Niverville, Manitoba

For other uses, see Niverville (disambiguation).
Town of Niverville
Motto: Where you belong
Town of Niverville

Location of Niverville in Manitoba

Coordinates: 49°36′20″N 97°02′30″W / 49.60556°N 97.04167°W / 49.60556; -97.04167Coordinates: 49°36′20″N 97°02′30″W / 49.60556°N 97.04167°W / 49.60556; -97.04167
Country Canada
Province Manitoba
Region Eastman
Established 1874
Government
 • Mayor Myron Dyck
 • Governing Body Town Council
 • MP (Provencher) Ted Falk
 • MLA (Morris) Shannon Martin
Elevation 236 m (774 ft)
Population (2011 Census[1])
 • Total 3,540
 • Density 402.9/km2 (1,044/sq mi)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Postal Code R0A 1E0; R0A 0A1; R0A 0A2
Website Town of Niverville

Niverville is a town in the Canadian province of Manitoba, located approximately 30 kilometers south of Winnipeg. This primarily farming community has seen an influx of people moving from the city looking to raise a family outside of the 'big city' influence. This migration has made Niverville one of the youngest and fastest growing communities in Manitoba. The town is located at the crossing of Provincial Road 311 and the CPR Emerson rail line, between Provincial Road 200 and Provincial Trunk Highway 59. Niverville's population at the 2011 census was 3,450, up 43.7% from its 2006 level of 2,464.[2] The town lies between the northwest corner of the Rural Municipality of Hanover and the southeastern portion of the Rural Municipality of Ritchot.

History

Niverville is named after 18th-century explorer and fur trader Chevalier Joseph-Claude Boucher de Niverville.[3] This choice of name was made by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1877 – one year before the railway into town was built and an official town plan was actually registered. Originally within the Rural Municipality of Hanover, Niverville was incorporated as a village in 1969 and later as a town in 1993.

Niverville's history is closely tied to grain. Although first settled by people of British ancestry, with names like Stott, Church, and Wallace, an influx of the first Canadian Mennonite, Low-German farmers in 1874 soon saw their population eclipse that of the earlier group. These settlers, with farming skills vastly more suitable than those of the Anglophones due to their experience with farming on the Germanic low lands and Asian steppes, came originally from the Neatherlands (their place of origin), moving to East Germany in the 17th century, then Russia under the protection of Katherine the Great, before finally migrating and landing at the nearby junction of the Red and Rat rivers, making their way east to what was known as the East Reserve, essentially a gift of land from the Canadian government. The first grain elevator in western Canada, a unique round structure, had recently been built in Niverville by William Hespeler, a man whose name has recently been appropriated for Niverville's newest and largest park. It was from this elevator that the first western Canadian barley was shipped to overseas markets. The hardiness and determination of the early Mennonite settlers, coming from a harsh environment in Russia, ensured that this unforgiving land would be transformed into a place from which livelihoods could be wrested, albeit at considerable effort and cost. In later years, these generous settlers sent grain in relief to others suffering famine in Russia. Many inhabitants today are from Mennonite or British stock, with a growing number of immigrants of other backgrounds.[4]

One odd piece of Niverville history is the Rock Festival which took place in the summer of 1970 on an abandoned farm 1.5 miles east of the junction of highways 59 and 305. Widely publicized, it attracted approximately 12,000 young folks, mainly from Winnipeg, to hear a variety of rock and folk bands. Having nowhere to park save a summerfallowed field and some dirt roads, everything turned into a sea of mud when a sudden thunderstorm struck, cutting the festival short. Not wishing to lose the opportunity, many festival patrons shed all clothing (including underwear) and splashed around in the rain and mud while waiting for any one of several local Mennonite farmers who cashed in on the opportunity, charging $5 apiece to tow cars back to the pavement of Highway 59.[5]

Geography

The town lies in the Red River Valley, at an altitude of 773 feet above sea level. Surrounding the town are large tracks of farm land, with the Red River only 3 miles to the West. The Red River Valley lay, some 10,800 years ago, beneath the pristine and expansive glacial Lake Agassiz, and the resulting rich black soils produce some of the finest crops in the world, including hard red spring wheat and canola. Sugar beets have also been successfully produced here.

Niverville has been threatened by spring flooding from the Red River of the North, most recently in "Flood of the Century" when temporary dikes were hastily thrown up to protect the town from the river. To protect itself from future floods, the town has, since 1997, constructed a permanent dike to the west of the town, shielding it from the Red. Aquifers which are charged to the east in Sandilands Provincial Forest extend beneath Niverville, providing abundant water resources. Where they have been permitted to remain, poplar bluffs shade the land providing habitat for the rare yellow lady's slipper and the tiger lily. Many bird species (Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, English Sparrow, Wren, Killdeer, Meadowlark, Scarlet Tanager, American Robin) choose the Niverville area for their summer range.

Sociology

Education

Niverville schools belong to the Hanover School Division. Niverville Elementary School (K-4), and Niverville Collegiate Institute (5-12) provide education for the students of Niverville. Niverville Collegiate Institute has a strong sports programme and its sports teams, the NCI Panthers, have achieved success in volleyball, basketball, soccer, and badminton, winning banners and trophies in tournaments and provincial championships since the late 1970s.

Recreation

Niverville has several recreational facilities, including the Niverville Centennial Arena, home of the Niverville Clippers, the Niverville Curling Club, an outdoor tennis court located at Niverville Collegiate, the Elite Fitness and Dance gym, Opa's Park, the fairgrounds (located behind the arena) which hosted the Heartland Rodeo Association finals in 2007, and Hespeler Park, which has a tobogganing hill, soccer pitches, baseball diamonds, a beach volleyball court, a small biking trail and a community splash pad. The Splash Pad is approximately 3,500 square feet and includes a washroom/change room and canteen building, and a maintenance & storage building.The Splash Pad features two distinct areas of play: a toddler water play area for ages 0-3 and a family play area for ages 3-12. Water features are bright and colorful. The Splash Pad is fully accessible and inclusive for all ages and abilities. The Crow Wing Trail also runs through the town. The Good Times Hockey League is an eight-team recreational hockey league that plays out of the Niverville and Ste. Agathe Arenas. In addition, an 18 hole golf course is currently under construction on the western edge of town. Six churches of various different Christian denominations serve the community and surrounding area.[6]

Niverville Fair

Niverville's signature event is the annual Niverville Old Tyme Country Fair, which is held the second weekend of June. During the three-day event, Niverville's Main Street is shut down to traffic, and Midway rides, as well as food and farmers market stands are set up. Various events, such as fireworks and a parade are also held. As the popularity of the fair grew, so has its budget, and today professional acts such as Dean Gunnarson, Doc Walker and Brent Butt headline the fair.

Economy

There are several significant employers in Niverville, including The Great GORP Project (Food Industry), Spectis Moulders (polyurethane architectural products), Maple Leaf Foods (agribusiness), William Dyck and Sons (hardware store and lumberyard), Wiens Furniture (furniture, appliance and bedding retailer) and Niverville Credit Union. Other services include a grocery store, full service gas station and convenience store, hair care, construction trades, several restaurants, medical and dental clinics, a pharmacy, accountants, insurance brokers, law offices, post office, and a car wash.

Several new developments including Fifth Avenue Estates, The Highlands, Stonecroft and Vista Cove have expanded the size and population of the town, helping to draw in many Winnipeggers and new immigrants to the area. Housing in Niverville ranges from several apartment buildings to semi-detached dwellings to single-unit housing. A small RCMP detachment and the volunteer Niverville Fire & EMS serve the area. Advanced medical care is available from several nearby hospitals in Steinbach, St. Pierre Jolys, and Winnipeg. The Niverville Heritage Centre provides space for various events including weddings, graduations, and Remembrance Day services, and the addition of the Niverville Credit Union Manor provides assisted living and supportive care for seniors. An extensive network of pig barns in the surrounding area provide a source of revenue for the local agricultural community, unfortunately at the expense of the air quality of the community.

Government

The town is governed by a mayor and council elected by the residents. The current mayor is Myron Dyck. Niverville lies within the federal riding of Provencher; the current MP for this riding is Ted Falk. At the provincial level, the Niverville has been part of several different ridings as boundaries have changed over the years. Currently, Niverville is part of the Morris electoral district, represented by Shannon Martin.

Notable Nivervillians

References

  1. ↑ "Population Data for Niverville". Statistics Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  2. ↑ Statistics Canada, "".
  3. ↑ "Reflections on our Heritage" (PDF). Derksen Printers Ltd. 1971. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  4. ↑ Statistics Canada, "2006 Community Profile".
  5. ↑ Niverville Chamber of Commerce, "Niverville Area History".
  6. ↑ Town of Niverville, "Town of Niverville".
  7. ↑ Amanda Falk, "Amanda Falk's Myspace Page".
  8. ↑ David Richtert Racing, "www.richtertracing.com".
  9. ↑ Masters, Vance. "Niverville Pop Festival".
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