After three years of painstaking restoration, the La Riviere CPR station is ready to welcome visitors to its new home in Manitou. The Pembina, Manitou Culture and Heritage Association will host a grand opening this Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with official ceremonies scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
Originally built in 1898 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the station served the La Riviere community for nearly 80 years before being moved to the Archibald Historical Museum for preservation. When the museum closed, local heritage advocates stepped in.
“It’s the only station of its kind in Manitoba,” said Al Thorliefson, a member of the restoration committee and archivist with the Association. “It needs to be preserved.”
Jigger demonstrations and ribbon cutting
One of the most exciting features of the day will be the arrival and display of jiggers—small, motorized railway maintenance vehicles—restored by railway enthusiasts from across North America.
“The jiggers are the little mechanical engines that would travel the railway to check the tracks,” said Thorliefson. “They’re going to be setting up between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., running to Morden and back, and will be on display at the station around noon. People will find it very fascinating to see all these vehicles lined up.”
To commemorate the station’s new life in Manitou, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be led by Wilma Wallcraft of the Archibald Historical Museum Board, which previously helped save the building from demolition. “Hats off to the Wallcraft family,” said Thorliefson. “They were the ones who preserved the building when it was about to be destroyed.”
Why Manitou? A Natural Fit for Heritage Preservation
Although the station originated in La Riviere, Manitou was selected as its new home because of the town’s existing commitment to historical preservation.
“We already have a number of heritage buildings in the community,” Thorliefson explained. “There was interest in Manitou to bring the La Riviere station here, and when we reached out to people in La Riviere, they supported the idea. They said, ‘Go for it.’”
Restoration challenges and craftsmanship
Restoring a 125-year-old building wasn’t easy. Thorliefson said the most difficult part was stabilizing the structure’s foundation. “You’ve got to check every drop, every cross, every board,” he said. “It took almost a full year just to stabilize the foundation.”
The second floor was also a major undertaking. “A lot of the original horsehair plaster needed to be replaced,” he said. “One of our carpenters even had to remake door frames exactly as they were originally, using a router to replicate the style.”
Thorliefson also recognized the core committee members who brought the vision to life: Travis Long, Fraser Mackintosh, Dale Vallone, and himself. “We’ve had lots of other people who donated their time and funds to put this project together,” he added.
Preserving History to Understand the Present
For Thorliefson, the CPR station is more than just a building—it’s a symbol of community roots.
“There’s a map on display from 1875 where Manitou, Morden, and Winkler don’t even appear yet,” he said. “But you’ll see places like Starville and Archibald—communities that don’t exist anymore. It gives us context for who we are and where we’ve come from.”
Among his favorite features of the exhibit is the original townsite map of Hamilton, a small community near Snowflake. “It changed its name to Snowflake just before the map was made, and two years later, when the railway chose a different route, the entire town had to move. Stories like that are what make heritage come alive.”
Visit all summerlLong
If you can’t make it to Saturday’s celebration, the CPR station will be open to visitors throughout the summer, Wednesday through Sunday from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
“You can certainly come down any afternoon of those five days each week and have a look at the station and help us celebrate heritage,” said Thorliefson.
Event Details:
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What: Grand Opening of La Riviere CPR Station
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When: Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Ceremony at 2:00 p.m.)
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Where: Manitou, MB
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Admission: Free
Come for the history, stay for the jiggers, and experience a unique piece of Manitoba’s past brought back to life.