The town of Niverville was recently awarded a substantial amount of money through the Manitoba Building Sustainable Communities Grant and MLA Ron Schuler says one of the projects that Niverville plans to use most of the money on will make a huge impact on the town's newest hockey club, the MJHL Niverville Nighthawks.

Schuler says, $259,032 has been set aside for their arena expansion. “As everybody knows, we're going to be getting the Niverville Nighthawks. In order to get the team, the arena needs to have approximately 1000 seats, and right now there are about 700 seats. So this will get them to that 1000 mark and that's really exciting because you know that sports are important, and many people will get out and support the team.”

Schuler clarifies and says, the arena itself is not expanding rather the original plans for the spectator seats were arranged in just a way as to fit 300 additional seats in the corners and near the players’ benches. He adds, that there will also be a standing area which will be licensed, with the option to be rented out for groups wanting to watch the game together.

Mayor Myron Dyck says the money will definitely help offset the costs of the new arena. “This is something that the board of the new Junior A Hockey club applied for. Our staff helped them in the grant process, but it was their (Niverville Nighthawks) board that did a lot of work.”

Dyck confirms what the newest MJHL team plans to do with the funding and says, “what they're looking to do is to create something a little different. They'll still have the traditional bench seating on the west side of the ice, but on the east side where the player's benches are, in each of those two corners, they're looking to put additional seating.”

He says they will not take out any walls, but rather go with a 2-tier area of seating area with tables and standing room for socializing and walking around.

Dyck also says, at the time when the town was making plans to build the new facility the MJHL team board approached them with their specs for the arena, should they get a team. “So at that time Council decided to spend an extra $250,000 to make the arena a little bit larger, so that this seating capacity was at least available should it be required down the road. And now, based on the interest they're receiving and their ticket drives and things like that, there's quite a bit of interest. And so this is a project they wanted to do and the $250,000 that the town residents have already spent is now being utilized, which is good, and the provincial funding will help enhance and fill out the space and create all that much more of a full game-day experience.”

Niverville also got $55,000 towards upgrades for Opa's Park and the development of the Niverville CPR Well Historical Park, recognizing one of the first wells dug in the region.

Then from Green Team funding, the town of Niverville will be receiving $23,781 for recreation, grounds maintenance and community beautification. Meanwhile, the Niverville MCC Community Assistance Centre will be receiving $23,940 in Green Team funding, which will be put towards store work and Covid-19 activities costs.