From earth to blooms...
St-Léon Gardens was started in 1979 by Lise Mulaire and Denis Rémillard in the beautiful little town of St. Léon situated in the heart of Pembina Valley in Manitoba. It all started as a youth entrepreneurial project with the objective of keeping the kids in town busy and to teach them the fundamentals of running a small business.
Our beginnings were very humble and idealistic. We started our youth project with a small 15 x 30 ft. greenhouse, a 4 acre plot of garden, and 20 young ambitious entrepreneurs ranging from 10 to 16 years old.
Lise Mulaire and Denis Rémillard, Co-founders
Second Generation
Since 2016, with our goal to make local food as accessible as can be, we aim to carry on the mission originally envisioned by our parents/aunt+uncle in 1979.
We strive to supply the surrounding community with delicious locally grown fruits and veggies at an affordable price, while supporting local producers. During the season, we are open 7 days a week in an attempt to keep local food unrestricted and easily accessible for anyone.
We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everybody who has helped us along the way, and continue to do so every year. We thank you for helping us create this unique outdoor farm market located at the heart of Winnipeg. We invite you all to come and visit us at Jardins St-Léon Gardens.
With hope for good weather
- Daniel, Janelle, Luc, and Colin
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For a few summers, things were working quite smoothly. The kids in the project were interested, a few greenhouses had been built, and some big stores in Winnipeg were purchasing the fruit (and vegetables) of our labour.
Unfortunately, real life often has other plans, and in 1989, the lake from which we irrigated our crops dried up entirely. We were forced to sell our land and all our equipment at a very emotional auction in June 1990. After relocating our lives to Winnipeg, we took a few part time jobs to put us back on our feet.
One day, we suddenly found a nice li'l empty lot at the corner of Carrière Ave. and St. Mary's Rd. From there, a new version of St-Léon Gardens sprouted. One with the very same focus on local food production, delicious fresh food, and supporting the small producer. A veritable seasonal farm market/local grocery store.
In 2016, it was time to pass the torch. As the next generation grew up surrounded by local food and the bustle of the market, we finally sold the business. Our three kids: Janelle, Luc, Colin, and our nephew Daniel took over ownership of the business with delight and ambition for the future.
We thank you so much for the journey
- Lise Mulaire and Denis Rémillard
Denis Rémillard 1953 - 2022
After a brief year-long battle with Leukemia, our dear Denis left us on January 11th, 2022 at the age of 68. Though we grieve his absence and miss his laughter every day, the roots he planted are strong and continue to yield vibrant blooms each spring.
Gallery
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