It is home to the community of St. François Xavier, the second-oldest settlement in Manitoba.

[3] The area around current-day St. François, commonly known as White Horse Plain (named after a local legend; French: La Prairie du Cheval Blanc), was inhabited by First Nations peoples such as the Cree and Sioux.

The Grantown settlement subsequently took its name from the parish, and St. François Xavier became a municipality in 1880.

[5] The focal point for the municipality was the community of St. François Xavier, which was established in 1824 by Reverend Father Boucher.

The Grey Nuns also had an educational and religious presence in the area for 118 years, ending their involvement in 1968 after their nunnery fell in disrepair.