Landing Site Memorial
History of the Site
Since time immemorial, the site at the confluence of the Rat and Red Rivers has been a meeting place for Indigenous people of the region. To capitalize on that traffic, the North West Company operated a trading post just east of here, from 1796-97. And later, this was where Mennonite immigrants from Ukraine (at the time called “South Russia”) stepped off steam powered river boats onto Treaty 1 land. In total, about 3500 Mennonites arrived here on this very site from 1874-76. This was the first large block of European settlers to Manitoba.
In 1994, a stone monument was set up to commemorate the significance of the site for the 1870s Mennonites. The cairn was dedicated in September of that year by former Premier Ed Schreyer, accompanied by a reenactment of the story starring many Niverville locals.
Project Details
Project completed by Dr. Wilbert C. Loewen, Orlando Hiebert, and Frank Dueck.
Our Mission
We seek to foster an understanding of and respect for the history and beliefs of the Mennonite people in the past and present, and to challenge them to give new expression to this heritage in the future.
Support Our Efforts
Help celebrate and preserve the Mennonite story, ensuring our history is passed on to the next generation.