Niverville Heritage Centre History

How It All Began

History

The dream of the Niverville Heritage Centre began with the challenge of meeting the needs of the aging population of Niverville and area.  Niverville at that time was the largest community in all of Manitoba without a personal care home or hospital.  This resulted in many of the seniors and our community builders having to leave their community because of the lack basic support services.  In 2001 Town Council visited Edina, Minnesota where they toured a facility that contained a central atrium with amenities such as an event centre, commercial office, retail and professional services space and an assisted living residence for seniors.  The facility immediately impressed on the minds of the Councillors on that visit that this could potentially serve as the model to follow if they were ever going to develop a facility that would address the supportive services that seniors needed.  In 2002, several funding and operational feasibility studies were conducted that resulted in the community launching a fundraising campaign in 2003, which raised $2,000,000 towards the construction of a new facility.  Earlier, a member of the community had purchased a 30,000 square foot abandoned warehouse and converted part of that space into a beautiful banquet hall.

In 2004 the Town of Niverville purchased that facility as Phase 1 of their plan.  The first step was begin the development of the commercial space and partnered with South East Health to establish a Primary Health Care Centre.  This modern concept health services facility was built with doctors, nurses, home care workers, mental health workers and other health care professionals now based at the Heritage Centre and serving the region. The second step was to reposition the event centre in the market and soon they more than doubled the number of events hosted there.  Soon an anchor tenant was found and more of the available space was renovated and converted to office space generating much needed revenue as the business model began to take shape.  As the business grew and fund raising continued, it soon became possible to enter the next phase of development.  In 2007 construction began on the Assisted Living and Supportive Housing residence and a spectacular timber framed atrium that has served as a community gathering place. Today the Heritage Centre is home to the aforementioned Primary Health Care Centre, a doctor’s office with 3 full time doctors, a dental office, physiotherapy and sports injury clinic, and a daycare.  The event centre continues to thrive and annually hosts more than 15,000 guests

Niverville Heritage Holdings Inc. (NHHI), is a not for profit corporation established by the Town of Niverville in 2005 as an “arms length” entity to own, develop and manage assets within the Town of Niverville and the region.  All proceeds from operations of NHHI go towards enhancing recreation, social, economic and community services.  The original members of the board of directors were appointees from community based organizations such as the Niverville Health and Community Foundation, Niverville Chamber of Commerce and the Niverville Recreation Commission.  Each of these organizations appointed one person to serve on the board of NHHI.

Niverville Heritage Holdings Inc. serves as the ownership group of the Niverville Heritage Centre and owns a leasehold title for the development of the approximate 8 ½ acres of land where the Niverville Heritage Centre complex is situated.  NHHI has an agency working agreement with the Niverville Heritage Centre Management Co. Ltd (NHCMC), where NHCMC manages all the day to day activities of the Niverville Heritage Centre.  Niverville Heritage Holdings Inc. established a new Manitoba Corporation, 5906386 MB LTD. that purchased the shares of St. Adolphe Personal Care Home Inc. in November of 2009

In November of 2011 we celebrated the official sod turning of the new personal care home.