanied them, and also by a Mr. Lagae, who intended to undertake ranching or cattle raising. However, Mr. Lagae did not remain in Manitoba.

The following year, on March 21st, 1889 to be exact, a larger contingent arrive here from Passendale and Wingene: Felix Menu Senior, and wife Coletta Van Walleghem. They returned back to Belgium in 1891 where Coletta died in 1900. Felix returned to St. Boniface in 1903 and died here in 1904. Also part of this contingent were Bruno Vermander (died in 1902) and his wife Seraphine Meni and their daughter Maria (wife of the late Hubert Duyvejonck). They went to St.Pierre. Camille Van Walleghem, age 18; Leonard ("Narden") Leic Nathilie Van Brabant (later "Sister Nathalie" of the Grey Nuns) and her sister Pharailde Van Brabant (wife of the later "Bruuntje" Bruno Verhaeghe).

It was also in 1889 that "Pierke" Van Brabant and his son Pierre (better known as "Pe Crispin") arrived in St. Boniface. Pierke ('little Peter') returned to Belgium in 1893. About the same time, the Verschoot family arrived in Winnipeg, with their son Adolph, their daughter Valentine, Eugenie, Mathilde and possibly others.

About 1890 Charles Bossuyt had arrived from Passendale. A few months later his brothers and sisters landed in Manitoba: Charles, Pierre, Louise (Mrs. Desire Van Belleghem) Sylvie (Mrs Frank Wynant) and Mathilde. They and Joseph Vermander and his brother Arthur established the Bossuyt Dairy on Kingston Row in St. Vital, Manitoba. According to information available, the following were among the early settlers. Theophile Pattyn (1892) who was residing in St. Anne-des-Chene in 1955 was the oldest survivor of the first-comers. Charles Van Waelbroeck (1892); Isodore Vermander (Brother of Bruno) who returned to Passendale shortly afterwards; Adolph Van Walleghem (1893) and his brother Edmond, Jules and Alphonse two or three years later. Edmond Missiaen also came about that ie; he was better known as "Bakker Dhont".

August Van Raes and family: three sons, Albert, Paul and Jean from Gheluwe, West Flanders, settled at Ile-des-Chenes about 1894-1895 and later al La Broquerie and St. Boniface (1908) and joined Charles Bossuyt (married to Marie Van Raes) who had moved to the Klondike, Yukon Territory. Just about the same time, Frederic Van Walleghem and family from Wervick-Menin, West Flanders had settled at Whitemouth; he was commonly known as "Fre Frak" (Fre, from Frederic, and Frac from his mother's name, Veraeck). As just mentioned the first Belgian to leave for the gold rush in the Klondike was Charles Bossuyt. He left St. Boniface on June 2nd 1898, accompanied by Jules Turenne, a Mr. Lafrance, and another Belgian whose first name was Constant. They had with them: 150 head of cattle, 400 sheep and 50 ponies and detrained at Pyramid City, British Columbia. From here they proceeded by boat and by train to Rapide-Des-Cinq-Doigts where they bought a sawmill, made barges and proceeded to the Yukon where they arrived October 23rd, 1898, with 22 men. In 1899 Jules Van Walleghem, M. Vandecaveye and Louis Montpetit joined him. About a year later Camille, Alphonse and Adolph Van Walleghem, Ivo Bonne, Florent Boone, Emeric and Edmond Taillieu, Camille and Jules DeCraene and Constant Dufoort join them. About 1901 all had returned to St. Boniface except for Charles Bossuyt who died later in Dawson City.

From reliable sources we have learned that the following Belgians also had settled in the Province before the year 1898: no doubt some names would be missing as a few compatriots went straight to the farms and no contact could be made. These people were: Ignace ("Naas") Pattyn, David and Bruno De Cuypere, Edward Lammens, Bruno Verhaeghe, Frank Wynant, Alidor and Leon Van Elslander, Alphonse Leenknecht, Joseph Verhelst, Pierre Rene, Camille Jules and Cyriel Decraene, Desire Van Belleghem, Ernest Beheyt, Hector Buydens, Antoine Bettens, Ivo Bonne, Florent Boone, and others whose names are not available.

A few others had gone back to Belgium for a visit. When they returned to Canada, relatives and friends from their hometown oten accompanied them. Thus the Belgian population began to grow steadily and the urgency was felt to get organized and to form a Club to be known as "Le Club BeIge".