On Friday, July 18, 2025, the ribbon was cut, and the Station Lands Heritage Park officially opened in Niverville, honouring the town’s rich history and natural resources.
A portal to the past
After the rediscovery of the CP well in 2020, originally discovered in 2012 by Cornie Funk, the town collaborated to create a meaningful community space.
"This (well) gives us a link to our history and to our past, but it also contributes to the act of living and community connection,” says Mayor of Niverville, Myron Dyck.
The historic well, located on land adjacent to the railway tracks, is a key piece of the town’s railway infrastructure history, once supplying steam locomotives with water and connecting Niverville to the rest of the world.
“Communities don’t become communities unless they have a source of water.”
The site stands as a physical representation of the arrival of infrastructure, not only trains, but telegraph lines, postal services, and rapid communication across the province.
Starting off strong
The project began in the fall of 2022, with funds provided by the Province of Manitoba through the Building Sustainable Communities (BSC) grant stream.
Members of the Niverville Town Council, community representatives, volunteers, and students of the carpentry class at Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) all played a part in bringing the park together.
“It seems only fitting that the building of this park also took place through collaboration with these partners,” Dyck says.
To preserve the historical integrity, reclaimed brick was used to rebuild the well to its original height. Native Manitoban grasses, trees, and shrubs were planted within the park to enhance the natural, historic feeling. Carpentry students from the SRSS designed and assembled the timber frame structure covering the well.
“This project goes to commemorate our history, and if we don’t do things like this, eventually they do get forgotten. This is a symbol of community.”
Local historian, Ernie Braun, with the help of Bernie Falk, took the initiative to restore the area, turning it into a commemorative park.
Braun says he is very satisfied to see the project come to fruition.
"The well, we’re not just looking at a hole in the ground. It’s a revolution in the way life was lived in southern Manitoba,” he says.
“It’s been a work in progress for a long time.”
Cutting the ribbon
“It takes a team to help build... and this has been a collaboration,” Dyck says.
Sharing a sense of pride, the ribbon on the Station Lands Heritage Park was cut, tying the town’s past to its future.
“As we look to Niverville’s future... we will continue to work with volunteers and volunteer organizations to help build our knowledge of our history. We will continue to help by working with volunteers to build community in places like this for people to visit and enjoy —parks such as this one.”
With the park open to the public, Dyck says this will contribute to the town’s 160 acres of green space and their 24 kilometres of trails, hoping to encourage active living.
“Here in Niverville, (it) becomes evident more and more, and is one of the main reasons why we all say this is where we belong.”
