ANNETTE SAINT-PIERRE

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ANNETTE SAINT-PIERRE

1925- 2026

On July 2, 1950, Annette Saint-Pierre, then Soeur Pierre du Sauveur of the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Hyacinthe, left Québec aboard a train bound for Winnipeg and a teaching position in Powerview. She taught there, then in Mariapolis, then in Lorette. It was in Lorette that she encountered the novels of Gabrielle Roy, a discovery that was to change Annette's life. A meeting with the famous author led her to do a master's thesis on Gabrielle Roy at the University of Ottawa. Upon her return to Manitoba, she resumed teaching, this time at the Collège de Saint-Boniface where she taught Canadian Francophone literature. In the years that followed, she earned a PhD (with a thesis on Francophone theatre in Western Canada), left the religious community of the Sisters of St. Joseph, founded a research institute, launched two publishing houses, wrote 17 books, and played a critical role in the preservation of Gabrielle Roy's childhood home, now a museum.

A pillar of the Francophone community, Annette once said that Manitoba was the most important character in all of her books. She was appointed to the Ordre des francophones d'Amérique in 1985, the University of Manitoba granted her an honorary doctorate in 1992, France awarded her the Ordre des Palmes académiques in 2002, and she was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2004.

Annette was warm, she was funny, she had style, and she was beloved by her community, her friends, and her family. A celebration of her life and a funeral mass will take place at the Cathédrale de Saint-Boniface on Friday, October 16, 2026 at 11:00 am. The mass will be livestreamed at https://live.cstboniface.ca/.

Those wishing to make a donation in Annette's memory are invited to do so to the community organization of their choice.

J'ai vraiment eu une très bonne vie.

J'ai tout aimé.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 03, 2026