In 1970, the year of Manitoba's Centennial, a group of St. Pierre residents yearned to welcome people into their small town and to celebrate their rich francophone heritage. They began a journey which eventually led them to Buckingham Palace, and on July 14, 1970, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, arrived to a crowd of 5,000 Franco-Manitobans for a 20-minute visit. Other famous names were also invited to participate in the weekend's gala festivities, including the Shawinigan Majorettes, the "Mutins de Longueuil", the "Petits Chanteurs de Montréal", the Winnipeg Judo and Karate School, Angèle Arsenault from Montreal, the St. Boniface Intrépides Choir, and Andy Desjarlais and his Early Settlers.

Other activities included a tug-of-war, pork-and-bean breakfast, carousel, pig and sheep rodeos, horse show, and dances.The First International Frog Jumping Championship was also held on July 15 of that weekend. Mayor Fernand Lavergne issued a public challenge to politicians and mayors of other towns. Judges for the event included Justice Louis Deniset, Justice Alfred Monin, Dr. Jean-Louis Forgues, and Mr. Robert Trudel, Magistrate and the winner of this 1st frog jumping contest was Mr. Albert Driedger, Reeve of Hanover Municipality, when his frog, Georges, jumped 7 feet 1.25 inches.