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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes
Skip as a base: a 700-person hamlet 100 km southwest of Winnipeg. Go only as a 2–3 h stop for the 1954 grotto, or sleep one night if you camp May–Oct.
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes is a French-Canadian farming hamlet in the Pembina Valley, settled from Quebec in the 1880s and still about 700 people. There is one real sight, the 1954 grotto on Main Street, plus a bronze statue of founder Dom Paul Benoît in front of the church. Everything else is seasonal: shooting sports, curling, hockey and a summer Howdy Neighbour weekend. Come for two hours on the way between Winnipeg and the Morden–Winkler corner, or camp a night and use it as a quiet Pembina Valley base.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- May–Oct (campground open, summer events); Feb for snowmobile and hockey season
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr unless you are here for winter events; no campground, few services
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$140–220 excl. bed · High C$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Manitoba highway conditions 511
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–4 |
| Burger and fries | C$14–20 |
| Beer in a hotel bar | C$6–9 |
| Campground night with hookups | C$30–60 |
| Motel room | C$90–180 |
| Fuel, per litre | C$1.50–1.80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YWG · Winnipeg Richardson International
- About 1 h 30 min by car via Highway 2 west and PR 244 south; no public transport to the hamlet
Typical fares
- Winnipeg → Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes by car
- about 100 km (62 mi), 1 h 30 min; fuel about C$15 each way (check)about 62 mi (100 km), 1 h 30 min; fuel about C$15 each way (check)
- Campground night
- C$30–60 with hookups, May–Oct (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car or foot only. The hamlet is small enough to walk end to end in about 15 minutes; there is no local bus, taxi or rideshare. You need a car to reach it and to reach Morden, Winkler or the Pembina Valley.
See and do
Known for
- Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Grotto (1954)
- Statue of Dom Paul Benoît
- French-Canadian settler history from 1891
- Seasonal shooting, curling and hockey events
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Morden | Car via PR 244 south and Highway 3 | About 40 min |
| Winkler | Car via PR 244 south and Highway 14 | About 50 min |
| Carman | Car via Highway 2 east and Highway 13 | About 35 min |
| Portage la Prairie | Car via Highway 2 east | About 1 h |
| Winnipeg | Car via Highway 2 east, about 100 km (62 mi)Car via Highway 2 east, about 62 mi (100 km) | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Notre-Dame Avenue / Main Street core
- Notre Dame Hotel and Capricorn Motel and Café sit within a few minutes' walk of the grotto and church. This is the only walkable cluster.
- Terrain de jeu Notre-Dame Campground
- Full hookups, 30 amp, showers, dump station and playground; open May–Oct. Book ahead for the Howdy Neighbour weekend.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYAN sa KOOT |
| Where is the church? | Où est l'église ?oo eh lay-GLEEZ |
| Goodbye | Au revoiroh ruh-VWAR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- No public transport from Winnipeg: without a car you cannot get here.
- Fuel, food and opening hours are limited outside summer; fill up in Carman, Morden or Manitou.
- Cell coverage is fine in the hamlet but patchy on the back roads.
- Winter driving on Highway 2 and PR 244 can close in blowing snow: check Manitoba 511 before you leave.
Very safe: this is a farming hamlet where the main risks are winter driving on Highway 2 and PR 244, deer on the road at dusk, and long gaps between open services.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Grotto (1954)
- Statue of Dom Paul Benoît
- French-Canadian settler history from 1891
- Seasonal shooting, curling and hockey events
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Travel Manitoba: www.travelmanitoba.com/
- Wikivoyage: Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, revision 5256484 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5256484
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies here; the US consulate and most embassies are in Winnipeg, or Ottawa for full missions.
French is common locally but English works everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/notre-dame-de-lourdes). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.