It took just five monks to establish the Trappist Monastery in St. Norbert.

Invited by the parish priest of St. Norbert, Father Joseph-Noël Richot, and St. Boniface’s Archbishop Alexandre-Antonin Taché, the monks came from the Order of the Cistercians Trappist in France. Richot donated a patch of land for the monks to construct a new monastery.

The simple 1903 Richardsonian Romanesque style church lacked any extreme architectural details. Like other buildings designed in that style, the church has a sturdy stone foundation and arched windows capped with keystones.

The monks were largely self-sufficient, constructing a granary, milking barns, a forge, a butter and cheese factory, and a greenhouse. In 1905, a residential space for the monks was added.

As St. Norbert grew, urbanization encroached on the Trappist Order’s peace and quiet, and in 1978 the order relocated to Holland, Manitoba to maintain their traditional way of life.

It took five monks to establish the monastery; it took just one fire to destroy much of their work in 1983. Only the rusticated stone base and brick facade survived. The bell tower, with its bullseye window, speak to the past beauty of the site. The ruins, today, are a heritage park.