In 1997, Murielle Bugera was hired as the economic development officer for the RM of De Salaberry and the village of St-Pierre-Jolys. One of the goals Bugera and her staff had was to connect the communities of St. Malo, St-Pierre-Jolys, and Otterburne with trails.

She started her plan by looking for people who had experience with trails. This led her to Dave Graupner, who had recently moved to St. Malo from Ontario, where he had been involved with the Bruce Trail.

Together, Bugera and Graupner began attending Manitoba Recreational Trails Association (MRTA) meetings—and that’s where they learned about the Trans Canada Trail (TCT).

“The MRTA was responsible for developing the 1,200-kilometre trail in this province and encouraging volunteers to help them do that,” says Bugera.

Bugera and Graupner realized quickly that becoming part of the TCT would be a boon for their communities.

Quickly, their local economic development project turned into a goal to become part of the national infrastructure.

At that point, another useful member of the team appeared. Henri Desharnais of the St-Pierre-Jolys Museum shared with Bugera the museum’s research on the Crow Wing Trail (CWT), an important Métis oxcart trail used in the mid 1800s.

“This Red River Trail was key to the development of not only our communities, but of our province, as carts transported goods and services to the Red River Colony, a.k.a. Winnipeg,” Bugera explains. “The museum had organized trail rides meeting up with their American counterparts, installed a cairn at the museum entrance, and moved the Goulet House onto their property to preserve a Métis cart driver’s home.”

Desharnais also provided Bugera with the museum’s prized possession: a seven-foot-long provincial map from 1887. The map showed a plan to build Road 606 on top of the Crow Wing Trail from Winnipeg to Emerson.

Bugera says that although this road was never built—it was replaced instead by Highway 59—the map was instrumental in the re-creation of the Crow Wing Trail as part of the Trans Canada Trail network.

Another key member of the team was Ed Ledohowski, the Municipal Heritage Consultant with the Province of Manitoba. He aided the group by helping share the historical importance of the CWT in Manitoba.

After gathering the right people and right information, it was time for Bugera to share her vision.

“Municipalities south of Winnipeg were invited to meet at the St. Pierre Sugar Shack, and the result was unanimous,” she says. “The RMs of Emerson, Franklin, De Salaberry, St-Pierre-Jolys, and Ritchot adopted resolutions of commitment ‘for the development of the Crow Wing Trail as part of the Trans Canada Trail.’”

Since that time, the Roseau River First Nation, the town of Niverville, and the RM of Montcalm have also joined.

In January 1999, the CWT formally became part of the TCT. The Crow Wing Trail Association Chemin Saint-Paul Inc. (CWTA) was registered as a nonprofit organization with charitable status. Member municipalities could now each appoint a municipal councillor and/or member at large to sit on the board.

“With the help of a landscape architect, planning documents were created for the entire 200 kilometres and volunteers saw to the establishment of the trail, which included building bridges and installing signs. The Crow Wing Trail was officially opened in 2006. It’s made up of quiet rural roads, parks, bush trails, dikes, and paved trails.”

Bugera credits many key volunteers in the creation and continued upkeep of the trail, such as Linda Morin, Kevin Stott, Luc Catellier, Chuck Gautron, Peter Friesen, Eileen and Clayton Gunn, Priscilla Reimer, and Wayne Arseny.

The modern-day Crow Wing Trail Association is now responsible for the improvement, maintenance, and promotion of the Crow Wing Trail on behalf of its member municipalities.

Bugera explains that the committee does its job with the assistance of provincial and federal grants and has strong support from the Economic Development Council for Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM) and Eastman Tourism.

The committee also has partnerships with the Canadian Company of Pilgrims and Actif Epica, and more recently with local groups like the St. Adolphe Friendship Trail, the Peace Trail, and St. Malo Cross Country Skiing.

“We do this to help our rural communities prosper through capital investments and increased tourism. Trails also add to the quality of life, as a low-cost infrastructure that provides a healthy outdoor activity. It’s also an opportunity to highlight our stories… the Métis, the First Nation, the different cultures in our diverse communities.”

Over the years, Bugera has represented St-Pierre-Jolys on the CWT board and was president of the association for most of those years. She also undertook a lot of the administrative duties as they don’t have paid staff other than their trail maintenance crew.

So that’s how the Crow Wing Trail came to be, in large part because of Murielle Bugera.

But now the time has come for her to step down from her various positions. Those involved with the association say that her presence will be sorely missed.

Dolores Thiel has been part of the CWTA since 2019 and has worked with Bugera on a variety of projects. Thiel says that Bugera was the heart and soul of the group.

“The board members of the Crow Wing Trail Association know that the trail exists today because of Murielle Bugera’s role as a key founding member in 1999 and her continued board commitment for more than 25 years, [and] many terms as president,” says Thiel. “Thanks to her inclusive, diplomatic team spirit, filled with insightful wisdom, the modern-day Crow Wing Trail is deeply enriched. We are so thankful for how she has helped connect communities and municipalities along the 200-kilometre trail from the Winnipeg floodway to Emerson, on Treaty 1 territory. This has resulted in a beautiful section of the Trans Canada Trail rich in history, diverse geography, and friendly communities.”

Thiel praises Bugera’s ability to connect communities of multiple heritages, including Indigenous, Métis, French, English, Ukrainian, and Mennonite.

Whatever task Bugera took on, Thiel says, she took it on with excitement.

Thiel recalls a story she believes showcases the type of attitude Bugera always has.

“How do you get through the muddy gumbo that snakes its way along many parts of Manitoba?” Thiel says. “No rocks or logs were within reach, but Murielle did not hesitate. Like a true pioneer, she took off her boots and socks and walked through the gumbo to higher ground. She delighted in the childhood memories that flooded over her body as the gumbo squished between her toes!”

Thiel says that Bugera took advantage of any opportunity to help develop educational materials related to her beloved trail. Bugera was instrumental in creating the bilingual Crow Wing Trail Heritage Guide, historical maps of the Crow Wing Trail, and interpretive and trailhead signs with both historical and modern information about local points of interest.

“[Bugera] played a key role in creating the Crow Wing Trail Passport, which describes the trail in 11 sections with details of trail terrain and highlights of significant sites,” says Thiel. “It is truly amazing how she knows all the terrain details from the floodway down to Emerson.”

Bugera was born and raised in St-Pierre-Jolys and says she’s always been involved in the community. Her husband passed away five years ago so now she farms with her son. She is proud to still be growing crops right in the middle of the Crow Wing Trail.

Besides serving on the CWTA, Bugera has also been involved with the Rat River Health Council for 25 years. In 2020, she received the Manitoba Premier’s Volunteer Service Award, and she was also a recipient of the Honour 150 Award.

Bugera’s biggest point of pride as she leaves the CWTA is that the trail is a six-municipality entity.

“I enjoy working with other communities and have made long-lasting friendships throughout the years,” she says. “We all come together with one common goal and we learn about each other’s ‘neck of the woods.’ We often don’t know what’s in our own backyard. We all have our own treasures and we need to highlight them for everyone to enjoy. It is very rewarding when people from near and far appreciate what we have accomplished.”