Ninette's original post office was established in 1883 on a site near Overend Lake. It was later moved, following the construction of the Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway in the area, to its current site near Pelican Lake, closer to the railway. In June 1926, Ninette became an unincorporated village. There are multiple theories as to the name of the community, including being named informally for a French actress or waitress, the deceased daughter of a local resident, or a character in a novel that was being read by a postal inspector in the area, the name being short for Antoinette. The Manitoba Sanatorium, a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients in the province, opened in May 1910 nearby on Pelican Lake's north shore, causing a growth in Ninette's population from the sanatorium's staff and patients' families, especially as its capacity quadrupled in its first 13 years. The sanatorium closed in 1972 after the development and prevalence of tuberculosis drugs and other treatments made the facility obsolete.
Demographics
As of the 2016 Canadian census, the population of Ninette was 221, a 1.3% decrease from its population of 224 in the 2011 census. The median age was 53.7 years old, 12.7 years older than the national average of 41.0. There were 110 private dwellings, 105 of which were occupied. English-speakers comprise the vast majority of Ninette's population. In terms of Canada's official languages, 95.3% of the population speaks exclusively English, while the remaining 4.7% speaks both English and French. No other languages are spoken or known in the community. Of those in Ninette aged 15 or older, 48.7% are married, 15.4% are living with a common-law partner, 23% have never been married, 2.6% are separated, 5.1% are divorced, and 7.7% are widowed. Of the census families in Ninette, 71.4% consist of two persons, 21.4% consist of three persons, and the remaining 7.1% consist of five or more persons. The average size of a census family is 2.4 persons. Out of all of Ninette's couple census families, 66.7% are without children, while 25% have one child, and 8.3% have three or more children.
Transportation
Ninette is located along the intersection of Manitoba Highways 18 and 23, which connects it to several other communities in the region, as well as the North Dakota border and the Pembina Valley region of the province.
