The vast and open Canadian landscape, in all its grandeur, has seen its share of innovation to make this great country navigable from shore to shore, and at monumental cost. First came the railway, followed by highways and roads, opening access to some of the most remote parts of the country.

Over the course of the summer, the Town of Niverville has been busy upgrading its Main Street sidewalks, a project which began two years ago and has taken a big leap forward in 2017. The upgrades include removing the old paving stones, many of which were uneven, and adding bike racks.

On July 19, Niverville’s town council held a conditional use hearing for the second phase of a new development to be built on Fourth Avenue South. Once completed, the development is expected to include a total of 46 rental apartments, with a combination of plans ranging from one bedroom to three. The units will be constructed in a townhouse style.

In the old days, the thieves came at night. Dressed in black they would skulk around a home or business, breaking a window here, jimmying a lock there, making off with merchandise or some petty cash before the cops showed up.

The recent political drama in the RM of Ritchot came to a quick end on July 19, with Chris Ewen sneaking past incumbent Jackie Hunt to be elected mayor. According to the official results, Ewen received 742 votes compared to Hunt’s 650. Other mayoral challengers included Gene Whitney (413 votes) and Marianne Curtis (106 votes). Overall voter turnout was 39 percent.

It’s official: after years of lobbying, Niverville is getting a new high school, and the site has been identified as the future home of the Niverville Multiplex.