Local Attractions
Visit the Neepawa Tourism website for more detailed information!
Arts Forward
ArtsForward’s Gallery features monthly Artist Exhibits by world class Artists and we offer programming in health and wellness, arts, culture, inclusion, music, language, theatre and so much more.
Directions:
Located at 293 Mountain Avenue.
Hours:
Open Monday to Friday 8:30-4:30pm (Summer Hours include Sat 10 am -4:00pm)
Admission:
Free admission (donations accepted).
Phone:
204-476-3232
Beautiful Plains County Courthouse (National Heritage Site)
Constructed in 1884, one year after the incorporation of the Town of Neepawa, it remains one of the oldest surviving buildings in town and one of the oldest court houses in the prairie provinces. In 1980, the Government of Canada declared it a national historic site.
Directions:
Located at 282 Hamilton Street.
Beautiful Plains Museum
Step back in time by taking a tour through Neepawa’s Beautiful Plains Museum. The Beautiful Plains Museum, established in 1976, was relocated from Viscount School to the CNR Station. This Heritage Railway Station was built 1902 and has been home to the museum since 1981.
The museum was created as a tribute to our forefathers, in honor of their fortitude and courage. Throughout the three floors of the station you will see a general store, medical hall, log cabin, chapel and much more.
The museum is open from 01 June 2022: Tuesday to Saturday 9-5
For more information call the museum at 476-3896.
During your visit to Neepawa stop by this “must see” attraction at 91 Hamilton Street West.
Knox Presbyterian Church (Provincial Heritage Site)
A prominent monument to the Romanesque revival style of the mid-1880’s. Built in 1891, the Church stands to meet the modern practices of worship 117 years later. Dedicated as a provincial heritage site in 1992.
Directions:
Located at 396 1st Street.
The Lily Nook
Situated on the outskirts of Neepawa, Manitoba, only 2½ miles (4 km) South on Highway #5, is one of the fastest growing tourist attractions in the area. It was here that Barrie Strohmans hobby of growing and hybridizing lilies began over 30 years ago. In 1995 Barrie’s son, Nigel Strohman began the commercial operation of The LILY NOOK and released their first catalogue. Yearly a catalogue is designed and printed, which offers 150 varieties with 136 colour pictures. Bulbs are shipped throughout the world both spring and fall. On the landscaped six acre plot, over 1500 named varieties are grown spanning all nine divisions of the genus lilium. Several lilies, hybridized by Barrie Strohman have been named and registered with the Royal Horticultural Society in England with several more promising ones being selected for release. Our unending quest is to offer many more exotic blossoms for those who have discovered the excitement and pleasure their beauty can bring.
Margaret Laurence Home
The Margaret Laurence Home is operated solely by admission fees and grants. It is a costly endeavour to keep the home maintained. If you would like to make a charitable donation to the Margaret Laurence Home please contact us by phone 204-476-3612 or email us. The Margaret Laurence Home is a recognized charity and tax deductible receipts will be provided for donations of $10.00 or more.
The Margaret Laurence Home, now a designated Provincial Heritage Site and Level 2 Museum, is a living memorial to Margaret. Her approval and blessing was given in 1986 when it was purchased, It is a cultural centre where such events as writers’ workshops, book launching and Elder Hostel education programs have taken place.When the house was purchased the Margaret Laurence Home Committee, Inc. was formed, its mandate being to pay off the mortgage and to restore and renovate the structure.
in 1986, the Neepawa Area Development Corporation donated the initial seed money of $10,000.00. In 1991 McClelland and Stewart, Laurence’s publishers, gave a similar amount through the donation of 500 of her memoirs, which quickly sold. Renovations and restorations have been made through Provincial Grants and Foundations. Neepawa businesses and local citizens and others from across Canada and elsewhere were generous in assisting.
Gifts from Margaret’s children include her typewriter, doctoral robes, award certificates and much more. Many books, papers, magazines, letters, video and audio tapes are available for research or to peruse.Space is available for meetings or special outings by groups.
An annual sale of Antiques and Collectables is sponsored by the Margaret Laurence Home Committee. For collectors and dealers alike it is an important event. This year the sale will take place during the Neepawa Lily Festival. Please call the home for more information.
The Manawaka Book, Souvenir and Gift Shop offers books by Laurence and others as well as work crafted by local artists. The stamp of Margaret Laurence, released in 1996, available on a first day cover or paper weight can be purchased here.
Neepawa Golf & Country Club
One of the finest golf courses in Manitoba, this course is challenging yet responsive and fair for all caliber of golfer. Built along the escarpment of the Whitemud River, the natural beauty of this course is second to none. The well-established trees and beautiful terrain is enhanced by the winding river. The breathtaking views from the elevated tees is reason enough to visit. Take time to admire the scenery and you may be lucky enough to spot some of the wildlife inhabiting our course. Judges from the Communities in Bloom in 2003 state “The golf course has undergone a huge expansion that has been carefully done to preserve the natural beauty of the area.” Judges also cited under environmental awareness, “That the natural habitat is being protected with careful planning and professional management of the entire golf course property.”
Neepawa Land Titles Office
The Neepawa Land Titles Office is a large, red brick building located at 329 Hamilton Street. Stone medallions above the main entrance reveal the building’s construction date of 1905. Provincial Architect Samuel Hooper designed this neo-classical style building; he was an architect and builder easily at the head of his profession. Some other buildings of interest accredited to him include the Winnipeg Law Courts, Brandon and Minnedosa Court Houses, St. Mary’s Academy, Winnipeg Land Titles, Winnipeg’s Carnegie Library, the Portage Jail and many of the University of Manitoba buildings such as Tache Hall. The contractor for our building was Fussee & McFeetors; it was built at a cost of $15,000.00.
The front entrance is arched with limestone, as are the steps, windowsills, and foundation. The Romanesque inspired archway is one of the main attractions, and in the early days it provided a location for many people to have their pictures taken.
This building was considered at one time one of the more spacious and “best-appointed” buildings in the Land Titles system providing some 3,800 square feet of space of which 1,750 square feet is vault and storage area. There are two fireproof storage vaults on the main floor for storage of current documents and titles. The basement also has two fireproof rooms both of which are used for documents. Accumulation of thousands of documents throughout the years once caused a serious storage problem that we no longer have today due to legislation and the continuation of the microfilm program. The interior was arranged into offices for the District Registrar and staff; it was finished with a pressed metal ceiling and elaborate woodwork. The public waiting area originally featured a skylight that no longer exists today.
In the early days of land settlement, this part of Manitoba was divided into small districts each with a land registration office where people could register their Crown Grants; and as time went by, the changes of ownership and all other documents pertaining to land holdings. A Crown Grant is a document issued by the Crown as the first title to land. Before a Crown Grant could be issued to a homesteader the Dominion Lands Act required that each homesteader provide proof the land had been improved. If after three years he had complied with the stipulated requirements, he was issued a Crown Grant to the quarter section.
Neepawa and surrounding area was known as Beautiful Plains, and it is reported that the registration office was first located in the County Court building until our current building was constructed. Other similar districts included Russell, Shoal Lake, Minnedosa, and part of Westbourne. These smaller divisions were amalgamated into a very large district known as the Neepawa Land Titles District. The southern part of the district was bounded on the south by Township 12, on the North by Township 45, on the West by the Saskatchewan boundary, and on the East by Range 12, all of which lie West of the Principal Meridian. The Northern portion consisted of all portions of Manitoba lying North of Township 44 and extending to the Arctic Ocean.
As settlements in the Roblin, Dauphin, and Swan River areas developed, it was deemed necessary that a Land Titles District Office be built in Dauphin. The portion taken from Neepawa to create this district in 1912 (7 years later) covered approximately the area north of Riding Mountain Park and south of Township 45.
For many years our office was considered the largest in its area and second only to Winnipeg in volume and fees. The number of Land Titles districts has also changed over the years as there used to be as many as nine offices: Winnipeg, Portage, Brandon, Morden, Neepawa, Boissevain, Carman, Virden, and Dauphin. Carman Land Titles has since moved to Morden; Boissevain Land Titles has since moved to Brandon; and in 1985, the Northern part of our district moved to Portage. The six districts in operation now are Winnipeg, Brandon, Portage, Morden, Neepawa, and Dauphin.
In 1980 tragedy hit the Neepawa Land Titles office: it was broken into and fires were set in five different places. Thanks to our caretaker at the time, Russell Craig, who came to work early that Saturday morning was able to call in help immediately, keeping the damage to a minimum. In the basement, apparently two of the five fires had burned and smoldered for several hours resulting, thankfully, in only a limited number of destroyed documents. The majority of the damage was from smoke and water and the smell lasted for several months afterwards.
Over the years, there have been many changes in the format of a Land Title. In the beginning all titles were approximately 14” by 17” in size, included the District Registrar’s red seal, and were written by hand. It wasn’t until 1961 (approx. 75 years later) that titles were no longer hand written thanks to the advent of the typewriter. In 1989 the size changed to 14” by 8 1/2” and instead of the red seal, the green Manitoba Buffalo emblem graced the document. And today, since 1999, we have been computerized with all new titles entered into an electronic system.
Neepawa Titans
The Neepawa Titans (formerly Neepawa Natives) is one of the oldest franchises in Manitoba.
The Titans began in 1949 as they played as an Intermediate hockey team playing in the Big Six Intermediate Hockey League. When the NHL only had six teams, many quality players played amateur hockey and moved on to higher levels while honing their skill in leagues like the BSIHL.
The Big Six Intermediate Hockey League (BSIHL) was an Intermediate ‘A’ hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The league was very competitive as it had dozens former and future NHLers including Hockey Hall of Famer Bryan Hextall and Neepawa Titan Jimmy Creighton, who played with the Detroit Red Wings. The senior team played well into the 1970’s in which they won many provincial titles and the league’s Ross Trophy.
The junior installment of the Neepawa Titans began in 1989 where they have enjoyed 26 years in the MJHL. The Neepawa Titans have a rich and proud history of developing players for all levels of hockey. We have a proud history and have had many successful seasons reaching the MJHL Finals in 1996 and the meeting in the division finals seven times.
Neepawa keeps close ties with it alumni and we celebrate the accomplishments on a regular basis. These accomplishments include many players who have moved onto higher levels of hockey like the NCAA, Major Junior, CIS and professional ranks.
Riverside Cemetery
Rotary Park & Bird Sanctuary
Offers picnic shelter, toilet facility, water taps, playground and the Exotic Bird Sanctuary; including many varieties of waterfowl, pheasants, peacocks and other animals.
Directions:
Located 1 km South of Hwy #16 (off 1st Ave.) on the South side of Park Lake.
Hours:
Day use only. For a group tour please contact Brenda at 204-476-3787
Roxy Theatre
Built in 1906 and recently restored for it’s 100th anniversary, the historic Roxy Theatre is one of the best places in the country to enjoy the full theatre experience. Affordable prices, great movies, distinguished theater productions, and a terrific family atmosphere are all features of this incredible landmark.
Directions:
Located at 291 Hamilton Street.