Under sunny skies on a warm spring morning, community members gathered to celebrate the grand opening of two of Niverville’s newest businesses, the Tim Hortons and Shell station at the corner of Krahn Road and Highway 59. The event was held on March 25, approximately three months since both businesses first started operations at the end of December.

The owners—William Kent of Tim Hortons, and Miguel and Sylvie Forest of Shell—were joined at the ribbon-cutting by Mayor Myron Dyck, Morris MLA Shannon Martin, and Mel Buhler, President of the Niverville Chamber of Commerce.

“I want to extend my sincere thank you to both William and to Miguel and Sylvie for their investment into our community, and it is my privilege to welcome them not just to the community of Niverville but also to the business community of Niverville,” said Myron Dyck. “We wish you prosperous and good times ahead.”

Martin echoed these sentiments. “These are the entrepreneurs that keep our economy going,” he said of Kent and the Forests. “So I want to thank [them] for investing in Niverville, for investing in Manitoba. It’s because of you that we have the province that we have.”

“We’re thrilled to be here and we’re thrilled with the support that Niverville has given us,” William Kent remarked. “We’re glad to be here, and we’re going to support the community as much as possible.” 

Cake was served at Tim’s, and both Shell and Tim’s held draws for gift baskets and gift cards.

Nazli Sharma, the General Manager of Hospitality and Guest Services for Kent’s group of 11 Tim’s locations in the province, has been working hard to get the Niverville store off the ground.

“The response has been overwhelming,” says Sharma, who has been with the company for 11 years. “They give us targets, but they always give us very unrealistic targets. You know what? We’re way more than 50 percent towards our targets… The welcome from the region, because it’s not only Niverville, has been outstanding. Absolutely outstanding.”

Miguel Forest says that the first two weeks after the soft opening were a bit slow, but business has been steadily growing at a good pace ever since. “Well, the grand opening was a hit! Shell fuel quality is second to none and the more the word goes around, the more [our business] will grow.”

Forest is excited about deepening his connection to the town, including participating in the Olde Tyme Country Fair and helping with fundraising efforts for the Niverville multiplex. “We can’t wait to see what this summer has in store for us.”