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Vol. 130 No. 7 Friday, April 27, 2012 Minnedosa, Manitoba Canada R0J 1E0 90 cents + tax

inside
this week

Original water plant demolished

By DARRYL HOLYK

T
New tourism signs in place

10 6

Volunteers clean-up

Rolled and abandoned

he Towns first water treatment plant, located along 2nd Ave. N.E. behind Valley Motor Lodge was under demolition this week. Clint Moffat and Sons were awarded the job by Town Council at a price tag of $37,500 plus GST. Work began last Friday by removing earth that was covering the south reservoir. Th e old treatment plant had two reservoirs one on the north and one on the south sides of the main building. Monday, demolition of the south reservoir began using a large jack hammer on a track-hoe to break-up the thick concrete roof and walls of the reservoirs. This left a tangled mess of rebar and concrete to be cleaned up and hauled offsite. Th e water treatment plant was built by James Quinn Construction of Winnipeg during 195253. The installation of the communitys waterworks and sewage project was completed for $385,000, a small cry from what a similar project would cost today. In the October 15, 1953 edition of Th Tribune e it is reported that Quinn had 18 men working on the water and sewer installation project with two backhoes, one dragline and two bulldozers. Th e old treatment plant was the scene of the official opening of Minnedosas waterworks

Photo by Darryl Holyk

A tangled mess of rebar and concrete is pictured as Clint Moffat watches his son, Brook remove demolition debris from the south resevoir of Minnedosas original water treatment plant.
project. Th is event took place on December 10th, 1953 at 3 p.m. when then Manitoba Premier Douglas L. Campbell opened the valve at the plant to turn on the water to supply the community. About 175 people were reported in attendance at the opening ceremony which was followed by a banquet at the Legion Hall in which some 250 residents attended. Town Foreman, Arnold Graham was Minnedosas fi rst water plant operator. Lyle Cooper started working there in 1959. The plant served the community for only ten years and was closed in 1963 when the wells north of the golf course were dug and the water treatment plant just south of todays Husky plant was commissioned. This plant underwent a major upgrade and expansion a few years back and continues to serve the community, along with a second water treatment plant located east of the golf course which was built in the mid-1990s.

Opening May 1st, 2012

Friday, May 11th & Saturday, May 12th