Niverville’s modest beginnings trace back to 1879, when William Hespeler organized Niverville’s first Mennonite immigration. Mr. Hespeler’s ambition led him to lay out an entire townsite, complete with business installations and residential layout, which unfortunately was not fully realized largely due to the many small and scattered settlements within several miles of Niverville.
Niverville’s first railway station was built in 1879, providing train service for both passengers and freight. An additional pioneering landmark appearing in 1879 and constructed by William Hespeler was Niverville’s grain elevator, the first of its kind in Western Canada.
On January 1, 1969, Niverville, by an act of the Manitoba government, was proclaimed an independent urban municipality – a “Village”. Motivated to chart its own course because of perceived missed infrastructure improvement opportunities, the community requested separation from the RM of Hanover. Self-governance was seen as the tool necessary to allow priority in achieving community aspirations. Glaring project deficiencies driving this action were the need for street rebuilding and asphalt resurfacing, construction of a sewage collection system, and business and residential development. Independence provided the framework whereby elected and non-elected community leaders, using the Village’s administration, financial and planning services, would provide focused, creative and clearly defined goals to achieve the expectations of the residents.
The installation of a gravity sewer system in 1970 was an ambitious project for the newly incorporated Village. This project involved the installation of 8 1/2 miles of sewer main and resulted in a cleaner and more aesthetically appealing community.
In 1991, Niverville’s population growth led to it being granted Town status, with a population of 1,530 residents. Niverville’s population according to the 2021 census is 5,593.
In 1994, a 91-acre parcel was donated to the Town which was developed into Hespeler Park. This park boasts 5 baseball diamonds, a paved walking path, exercise equipment, playground, Splash Park, picnic shelter, numerous soccer pitches, beach volleyball and a bicycle pump track. Niverville is also home to the Centennial Arena and Curling Rink, which is one of the few curling rinks left in Manitoba with natural ice.
The former Keystone Hatchery building at 111 Second Avenue South, currently known as the Heritage Centre, was renovated into the Heritage Club in 1996 by Henry and Linda Suderman, whose vision for the property was a community centered recreational complex to meet the social and recreational needs and desires of the Town and area residents. The property was sold to the Town of Niverville in 2003, with the next phase of development involving the establishment of a Primary Health Care Centre. In 2007 an Assisted Living and Supportive Housing residence and timber-framed atrium was constructed. In 2011, construction began on an 80-bed personal care home. In 2012, the Heritage Centre Campus welcomed Hespeler’s Cookhouse & Tavern, a restaurant that provides services to those living on campus and the local community. Finally, in 2014, a four-story life lease residence featuring 46 units was added, making the Niverville Heritage Centre Campus a unique to Manitoba “age in place” community campus.
The Niverville Fair has its roots that date back to the 1960’s when it was traditionally held in August. This annual tradition continued on until the early 1990’s when it was discontinued. The Niverville Olde Tyme Country Fair as it is currently known, began in 1996, having an on the street fair annually in June. This event is run by a dedicated group of volunteers and receives sponsorship from local businesses. The fair is an annual highlight for local and area residents alike.
Another feature of Niverville is the Old Drovers Run Golf Course, which was constructed in conjunction with the Crow Wing residential development (currently known as The Highlands) in 2002.
Niverville acquired its first water treatment plant in 2002, and the current water treatment plant at the corner of 5th Avenue and Spruce Drive became operational in the summer of 2008. This utility currently serves properties in Fifth Avenue Estates, the Highlands, Prairie Crossings, as well as several buildings within the core area of Town.
The Town in conjunction with the RM of Hanover, acquired a 180-acre parcel of land on January 1, 2004, for the development of an industrial business park known as Hanville. This land was officially annexed into Niverville in 2017, and the Town in partnership with Edie Construction Limited then began the development of the Niverville Business Park. The business park is currently home to 18 businesses and Niverville is eager to welcome more businesses to join them.
Niverville was awarded with the CAMA Award in 2019; an Environment Award for municipalities with a population under 20,000 for the Sewage Lagoon On-site Phyto-remediation project. This project started in 2012, became a first of its kind in Canada by creating an alternate method of decommissioning a municipal lagoon. The former lagoon adjacent to Hespeler Park is now known as the “Wetlands” and has been transformed into a recreational area with walking paths, viewing hills, and an educational kiosk.
In 2021, Niverville was noted to be the fastest-growing community in Manitoba, having witnessed a 29% population increase since the 2016 census. Niverville has continued to experience positive growth, with a current population estimated at 5,950+ residents. Niverville’s growth prompted the need for another school, which led to the build of Niverville High School in 2019. This brought the number of schools in Niverville to 3; an elementary school for grades K to 4, middle school for grades 5 to 8, and high school for grades 9 to 12.
The Niverville Community Resource and Recreation Centre (CRRC) is a result of a partnership between the Town, the Province of Manitoba, and the Government of Canada to create the newest model of community resources and recreation centre. This facility, a first of its kind in Manitoba, offers a multi-use fieldhouse, arena, indoor playground, link corridor (to Niverville High School), and multipurpose rooms.
Niverville’s many achievements over the years can be linked to its progressive thinkers, those who don’t accept “no” for an answer and persevere to accomplish the “impossible”. We invite you to check out Niverville for yourself – find out why Niverville truly is “where you belong”.