Discover Manitoba's Second Highest Point
Bruxelles
The picturesque village of Bruxelles, located in the Municipality of Lorne, offers visitors a scenic drive over the second largest elevation point in Manitoba. Founded in 1892 by Belgian and French settlers, the community today maintains a small village population of under 50 residents, though the surrounding farming area is home to many young families.
From its founding, Bruxelles' life has been centered around the St-Gerard Majella Parish. This connection remains strong, with three masses offered monthly in the current church, which was built in 1918. The historic grounds include a graveyard that draws visiting relatives every summer, and a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes that was moved to the village in 1957.
The village's deep connection to Catholic education began on August 27, 1914, with the arrival of the Ursuline Sisters. A brick school was built in 1918, but tragedy struck on May 4, 1954, when it burned down. The Ste. Marie Convent-School was quickly rebuilt in 1955. After 74 years of dedicated service, the Ursuline Sisters withdrew from teaching at Ste. Marie School when the last four sisters left the convent in 1989. Unfortunately, that structure was also lost to fire in 2007. The site of this historic school is now home to Ste. Marie Park.
In the year 2000, the community decided to build a new school. The current Ste. Marie School, located next to the Community Hall, provides a high-quality education for students from Preschool to Grade 8 in Bruxelles and the surrounding area. The school fosters a safe, creative learning environment that embraces modern technology. Students benefit from 1:1 Chromebook access and regularly explore 3D printing in their tech classes. As the home of the Ste. Marie Spitfires, the school offers an engaging middle years sports program, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, and track. Upon graduating from Grade 8, Ste. Marie students transition to high school at Prairie Mountain High School in Somerset.
Ste. Marie Park is a cherished community space and a popular destination for wedding ceremonies, picnics, and gatherings. The park serves as a convenient spur of the Trans Canada Trail, which runs right through the village. Visitors can explore a variety of features, including walking trails, a butterfly garden, a peaceful grotto, and a water catchment pergola with seating. There is also a dock for critter dipping—perfect for young explorers. Thanks to our conservation district and former 4-H club, the park also features signage for tree and wildlife species identification throughout its grounds.
Local residents enjoy year-round recreation centered around two main facilities. The Big Field is a newly renovated complex featuring three high-quality ball diamonds. It's the busy home base for local teams, including the Bruxelles Tigers (softball), the Bruxelles Bombers (hardball), and the men’s Bruxelles Brewers. The facility is also vital to Ste. Marie School, where students use it daily for recess, soccer, baseball, and track and field events. In winter, the Bruxelles Rink becomes the popular gathering spot. Here, residents and students practice their skating skills or participate in lively games of shinny.
Bruxelles does not have a local urban district (LUD), but its vibrancy is maintained entirely by its many committees and hard-working volunteers who are dedicated to keeping their beautiful little community running smoothly.