The Rural Municipality of Riverside is located in picturesque southwestern Manitoba. Dunrea, Margaret and Ninette are the major communities in Riverside. The municipality is easily accessible by Provincial Trunk Highways 23 and 18. Provincial Trunk Highway 18 forms part of the eastern boundary of Riverside. Provincial Road 346 also services the communities.
History
The CN railway was built through Ninette, Dunrea and Margaret in 1898. Officially opened on September 21st, 1900, the railway brought immigrants and much needed freight from Winnipeg.
Playing an integral part in the growth of Riverside's communities, trains helped ship farmer's grains at harvest time east to Winnipeg where they would be processed. Extra freight trains were added at harvest time to keep up with the amount of grains harvested.
Economic Base
Riverside's economy revolves around agriculture. Many of the residents in Riverside are employed directly or indirectly in farming related industries.
Major Attractions
Pelican Lake offers a multiplicity of recreational opportunities. Happyland Park and Pier 23 are only two of the many campgrounds located in Riverside.
Ninette Marina and the Yacht club Marina provide excellent sailing facilities and boat launches onto Pelican Lake, the "largest navigable body of recreational water in southwestern Manitoba".
Riverside also provides excellent services for beach volleyball and baseball tournaments. The municipality also features bird watching, deer hunting (for trophy bucks) and well marked snowmobile trails.
Facilities - Recreation, Parks, Culture
The communities of Riverside play host to many fun activities through the year. Ninette hosts the Pelican Lake Agri Fair every 3rd Saturday in June.
The Pelican Lake Regatta, in mid July, is a sure way to pull all sailing fans out for a nice summer's day of racing.
The Dunrea Flea Market attracts many from the community and elsewhere.
A plethora of bonspiels, fall fowl dinners, and craft sales also happen in Riverside's communities all throughout the year.
Other Information
Pelican Lake played host to the Canada Summer Games in 1997.
The name "Ninette" was the name given to first post office in the municipality. The origins of the name are argued, but one popular it might have been derived from the French name "Antoinette", the heroine in an old French Canadian novel.
