A new historical site is taking shape in Niverville, where a team of high school students and local builders are working together to preserve a piece of the town's past.
At the center of the project is a timber frame canopy going up over a long-lost CP well, now rediscovered and being restored as a future tourist and heritage attraction.
Former town councillor John Funk, who was approached by the Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) about the project two years ago, says the journey to get to this point hasn’t been simple.
“Initially, they wanted me to do it, and I even said yes,” said Funk, who ran his own construction company for many years. “But when I priced it out a year and a half ago or two years ago, I could not get kiln-dried timber, and there’s no way we seniors were lifting that stuff, it’s way too heavy.”
Funk has hands-on experience with similar projects. He previously led the construction of the timberframe canopy over the historic Red River Cart, near the CRRC, with help from four local seniors, but this project required a new solution.
That’s where the SRSS vocational carpentry students came in.
Building Construction Instructor from the Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS), Paul Wilson, talked about his class.
“We’ve got a group of grade 12 students from Steinbach Regional working on this project. We designed and cut the timber frame under the direction of the town of Niverville, and now the students are here putting it all together.”
The structure is more than just a class project, it’s a learning opportunity and a community effort.
The students spent six weeks cutting the pieces in the shop, and over three Fridays, they’re assembling it on site.
“It’s really about giving them real-world experience,” Wilson explained. “The best way to learn is by doing. This lets them see their learning come to life.”
Funk explained that the well itself was only discovered a few years back, after a town tractor broke through the rotted beams that once covered it.
“You see, we didn’t even know there was a well here,” Funk recalled. “A town tractor’s front tire fell through, and nearly dropped the guy ten feet down. That’s how we found it. Then the town foreman covered it with dirt for safety until we could figure out how to restore it.”
Now, with the timber frame going up, the plan is to build an open-air structure with a two-by-six deck and a metal roof.
“It’ll be nice,” said Funk, adding with a smile, “Did you know there are three wells on this site? We might be standing on one.”
As for the build, the students are handling everything from Queen posts to ridge beams.
The 2nd Friday on site, Wilson said, “Today we’re putting up the ridge. Then, we’ll do the rafters, and next Friday we’ll finish it with the tongue-and-groove ceiling.”
He describes the structure as a hybrid timber frame, using some traditional joinery and some modern methods to make sure it lasts.
“We’re lagging a few parts instead of using pockets, because pockets would just collect water and rot over time,” he explained.
For Wilson, it’s not just about the skills, it’s about the legacy.
“This is something these students can show their families one day and say, ‘Look what I built,’” he said. “That kind of pride in your workmanship, that’s what it’s all about.”
And there's even talk of expanding the site’s historical appeal.
“One of our councillors, Chris Wiebe, told me recently that he’s looking for an old steam engine,” said Funk. “We’d put a track down and park the engine here. It’d really draw people in.”
As Niverville continues to grow, projects like this serve as a bridge between the past and the future, built with old skills, new hands, and a shared sense of community.