Rivers, an unincorporated urban community in the Riverdale Municipality, is nestled within the Canadian province of Manitoba. Situated 40 kilometres northwest of Brandon and 473 metres above sea level, Rivers is a part of the Westman Region in Southwestern Manitoba. The community thrives on agriculture, health, and related businesses, providing a steady income for the area. As of the 2016 census, Rivers had a population of 1,257 people.
Rivers was christened in 1908, named after Sir Charles Rivers Wilson, the Chairman of the Board of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. During the Second World War, Rivers played a crucial role as one of the sites in Canada that helped pinpoint the positions of German U-boats using high-frequency direction finding. This site, along with Portage la Prairie, significantly increased the "fix" accuracy on the U-boats. Rivers held town status until January 1, 2015, when it was dissolved due to its provincially mandated amalgamation with the Rural Municipality of Daly to form Riverdale Municipality.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Rivers recorded a population of 971 living in 401 of its 428 total private dwellings. This marked a change of -26.7% from its 2016 population of 1,325. With a land area of 7.98 km2, Rivers had a population density of 121.7/km2 in 2021.
Just east of Rivers lies Lake Wahtopanah, a 6-mile long lake that forms part of Rivers Provincial Park. This natural attraction adds to the charm of Rivers, making it a must-visit destination for nature lovers.
Rivers is home to CFB Rivers, a former military base located 4 miles west of the community, which was decommissioned in 1971. The community is served by Provincial Trunk Highway 25 (PTH 25) and Provincial Road 250 (PR 250). PTH 25 terminates just southwest of Rivers at the unincorporated community of Wheatland, while PR 250 intersects and briefly overlaps with PTH 25. Rivers station also serves as a station stop for Via Rail's The Canadian.
Rivers has made its mark in media as well. In "The Railrodder," Buster Keaton passes through Rivers. The first chapter of the 2022 Keaton biography "Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life" is aptly titled "Rivers, Manitoba".
