Despite their small numbers, Francophones are actively involved in the vast spread of farms and settlements. And they radically alter the land and life of Manitoba and the Prairies.
The Catholic hierarchy, bolstered by notables arriving from Quebec, tries to counter the Ontario dream of extending the British Empire into North America by attempting to maintain the demographic and political power of French Canada in the West through immigration. Despite the failure of this endeavour, thousands of Francophones from Quebec, the United States, and Europe (France, Belgium, Switzerland) nevertheless settle in Manitoba.

These are mainly families wanting to start a new life by working the land and, above all perhaps, leaving a heritage to the upcoming generation. Initially attracted to the Metis communities already established in the Red River Valley, the Francophones soon move onto the prairie and into the townships to build agricultural communities, towns, and parishes in the South-East and South-West of the province.
The rural Franco-Manitoban world as it is known today emerges between 1870 and 1900.



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