For weeks, the excitement of Niverville’s new McDonald’s was enough to keep locals abuzz with positivity. It didn’t take long, though, for the shine to wear off and the mood to change, at least for some. In particular, customers have taken note of issues with the flow of traffic to and from the restaurant.

There is only one entrance to the parking lot and drive thru. That access point is located on Arena Road, a one-way street heading north on the restaurant’s east side.

So if people are at the Centennial Arena or CRRC, they cannot access McDonald’s by Arena Road, which would be the shortest route by far at a 350-meter drive.

Instead they must head west along Centre Street, south along Mulberry, east along Main, and finally turn back north on Arena, a route that spans more than one kilometre and passes through three controlled intersections, one of which is a set of traffic lights.

For those leaving the McDonald’s parking lot, there are two exits. Drivers have the option to head back out onto Arena Road, but they must turn left. They could also use the other egress onto Main, but here they must turn right. Those looking to drive the other way down Main must look for an opportunity to execute a U-turn.

In other words, there is simply no quick and legal way to get from McDonald’s back into Niverville’s downtown.

It would be easy to assume that Niverville’s town council is responsible for this situation. However, according to Mayor Myron Dyck, council has little input. The trouble revolves around the fact that Main Street is a provincially controlled highway, and the province has the final say when it comes to its access points.

Let’s begin by considering Arena Road and the construction of the CRRC.

In recent years, Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) has clamped down heavily on adding access points to highways. And if you drive along the two-lane portion of Highway 59, for example, you’ll understand why. The more access points there are, the more dangerous the trek for highway drivers.

When Niverville was considering access and egress for the new CRRC and high school five years ago, they needed MTI’s stamp of approval.

“When they looked at Niverville, they deemed both Arena Road and Ritchot Drive to be too close to the railway,” says Dyck. “When traffic is stacked up waiting for trains to pass, vehicles trying to turn left off Arena Road or Ritchot Drive would have to wait a long time, with drivers perhaps being impatient and [taking risks].”

For this reason, the province requested that the town permanently close both of those streets. The town proceeded to close off Ritchot Drive’s east access. But they appealed to MTI for a reconsideration of Arena Road, asking for allowances.

The province agreed to keep Arena Road open, on the condition that it become a one-way street.

Fast forward to 2025 and a McDonald’s franchise owner shows interest in establishing his restaurant at that very corner.

“When they met with our CAO, they were informed of the restrictions for traffic flow onto and off PR 311,” says Dyck. “Our understanding is that they did consider other options, but at the end of the day they chose to purchase the land they did. McDonald’s did meet with the province and lobbied to have traffic leave onto PR 311, but west only. The province agreed, as it is the left turn back into town that they deem to be dangerous.”

What has since resulted is an unfortunate number of driving infractions. Evidently the RCMP anticipated this, as at least one patrol car was stationed here on the restaurant’s opening day—and it was kept busy.

Council hasn’t stopped discussing the matter. Outside of asking for greater police presence in this area, Dyck says they’re toying with some other ideas, too.

This summer, the Main Street crosswalk at Second Avenue, near the Niverville Credit Union, has also drawn attention due to motorist carelessness. There has been at least one reported close call between a driver and pedestrian along with countless reports of vehicles, including large trucks, driving well above the posted speed limit.

It’s unfortunate, Mayor Dyck says, that the aggressive and impatient driving habits of a few tend to create restrictions for the whole. He is hopeful that lawbreakers won’t cause the province to restrict traffic flow further at the McDonald’s location.

As for the crosswalk at Second Avenue and Main, Dyck says that council will eventually be asking the province for another set of traffic lights here.

“That is a few years away yet, as council currently has an ask for intersection improvements along PR 311 west of the tracks. It has been a five-year process from the original ask to doing the engineering and detailed design to getting the province to commit to sharing the project cost with us.”

It’s not a small project, either. At this stage, the town’s request of MTI is to add a roundabout and another set of traffic lights between the railway tracks and Wallace Road.