The Rural Municipality of East St. Paul is located in south-central Manitoba, just 9 kilometres northeast of Manitoba's capital city, Winnipeg. The municipality is situated along Provincial Trunk Highway 59, and only 130 kilometres north of the U.S.A. border crossing at Emerson Manitoba. Encompassing 16-square miles, the municipality is bounded by the Red River to the west, the Municipality of St.Clements to the north, and Winnipeg to its south. East St.Paul has quick access to three major highways: Provincial Trunk Highway 59, the Trans Canada Highway, and Provincial Trunk Highway 8. Residents are within a one-hour drive of the Whiteshell, Grand Beach, and Winnipeg Beach. The municipality's largest centre is the community of Birds Hill, located on Provincial Road 202, or just off of Provincial Trunk Highway 59.
History
East St.Paul was incorporated as a municipality in 1916, yet the rich history of the municipality dates back far before this. With an influx of settlers north of Winnipeg, a new parish was needed to meet the spiritual needs of the community. In 1825,the parish of St.Paul's was built on the west side of the river. Originally known as Middlechurch, the new parish encompassed both the west and the east sides of the river. In 1880, the Rural Municipality of St.Paul was incorporated. The municipality incorporated communities on both sides of the river. With its municipal offices on the west side of the river, however, residents on the east side had to cross the river for any administrative business. With an increasing population on the east side, there was also a strong desire for a separate municipality. In 1916, the Rural Municipality of East St. Paul was incorporated.
Economic Base
With the many municipal services and conveniences it offers to its residents, East St. Paul is one of fastest growing municipalities in Manitoba. With three elementary schools, its own Police Department, a strong Fire Department, and many municipal services, the area entices new families into the municipality, evident by at least 60 new housing starts in the last few years. Its close proximity to major hospitals and city amenities, are added benefits to what East St.Paul has to offer.
The economic picture of East St.Paul is very healthy, with many prominent employers in the municipality. The R.M. itself is a prominent employer, employing approximately 35 local residents in various positions. The River East School division (of which East St.Paul is a part of) is also a large employer, employing approximately 57 employees in various roles, most notably school bus services. Canadian Guide Rail Corporation provides work for approximately 35 people. Over 100 full and part-time employees work in IGA, a large grocery store located in Birds Hill. Ludwick's Catering (a prominent catering service that provide food catering to much of southern Manitoba and Winnipeg) and St.Paul Esso, are other prominent employers in the region. The municipality's largest centre - Birds Hill - offers all the basic services that its residents require, such as a Credit Union, an accountant, a coffee shop, and a restaurant.
Major Attractions
The municipality welcomes you to visit during the East St.Paul Community Fun Days on the last week of August. The annual fair is sure to be a lot of fun for both residents and visitors.
Facilities - Recreation, Parks, Culture
The municipality has many sporting and recreational facilities available in its community. Baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and tennis courts offer sporting enthusiasts fun in the summer, while skating rinks, a curling rink, and access to snowmobile trails offer winter recreation activities. Boaters and anglers will also find boat launches along the Red River. With its excellent facilities, and dedicated and caring residents, the municipality plays host to many large sporting events. With the recent development of a 63-acre summer sports & recreation complex featuring soccer, softball and baseball fields, the municipality is a great place to organize any sporting event. The East St.Paul Community Club hosts many social activities and its dedicated volunteers plan many fun events for the community. The strong community in East St. Paul is evident by many community groups and organizations in the small municipality. Groups such as East St. Paul's Seniors Club, the Canadian Legion, and many sports clubs and groups have a strong presence in the community. The community newsletter also shows this strong sense of community outlining all the community and municipal news, and calendar of upcoming events in the community.
