Richer Inn - Trans-Canada East at Richer Ph. (204) 422-5482 - Fax (204) 422-9122
Breakfast Menu Coureur de bois Fried egg with ham, bacon or sausage topped with cheddar cheese
Restaurant Hours: 6 am to 10 pm
on a grilled kaiser bun. Comes with mayo, lettuce and tomato. 7.00 Try the above with Farmer Sausage... 8.75
Traders Two eggs any way, grilled hashbrowns and toast. 6.95 Provencher House Favorite. Ham, bacon or sausage, two eggs any way, grilled hashbrowns and toast. 8.95
Settlers For something different... farmers sausage or hamburger steak with two eggs any way, grilled hashbrowns and toast. 10.95
Frontiersman Our hungry mans breakfast... with ham, bacon & sausage, three eggs any way, grilled hashbrowns and toast. 12.95
Habitant Waffles Made Fresh! Enjoy a plain waffle with butter and syrup. 8.00 Marie Ann Gaboury Pancakes Three fluffy pancakes served with butter and syrup. 8.00
White or Brown Texas Toast or Rye Toast Available.
Portage French Toast Three thick slices of bread dipped and grilled in our own special recipe, served with butter and syrup. 8.00
Top with strawberries and whipped cream add 3.00
Hudson Bay Omelet Two eggs stuffed with ham and cheddar cheese served with grilled hashbrowns and toast. 8.95
Seven Oaks Omelet Two eggs stuffed with broccoli, cauliflower, cheddar and mozza cheese served with grilled hashbrowns and toast 9.25
Lagimodière Omelet Three eggs loaded with mushrooms, onions, red and green
peppers, tomatoes, ham and cheddar cheese served with grilled hashbrowns and toast. 12.95
Toast & Coffee 4.25 Extra side order of Ham, Bacon or Sausage 3.00 Coffee or Tea 1.98 Refills included with a meal. Taxes not included
trail delights Lagimodière Burger
Two pure beef patties with bacon and cheese served with mayo, lettuce, tomato, onions, relish, mustard and pickles on a kaiser bun. 10.95
Hunter's Burger
Our own lightly breaded Pork Cutlet served with mayo, lettuce, tomato, onions, relish, mustard and pickles on a kaiser bun. 7.95 Add cheddar or mozza cheese. .75
Des Meurons Burger
Our own lightly breaded chicken breast with lettuce, tomato and mayo on a kaiser bun. 8.95
Frontiersman Hot Dog
Jumbo grilled all beef wiener loaded with bacon, cheese, relish, mustard, onions and pickles. 6.95
Nor’wester Burger
The local favorite. A pure beef patty with bacon and cheese served with mayo, lettuce, tomato, onions, relish, mustard and pickles on a kaiser bun. 8.75
Lord Selkirk Burger
A pure beef patty topped with grilled mushrooms and mozza cheese served with mayo, lettuce, tomato, onions, relish, mustard and pickles on a kaiser bun. 8.75
Trapper Burger
A pure beef patty topped with our in house style chili and mozza cheese served with mayo, lettuce, tomato, onions, relish, mustard and pickles on a kaiser bun. 8.95
Dawson Burger
A pure beef patty with mustard, relish, onions and pickles on a kaiser bun. 5.25
Voyager Burger
A pure beef patty with cheese, mustard, relish, onions and pickles on a kaiser bun. 5.95
Make it a platter!
Hefty portion of fresh cut fries and coleslaw 6.00 Add gravy 2.00
Taxes not included
Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Anne Lagimodière
(excerpts from "French in the West”, by Grant MacEwen) (Illustrations by C. W. Jefferys and Réal Bérard)
Jean-Baptiste Lagimodière, who came as a voyageur and accepted the West, and MarieAnne, who came as his wife six years later and never returned east, displayed the sterling stuff of which heroes and heroines are made. It is doubtful that any husband and wife combination in Western history did more to earn a place in Canadian memory. Singly and together, the Lagimodières were national trailblazers. It was JeanBaptiste who became the principal provider of buffalo meat when newcomers to Lord Selkirk's Red River settlement faced possible starvation. And it was he, who, when the settlement was threatened with destruction by its enemies, ran the appeal for help from Colin Robertson at Red River to Lord Selkirk at Montreal, making most of the trip on snowshoes. Marie-Anne is remembered as the first white woman to become a homemaker in the West. She and Jean-Baptiste became the parents of the first legitimate white baby in what is now Manitoba, the first white baby in what is now Saskatchewan, and the first white baby in what is now Alberta. Both were born in Maskinongé, on the north side of the St. Lawrence between Three Rivers and Montreal. As a boy, JeanBaptiste, who could outrun, outswim and outpaddle any other of his age, hoped to become a voyageur. Marie-Anne was just another little girl who would some day make a good wife for a habitant farmer. In the spring of 1801, Jean-Baptiste ventured into the littleunderstood West, "les pays d'en-haut", with a North West Company brigade. At Grand Portage, Jean-Baptiste arranged a transfer from the big Montreal canoe to one of the smaller North canoes returning to the West. The canoe travelled along the water routes to Lake Winnipeg, then proceeded up the Red River, past the mouth of the Assiniboine where La Vérendrye, 63 years earlier, had built Fort Rouge. Two days later, they arrived at Pembina, their final destination. At Pembina, Jean-Baptiste became a freeman, free to hunt, trap and sell his fur to either the North West Company or the Hudson's Bay Company. He settled down "à la manière du pays" (as was the custom) with an Indian girl. After almost five years, he found himself longing to see Maskinongé and his old friends again. With the North West Company sending furs back to Montreal regularly each spring, it was a simple matter to revert to the role of voyageur and sign on.
In Maskinongé, Jean-Baptiste met and married Marie-Anne Gaboury, a girl he knew as a young man, and settled into a quiet country life. Soon, however, he felt again the magnetic pull of the West. When Marie-Anne heard of this, she decided to go with him. In 1807, the party reached Fort William, after many hardships, including an ambush by Indians along the way. When they reached Pembina, Jean-Baptiste was forced to move on, this time up the Pembina River. He had good reason to leave: Little Weasel, his former Indian companion, had threatened to murder the"white squaw"who had become a rival. The couple travelled to the Turtle Mountains, a country rich with wild game, wild flowers, wild fruit and wild beauty. In 1807, they travelled back to Pembina where, on January 6, Marie-Anne's first baby was born. After travelling throughout the prairies and with the family growing, the Lagimodières went back to Pembina. The Selkirk settlers arrived late in 1812. Jean-Baptiste's presence was a matter of extreme good fortune because food supplies were totally inadequate for the number of people. If he had not agreed to spend most of the winter hunting buffalo, many of the settlers might have died of starvation. When the settlers went back to build homes at Point Douglas, a short distance north of the Assiniboine, the Lagimodières located nearby too. Thus, they were present when the settlement came under attack by the North West Company in 1815, causing settlers to flee. Colin Robertson of the Hudson's Bay Company persuaded the frightened people to return, but he feared another attack and wanted to deliver a message to Lord Selkirk, who was expected in Montreal late in the year. It was already mid-October, and lakes and rivers were frozen over. How could a message be delivered? There was only one way - someone would have to make the trip on foot. The next question: who would undertake such a journey, from the site of modern-day Winnipeg to Montreal, under winter conditions? Jean-Baptiste furnished the answer. He would do it provided that Colin Robertson would ensure protection for Marie-Anne and the children. There was no time to waste. Jean-Baptiste picked up his gun, hatchet, blanket and snowshoes, placed the written message in his fur hat and was on his way. After an 1,800-mile journey, the hardy former voyageur, now middle-aged, delivered the message and set out for the return trip to Red River. But luck seemed to fail him and he was taken prisoner by agents of the North West Company and held at Fort William. This led to a long delay, leading MarieAnne to think he was dead. In the meantime, the Red River Settlement had experienced the awful ordeal of the Battle of Seven Oaks and the surviving settlers were again in flight. Thanks in large part to the friendship of Indians, Marie-Anne and the children were unharmed, although increasingly sure that they would not see husband and father again. (continued next page)
As a result of the message carried to Lord Selkirk at Montreal, the earl was now on his way westwards, bringing a band of armed men. He seized Fort William and released JeanBaptiste, who lost no time in setting out for home. Just before Christmas, after an absence of more than a year, an unshaven man on snowshoes reached the Red River and found the log hut on the river's east side where his family was living. The reunion was a joyful thing. When the settlement was re-established and Lord Selkirk arrived the next year, he granted a piece of land opposite Fort Douglas to Jean-Baptiste in recognition of his loyalty and aid. There Jean-Baptiste built a home and Marie-Anne planted a garden. There the family continued to command frontier respect.
Jean-Baptiste never saw the St. Lawrence again. In his heart he was welded to the West, and he died at St. Boniface on September 7, 1855, aged 78. Marie-Anne lived to see scores of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Daughter Julie married the father of Louis Riel, whose name was to be blazened across the pages of history, partly for his leadership during the Red River insurrection in 1869 and 1870, and partly because of his activities in the North West Rebellion of 1885. Between Louis Riel and his grandmother Lagimodière there existed the strongest bonds of pride and affection. Surrounded by members of her admiring family, MarieAnne lived out her years at St. Boniface and died on December 14, 1875, five years after Manitoba joined the Confederation. She was affectionately described as "Red River's Granny". She and Jean-Baptiste were two rare treasures old MaskinongÊ shared with the new West.
A time when fur traders, buffalo hunters and settlers met (excepts from "French in the West"", by Grant MacEwen) Hundreds of French-Canadian voyageurs who came West in the service of the fur trade never returned. When their contracts were completed, they yielded to the lures of a wild frontier, took Indian wives generally Cree, Assiniboines and Saulteaux - and became freemen. These unions proved prolific and their sons and daughters, known as Métis, quickly became the dominant group in the area that is now Manitoba. By the time the province was formed in 1870, almost half of the residents were French Métis, and when they and other halfbreeds were considered together, the total of 9,840 people represented 82 per cent of the population. A further breakdown showed 1,565 so-called whites, 558 Indians, 5,757 French halfbreeds or Métis and 4,083 non-French halfbreeds, a total of 11,963 people. For the most part, the Métis clung tenaciously to the language and church of their French parents and the primitive outdoor life of the Indians. But instead of travelling with the Indians, they chose their own company and formed fairly compact hunting communities, creating another clearly defined prairie group of society drawing its livelihood from the pursuit of the buffalo and trapping. Although they did not follow the Indian custom of going on the warpath for the sheer glory of battle, the Métis could and did present a formidable fighting front when there was provocation. A blood relationship helped to ensure peace between them and the Crees and Assiniboines, but there was a long-standing animosity between the Red River Métis and the Sioux of the southwest, aggravated by conflict on the buffalo hunting grounds the Sioux considered their own. The hostility reached a climax in the Battle of the Grand Côteau, which the Métis remembered proudly as a great victory. The Battle of Grand Côteau was striking because the White Horse Plains hunters, travelling apart from the main body, were grossly outnumbered by attackers bent on annihilation. Scouts spotted the Sioux in hills to the south and called for a halt to prepare such limited defences as a ring of carts would offer. It might not afford much protection, but it would hold the horses and oxen. At the same time, as carts were pulled into place, shallow trenches were dug under them to allow shelter for women and children. Trenches were dug in more forward positions to serve as riflepits for the men. The scouts who identified the Indians rode to meet their Sioux counterparts, hoping to determine the Sioux intention. The Sioux scouts, more numerous than the Métis scouts, immediately surrounded them and took three prisoners.
The Métis hunters had 77 guns, some of them in the hands of mere boys. They did not underrate the Sioux - nobody did but they were determined to make their enemies pay dearly for any success they might gain. The storm of battle did not break until the next morning when, as suspected, the army of native warriors appeared on the horizon. Thirty Métis rode out to determine the temper of the Sioux and warn them to stay away. But the Indians were belligerent and the Métis galloped back to their camp and their riflepits. The Sioux charged only to be turned back by the expert Métis fire. They attacked again and again. The hunters from the Assiniboine had the advantage of trenches; the Sioux had the advantage of numbers, but watched many of their horses and some of their men fall before deadly Métis marksmanship. But it too failed, and towards the end of the day the aggressors lost their enthusiasm and withdrew. They returned the next day, lost some more horses and men to the Métis guns and gave up. The defenders lost a few horses and oxen to Sioux gunfire, but suffered no loss themselves except for one scout who was shot down trying to escape. Métis muscle was felt convincingly for the first time when the Selkirk Settlement appeared as a threat to the native way of life. The hostility was explained, in part at least, by planned goading from men of the North West Company, who believed the colony was deliberately placed across their river lifeline to destroy them as competitors of the Hudson's Bay Company. They found it handy to let the Métis do their "dirty work" and take the blame. (continued next page)
Certainly it was the Métis who were most prominently involved in the bloody business of the Battle of Seven Oaks on June 19, 1816, which led to the death of 20 of the ablest men in the settlement, including the newly arrived Governor Robert Semple. The real evil genius within the North West Company seemed to be Alexander Macdonell, who could think of no better way to destroy the settlement than by convincing the native people that settlers would deprive them of their land, drive away the buffalo and shatter forever the way of life they cherished. The leader at Seven Oaks was not a Métis in the strict sense, but rather a brilliant Scottish halfbreed, Cuthbert Grant, who was born at Aspin House on the upper Assiniboine River and educated in Scotland. Returning to the prairies, he worked as a clerk for the North West Company but also proved a commanding leader. With Grant at Seven Oaks were two Métis captains, Michel Bourassa and Antoine Houle, four Indians wearing feathers, six so-called "Canadians" and 52 other Métis. The six "Canadians" were probably retired French voyageurs. The real intention of the Métis on that occasion may never be known. It was expected that they would attack the colony sooner or later, but their immediate purpose was obviously to bypass Fort Douglas and meet a North West Company brigade of canoes coming from Fort William. The Selkirk Settlement fort, with cannons in place, was in a position to command the river and the river traffic. Grant's party, or cavalry unit, was carrying food supplies in Red River carts for the brigade, supplying at the same time an armed escort for the brigade when it had to pass the settlers' fort. Grant's party travelled east on the north side of the Assiniboine to a point near the Red, where it moved in a northeasterly direction to avoid the settlers' fort. There was nothing offensive about the North West Company action to this point, but when a boy in the watchtower of the fort spotted the horsemen and sounded an alarm, there was an immediate flurry of fear and protest. Governor Semple put his eye to a spyglass and agreed that these were indeed those of whom there had been so many rumours and something should be done to determine their intentions. As it now appears, Semple acted impulsively in calling for volunteers to follow him and intercept the party when in fact it was actually riding away from the fort rather than towards it. (Illustrations by C. W. Jefferys and Réal Bérard)
Take this menu home & share our story with your friends
THE FIGHT AT SEVEN OAKS, 1816 The call for 20 men drew 25. They had travelled north almost a mile when the group of fur traders seeing the colonists trying to overtake them, changed direction to meet the party and surround them. There was an exchange of angry words, a gun went off, and battle followed at once. A few minutes later, it was all over. Six of Semple's men escaped to nearby trees, the other 20, including the governor, were dead or dying. One man was killed on the traders' side. To some, it became known as the Massacre of Seven Oaks. It was indeed a sad and one-sided battle, reflecting unequal shooting skills, but before describing it as a massacre, the observer should know more about which side started it. For the second time in a year, settlers were seized with panic and preparing to flee to Jack River at the north end of Lake Winnipeg. Cuthbert Grant and his Métis followers were in undisputed possession of the fort and settlement. But again, amazingly enough, the settlers were induced to return and the political climate at Red River began to improve. With the passing of a few years, settlers and Métis were drawn closer. Cuthbert Grant's image changed more than any and settlers found something good to say about him. When the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company merged in 1821, the Sioux threat was still a serious worry to the settlers and the Métis; and it was easy to realize that the two groups could help each other. At the suggestion of local priests, the big concentration of Métis at Pembina - 500 or more - was induced to relocate north. By moving down river, the Pembina people were farther from the Sioux and in a better position to exchange defence benefits with the settlers. Many of the Pembina families settled beside the river, in the area of St. Boniface, where French settlers from the St. Lawrence were also locating. It was another case of the French and half-French drawn together by the church.
ENTRÉES Country Fried Chicken
Three pieces of fried chicken. Includes soup or tossed salad, mashed potatoes, fries or rice, veggies and garlic toast. 18.75
Hamburger Steak
½-lb serving of pure lean ground beef topped with grilled onions & mushrooms and gravy. Includes soup or tossed salad, mashed potatoes, fries or rice, veggies and garlic toast. 18.75
BBQ Pork Ribs
A generous portion of in house cooked back ribs smothered in our own BBQ sauce. Includes soup or tossed salad, mashed potatoes, fries or rice, veggies and garlic toast. Whole Rack 22.25 Half Rack 18.95
Manitoba Pickerel
Two Manitoba-raised fillets seasoned and grilled to perfection. Includes soup or tossed salad, mashed potatoes, fries or rice, veggies and garlic toast. 19.95
Hot Roast Beef Sandwich
Dinner Classic! Deliciously braised sliced roast beef piled on garlic toast and topped with gravy. Includes soup or tossed salad, mashed potatoes, fries or rice and veggies. 17.75
Breaded Liver
Tender beef liver topped with grilled mushrooms & onions. Includes soup or tossed salad, mashed potatoes, fries or rice, veggies and garlic toast. 17.75
Perogies and Farmer Sausage
Six three-cheese perogies covered in grilled onions served with locally produced delicious farmer sausage. Includes soup or tossed salad, veggies and garlic toast. 17.75
Fish and Chips
Two Battered English-style Cod fillets with our own tartar sauce. Includes soup or tossed salad, fresh-cut fries, coleslaw and garlic toast. 18.75
Pork Cutlet
Lightly breaded and made with our own recipe, boneless pork cutlet smothered in rich and creamy mushroom gravy. Includes soup or tossed salad, mashed potatoes, fries or rice, veggies and garlic toast. 17.25
Spaghetti & Meat Sauce
Spaghetti noodles topped with our homestyle meat sauce and cheddar cheese. Includes Caesar or tossed salad and garlic toast. 17.25
Fettuccini Alfredo
Rich and creamy alfredo sauce tossed with fettuccini noodles topped with mozza cheese. Includes Caesar or tossed salad and garlic toast. 16.75 With grilled chicken add 4.25 With shrimp add 5.25 Most Entrees are available as a Taxes not included
senior’s portion.
please ask your server for details.
Desse ask yo rts u r serve r for availa choicble es
Salads Settler's
Crisp iceberg lettuce topped with green onions, tomatoes and cheddar cheese with your choice of dressing. 7.95
Lagimodière
Crisp iceberg lettuce topped with green onions, tomatoes,red and green peppers, carrots, cheddar cheese, hard boiled egg and croutons with your choice of dressing. Served with garlic toast. 10.75
Caesar
Crisp Romaine lettuce tossed with croutons, bacon bits, mozza cheese and creamy caesar dressing. Served with garlic toast. 10.75 Add grilled chicken breast to any salad above. 4.25
Taco Salad
Taco chips, crisp lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, taco meat and cheddar cheese, served with salsa and sour cream. 10.75
Sandwiches Make it a platter!
Hefty portion of fresh cut fries and coleslaw 6.00 Add gravy 2.00
BLT – Crisp lettuce, tomatoes and bacon. 6.75 Add cheese. .75 Reuben – Corned beef and Sauerkraut piled between grilled rye bread with Thousand Island dressing and mozza cheese. 8.75
Clubhouse – Local favorite! Crisp lettuce, ham, cheese, tomato, and bacon piled between three slices of toasted bread. 8.75
Salmon – Blend of salmon, green onions and mayo with crisp lettuce. 7.25 Toasted Denver – Two eggs, ham and green onions. 6.95 Add cheddar cheese. .75 Roast Beef Melt – Grilled roast beef, fried onions, HP Sauce and cheddar cheese, served on a kaiser bun. 8.50
Snacks & Side Orders Homestyle Soup 4.25 Fries 5.00 1/2 order Fries 3.75 Poutine – fries with mozza cheese and gravy 7.75 1/2 order Poutine Onion Rings 5.95 Chicken fingers 7.95 Perogies (6) – with bacon, onions and sour cream 8.25 Gravy 2.00
6.25
BEVERAGES Coffee and Tea 1.98 (Free refills included with meal. Without meal... .50) Hot Chocolate 1.98 Canned Drinks 1.98 Bottled Juice 1.98 White or Chocolate Milk 1.98
Taxes not included