Niverville, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
For other uses, see Niverville
Niverville
Niverville may refer to the following communities:* Niverville, Manitoba, in Canada* Niverville, New York, in the United StatesAlso*Joseph-Claude Boucher, Chevalier de Niverville, Canadian fur trader and explorer....

.

Niverville is a small town in the Canadian province of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...

, located 28.6 km south of the Perimeter Highway which encircles the provincial capital, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

. 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 Trunk Highways 75 and 59, providing an excellent rail link and two high-speed four-lane transport routes to and from the provincial capital, as well as to the USA, which is 82.5 km to the south. Niverville's population as of the 2006 census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...

 was 2464, up 28.3% from its 2001
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...

 level of 1921. A recent estimate placed the town at 3200 inhabitants. The town lies between the northwest corner of the Rural Municipality of Hanover
Hanover, Manitoba
Hanover is a rural municipality in southeastern Manitoba, Canada. It is located southeast of Winnipeg. It is located in Division No. 2. The city of Steinbach is located in the northeastern part of the municipality, although it is self-governing and is not technically part of the Hanover...

 and the southeastern portion of the Rural Municipality of Ritchot
Ritchot, Manitoba
Ritchot is a rural municipality lying adjacent to the south side of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is part of the Winnipeg Capital Region and had a population of 4,958 as of the 2001 census. The separately administered town of Niverville lies adjacent to its southeastern part, between it and the...

.

History

Niverville is named for an 18th century explorer and fur trader – Joseph-Claude Boucher, Chevalier de Niverville. 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.

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 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 Asian steppes, came from Russia, 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
William Hespeler
William Hespeler was a German - Canadian businessman and immigration agent and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. He served as Speaker of the Legislature and as honorary consul of Germany to Winnipeg and the Northwest Territories...

, 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.

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.

Geography

The town lies well within the Red River Valley
Red River Valley
The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North. It is significant in the geography of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba for its relatively fertile lands and the population centers of Fargo, Moorhead, Grand Forks, and Winnipeg...

, at an altitude of 773 feet above sea level. Surrounding the town are large tracks of farm land, with the Red River
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...

 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
Red River Flood, 1997
The Red River Flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997, along the Red River of the North in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Southern Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826...

" 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

Niverville is part of the Hanover School Division
Hanover School Division
Hanover School Division is a rural school division in Manitoba, Canada. It has its major centre in Steinbach, Manitoba which is the fastest growing city in Manitoba, and the third largest city in Manitoba with a population of around 13,000. The division is located southeast of Winnipeg and the...

 and has two schools, Niverville Elementary School (K-6), and Niverville Collegiate Institute (7-12) to 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.

Niverville has several recreational facilities, including the Niverville Centennial Arena, home of the Niverville Clippers
Niverville Clippers
The Niverville Clippers are a Junior ice hockey team based in Niverville, Manitoba. They are members of the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League . The franchise was founded in the late 80's/early 90's but folded in the mid 90's. The only other team for players in this area was the St. Adolphe Hawks,...

, 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, and a small biking trail. The Crow Wing Trail also runs through the town.

Six churches serve the various Christian faith communities of the town.

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 did its budget, and today professional acts such as Dean Gunnarson
Dean Gunnarson
Dean Gunnarson is an award-winning Canadian escapologist. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is noted for a series of large scale spectacular stunts done for television....

, Doc Walker
Doc Walker
Doc Walker is a country music group from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They have won Canadian Country Music Awards and had radio hits with the songs "I Am Ready" and "The Show is Free" from the 2003 album Everyone Aboard. In 2001 they released the album Curve...

 and Brent Butt
Brent Butt
Brent Butt is a Canadian stand-up comedian actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Brent Leroy on the CTV sitcom Corner Gas, which he also created. The series was an instant hit when it made its debut in 2004....

 have been seen.

There are several significant employers in Niverville, including Spectis Moulders (polyurethane architectural products), The Puratone Corporation (agribusiness), and Wm. Dyck and Sons (full service lumberyard). Services include banking through the Niverville Credit Union, groceries through the Niverville Bigway, gasoline sales through Country Snacks Red River Co-op, DVD rentals through Country Snacks and Connie's Cafe, hair care, construction trades, several restaurants, medical and dental clinics, a pharmacy, accountants, insurance brokers, law offices, car washes, massages, Niverville Heritage and Hespeler cemeteries, and a postal outlet (R0A 1E0), with an 18 hole golf course currently under construction. Several new developments including Fifth Avenue Estates, Crow Wing Developments, Stonecroft (Von Ast Construction) 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. EMR services, a small RCMP detachment and the volunteer Niverville Fire Department serve the area. Advanced medical care is available from several nearby hospitals in Steinbach
Steinbach, Manitoba
Steinbach is a city of approx. 13,500 people in the southeast corner of the province of Manitoba, Canada, a short distance from the capital Winnipeg. Steinbach is the largest community in the Eastman region of Manitoba. The city is located in the R.M. of Hanover and bordered to the east by the R.M...

, St. Pierre Jolys, and Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

. 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.

The Good Times Hockey League is an eight-team recreational hockey league that plays out of the Niverville Centennial Arena and the Ste. Agathe Arena.

Notable Nivervillians

  • Amanda Falk
    Amanda Falk
    -Musical career:In 2004 she released her self-titled debut album on Avante Records. The album went on to win a Juno Award. She has gone on to win the GMA Canada Covenant Award for Female Vocalist of the Year for four consecutive years, 2005 through 2008....

    , Christian
    Christian music
    Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....

     recording artist
  • Jared Funk, Canadian paralympian
    Wheelchair rugby
    Wheelchair rugby, , is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is currently practiced in over twenty countries around the world and is a Paralympic sport....

  • David Richert
    David Richert
    David Richert is a professional race car driver from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is currently racing for Volkswagen in the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup race series....

    , professional race car driver

External links

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