On November 5, Niverville’s council set in motion the process of getting the community a new fire hall, as well as major upgrades to Highway 311 west.
Fire Hall
A bid of $369,500 was accepted from an architecture and engineering firm who will draw up a plan for a new fire hall to be located next to the civic building, on the same spot where the existing fire hall stands.
This is the same firm that was hired to design Niverville’s new RCMP detachment.
“When the town office was bought, it was also for the purpose of increasing emergency services,” said Mayor Dyck. “So we’ve done the RCMP [detachment] and now we’re working on fire [services].”
Dyck estimates that the old fire hall has been on the site since the late 1950s.
In planning for the new fire hall, he says that council has had much communication with the Niverville Fire Department’s executive team regarding what their needs will be and how a reconstruction can be carried out on the site without disrupting current services.
Highway 311 Renewal
With all the commercial action taking place on Niverville’s west side, council will be applying to the province for an $8 million grant from the Manitoba Growth, Renewal and Opportunities program.
“It is designed to help Manitoba municipalities advance critical infrastructure that will support growing and sustainable communities,” CAO Eric King told council.
The grant funds will cover up to 50 percent of a project. The balance must be managed by the municipality.
If received, the grant has been earmarked for Highway 311 west, specifically the section of highway between Krahn Road and Wallace Road. Architectural drawings have already been created showing intersection improvements, including roundabouts and traffic lights.
“It’s going to be kind of a three-way thing where the province will hopefully pay some, the developer will have to pay some, and then the town would have a share,” said Dyck.
In March 2023, the former Transportation and Infrastructure Minister, Doyle Piwniuk, made a funding promise to the Town of Niverville to the tune of $40.6 million for the renewal of this section of highway.
As governments change, so do funding promises, though. In order to see the project through, the town remains hopeful that grant monies will be forthcoming.
