Riverton, Manitoba

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Riverton is a small village in the province of Manitoba in Canada located approximately 110 kilometers north of Winnipeg. The main economy is fishing. Other industries include agriculture, and the service sector, with manufacturing a distant third. Being in a unique position on the westshore of Lake Winnipeg, it services the northern communities via a winter road. Riverton 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. There is a small population of around 600 people. The main attraction is the Sandy Bar beach. There are two schools: an elementary and a high school. The fishing industry still thrives as the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation continue to operate a fish packing factory on the banks of the Icelandic River, which passes through the center of Riverton. The town is reputed to have been named by the CPR's train conductor.

several business enterprises have come and gone, among others:

A large sawmill; the Canadian Pacific Railway line in the community; the local grain elevator; a plow works that operated briefly; the Riverton Boats Works which built many lake freighters.

[edit] Notable residents

Riverton is the home town of former professional ice hockey player Reggie Leach. The town is quite wealthy and is a friendly environment and has a good hockey team. A stereotypical "Hockey Town".

The current Mayor is Colin Bjarnason. Like many small villages, the mayor position is not a full-time position and the mayor works a regular job at the provincial park.

Riverton is noted for being one of the first Canadian settlements of Icelandic immigrants in the nineteenth century. Later immigrations included Ukrainian, Polish and Mennonite peoples. The original habitants have been the Cree and Metis aboriginal nations, which still reside in the village and surrounding areas.

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