The new staff at Niverville’s Great Canadian Dollar Store have been stocking shelves and learning the ropes before the store’s official grand opening, which will run from March 1–3. Owner Travis Neufeld of Steinbach says they are almost ready for the soft opening in the next day or two.

Niverville council held a brief meeting on the evening of Tuesday, February 19 with two council members missing as they vacation. A number of important issues hit the agenda.

Like many growing communities, Niverville has experienced waves of petty crime in the past few years that home and business owners alike are hard-pressed to ignore. While the RCMP presence from the St. Pierre-Jolys detachment has been relatively effective, residents of the community have wanted to know if more can be done.

Small town life isn’t for everybody. It’s true what they say: everyone really does know everyone else’s business. This is truer than ever in the era of social media, where our lives are bared publicly for all to see. In times like these, anonymity can feel like a has-been reality. There’s nowhere to hide in a small town.

Late last week, the provincial government announced several grants for projects in the Dawson Trail riding. Seven different community groups will share a total of $95,000.

At 75 years of age, Rhea Trudeau is still as active and vibrant as ever. A third generation St. Adolphe resident, she can’t imagine anywhere she’d rather live. The small French community has been home her entire life, and it’s also where she raised her son and four daughters. They’ve long married and moved on, but Rhea’s spirit is buoyed by regular visits from her kids, ten grandchildren, and six great grandchildren—and she still enjoys the company of lifelong friends in this close-knit community.