About

Mission

The Rivers Train Station Restoration Committee members are dedicated to the Restoration, Renovation & Rejuvenation of the Rivers Train Station to a viable property for heritage preservation and economic development. To ensure the Community & Area have an opportunity to Connect with the Past while creating a Vision for the Future.

Heritage

The station is a federally designated heritage site.

Canada’s First “Green” Heritage Station

The method of restoration will be carried out following the most environmentally efficient criteria making this Canada’s first ‘green’ heritage train station!

Plans for the Building

The building is 4,000 square feet and does have a second story (no plans for up there yet). From the east to the west side of the building, the plans include:

• Where the old beanery was would be a small museum (physical and virtual), including a tourist information spot.
• Proceeding west, the next area would be the home for The Rivers and Area Community Foundation. This would have a boardroom for community use. The Foundation made a decision to have its final home here because the farmer who left the money to get the foundation started used to come and sit and watch the trains go by. That was Bernard and Iola Goekoop.
• 500 square feet would be next as a space for VIA Rail passengers complete with washrooms that would service the whole area.
• The last space to the west where currently the baggage area and ticket area is on the main floor would be used for arts & cultural space. This is where local painters and any artists could use the space for their work and displaying or selling their work.

Funding

Funding for restoration is being made possible through grants, corporate and individual support, as well as fundraising.

Only VIA Rail Boarding Station in Western Manitoba

VIA Rail Canada has sited Rivers as the only boarding station west of Portage la Prairie into eastern Saskatchewan, and between the north and south Manitoba borders.