Just as the Indigenous people in Treaty 1 were leaving their homes in southeastern Manitoba, many Mennonites were arriving. These new settlers had lived in peace for many years in Russia under Catherine the Great, but life had changed for them when Alexander II came to power. The new czar began to exert control over the Mennonites, curtailing their religious freedoms and interfering with their schools.

New Bothwell, like the rest of the communities served by The Citizen, lies on Treaty One land. The area was originally inhabited by the Anishinaabe, who signed that treaty in 1871. As the Anishinaabe were leaving their territory, moving onto reserves, approximately 7,000 Mennonites from southern Russia were on their way in.

Over the course of their lives, Andrew and Nigar Gorozhankin have lived in a wide variety of global locales. Still, when choosing the best home in which to raise their family, they settled on Niverville.

The first recorded name for the area now known as Ste-Agathe is Petite Pointe à Saline (Little Salt Point), so named because of a salt-making business located there.

In this summer series, The Citizen is taking a look at the unique history of each town in our corner of southeastern Manitoba. Let’s take some time to learn more about this beautiful corner of the province we call home.

On June 28, 2024, the province released a report on the pay for elected officials. The document covers salaries, allowances, and retirement benefits for the premier as well as MLAs serving in the Manitoba Legislature. It is the first such report since 2017.