Riverton, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
Riverton is a village
in the province
of Manitoba
in Canada
located approximately 110 kilometres north of Winnipeg
. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Bifrost
. The CPR
's train conductor is reputed to have named the town.
Riverton has a small population of around 600 people. The main economy is fishing
. The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation operates a fish-packing factory on the banks of the Icelandic River, which passes through the centre of Riverton. Other industries include agriculture
and the service sector, with manufacturing a distant third. Being in a unique position on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg
, Riverton services the northern communities via a winter road
. It is on the way to Hecla Island Provincial Park
and many people from Winnipeg stop in or pass by the village on the way to cottage country
each summer.
player Reggie Leach
.
The current mayor is Colin Bjarnason. As in many small towns, the position of mayor is not full-time. The mayor works a regular job at the provincial park.
total solar eclipse
. This total solar eclipse was part of Saros cycle 120, Series 59. Riverton hosted astronomers and eclipse chasers from across the world, providing free rooms to many of the visitors.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
located approximately 110 kilometres north of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Bifrost
Bifrost, Manitoba
Bifrost is a rural municipality located in the Interlake Region of Manitoba, Canada. The municipality lies on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg and has a population of about 2,750 people...
. The CPR
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
's train conductor is reputed to have named the town.
Riverton has a small population of around 600 people. The main economy is fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation operates a fish-packing factory on the banks of the Icelandic River, which passes through the centre of Riverton. Other industries include agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and the service sector, with manufacturing a distant third. Being in a unique position on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
, Riverton services the northern communities via a winter road
Winter road
Winter roads are temporary highways carved out of snow and ice. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north....
. It is on the way to Hecla Island Provincial Park
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
and many people from Winnipeg stop in or pass by the village on the way to cottage country
Cottage country
Cottage country is a common name in Eastern Canada for areas that are popular locations for recreational properties such as cottages and summer homes. The name is often applied locally; that is, any major population centre may have its own popular "cottage country" area...
each summer.
Education
- Riverton Collegiate InstituteRiverton Collegiate InstituteRiverton Collegiate Institute is a high school located in Riverton, Manitoba in the municipality of Bifrost in the Interlake Region, Manitoba....
- Riverton Early Middle SchoolRiverton Early Middle SchoolRiverton Early Middle School is a school located in the town of Riverton, Manitoba. It has a current population of 160 students from Kindergarten to Grade 7....
- Mennville Christian School (closed)
Notable residents
Riverton is the hometown of former professional ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player Reggie Leach
Reggie Leach
Reginald Joseph Leach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, California Golden Seals, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. He is best known for his time in Philadelphia, winning a Stanley Cup with...
.
The current mayor is Colin Bjarnason. As in many small towns, the position of mayor is not full-time. The mayor works a regular job at the provincial park.
The 26 February 1979 Total Solar Eclipse
Riverton was the closest town to the point of maximum totality for the 26 February 1979 Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979
In astronomy, a total solar eclipse occurred on Monday, February 26, 1979. The central shadow of the moon passed through the northwestern U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana , the Midwestern state of North Dakota, and the central and eastern Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan,...
total solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
. This total solar eclipse was part of Saros cycle 120, Series 59. Riverton hosted astronomers and eclipse chasers from across the world, providing free rooms to many of the visitors.