According to the 2016 census, the Town of Niverville grew by just over 30% since 2011 but did not quite reach 5,000 residents.

Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck says according to the census data released Wednesday morning there are 4,610 residents in Niverville which is very close to what town council had estimated. He notes this number is significant because if a town breaks the 5,000 resident mark their share of RCMP funding goes up significantly.

Dyck says coming in at 4,610 people keeps options for future policing in Niverville open.

"Policing is obviously front and centre for our community. We started exactly a year ago in preparation for exactly this day today, meeting with the Ministry of Justice saying if we broach the 5,000 mark, can we get some more information. What that would have done for us is that would have eliminated some of the options for us. We still would have had options, we just would have had less options."

Dyck says currently the town could stick with status quo and not change their approach to policing if they chose. He notes Niverville can also look at paying more to fund more RCMP officers for the area, they can establish an independent police service, or increase public safety through private security. He adds the town is still discussing their options for the future, but in the meantime, they are promoting the Niverville Crime Prevention Program and increased surveillance.

Dyck says it is humbling to see that so many people are choosing to call Niverville home. He notes many housing developers have been investing in Niverville and those investments are paying off. He adds Niverville's growth many also lead to more funding from other levels of government.

"There is funding that is on a per-capita basis, so even though we have had, for the last couple of years, a population over 4,000 we are still being given per-capita grant money based on our 2011 numbers. That is one of the challenges when you are in a significant growth phase because the needs are now, but the money is still as it was beck then."

Dyck says looking forward to the next five years, they anticipate Niverville to continue to grow, though maybe not by 30%. He says with the growth that they have experienced over the last few years, they also anticipate one or two new schools to be constructed in Niverville.