It’s official. On Sunday, March 23, Canada’s newly appointed prime minister, Mark Carney, called a spring federal election.

The Niverville Nighthawks came close to taking a series lead but fell late in the game instead while on the road in Winkler. The Flyers now lead the best-of-seven series by two games to one.

May 1 will mark the third annual wine and cheese event hosted by The Niverville Foundation. This year’s evening corresponds with the charitable organization’s annual general meeting and, additionally, will be a celebration of local artists.

Niverville’s Communities in Bloom (CIB) committee has set a hectic pace this summer. Working in partnership with the Town of Niverville, local business owners, the Hanover School Division (HSD), Niverville Funeral Aid, and a few local churches, the committee has been actively working toward a more beautiful, visitor-friendly Niverville. Evidence of their hard work is blossoming all around the town.

In the past few years, Niverville’s only licensed daycare provider, Growing Minds Child Care (GMCC), has seen limited growth. This trend is not for lack of foresight or desire, but rather, they say, a reality imposed by lack of adequate funding from the provincial government. 

On July 18, two Niverville residents presented a petition requesting an audience with the five-member council to demonstrate what Niverville residents have to say about alternative policing options. Together, Barry Piasta and Lindsay Unrau offered a list of 540 signatures which they had spent the previous three weeks collecting in a door-to-door campaign. 

Ritchot’s new council is on the job and moving quickly to conclude some pressing business that’s been on hold since the spring, most notably the municipality’s 2017 financial plan. Also, the distribution of property tax notices has been delayed.

It’s official: after years of lobbying, Niverville is getting a new high school, and the site has been identified as the future home of the Niverville Multiplex.

The recent political drama in the RM of Ritchot came to a quick end on July 19, with Chris Ewen sneaking past incumbent Jackie Hunt to be elected mayor. According to the official results, Ewen received 742 votes compared to Hunt’s 650. Other mayoral challengers included Gene Whitney (413 votes) and Marianne Curtis (106 votes). Overall voter turnout was 39 percent.

In the old days, the thieves came at night. Dressed in black they would skulk around a home or business, breaking a window here, jimmying a lock there, making off with merchandise or some petty cash before the cops showed up.