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We acknowledge the
financial support of the
Government of Canada
through the
Canada Periodical Fund
of the Department of
Canadian Heritage.

Volume 133 Issue 36

6LQFH

Friday, November 20, 2015

www.minnedosatribune.com

90 cents plus tax

Electrical Failure Destroys Sandy Lake Clubhouse

By JEFF PEARSON

he clubhouse at the Sandy Lake Golf Course was

completely destroyed by fire on Thursday, November
12th following an early morning fire that left only the attached four-bedroom house standing, but destroyed inside. Toni and Ryan Andreychuk have owned the Sandy
Lake Golf Course since 2010 and had the property up for
sale in early October. The Clubhouse and Nine Hole Golf
Course were listed at $624,900 according to a Facebook
post. Damages as a result of the fire have been estimated
at $600,000.
Luckily no one was in the structure and no injuries
were reported, said Harrison-Park Fire Chief Chad Davies. The 911 call came in approximately 5:45 a.m. and 35
firefighters from the Sandy Lake, Erickson, Onanole and
Newdale Fire Departments responded to battle the blazing inferno. Calling upon the resources of four local Fire
Departments is an emergency measure under our provinces Mutual Aid System, allowing for as much resources
necessary to extinguish a fire. Four fire engines and three
water tank trucks along with other essential equipment
helped the team of firefighters eventually defeat the
flames.
The fire at the Sandy Lake Golf Course has been determined as accidental due to an electrical failure in the
Pro Shop, stated a spokesperson for the Office of the Fire
Commissioner following its investigation into this devastating blaze.

Photo by Darryl Holyk

Minnedosa Welcomes New Handi Van

By JEFF PEARSON

Photo by Jeff Pearson

Len Luker, Maxine Woodcock and Tony Mullie with the new Handi Van.

ince the Handi Van

service switched to the
Service to Seniors Office in
early October the tires are
making many more miles!
Len Luker, Vice-Chair of
the Handi Van Association,
and Tony Mullie, Volunteer
Driver both commented
they are getting more calls
since the switch. It may
have been because folks
thought the Handi Van was
only used for the Personal
Care Home before, not
sure, but the demand for
service is increasing since
the change, said Len.
More calls means
more miles, a greater need
for volunteer drivers and a
newer more fuel-efficient

Handi Van that only requires a class five license

to operate.
The old Handi Van was
in dire need of replacement
because of its high mileage
and costly repair upkeep.
When the association
made the decision to start
shopping they wanted to
get a vehicle that only required a class five to drive
in the hopes of attracting
more volunteer drivers.
The old van required drivers to possess a class four
license, which not many
people have or wanted
to get. Purchased from
Move Mobility in Winnipeg the brand new 2016
Handi Van was delivered
to Minnedosa on Friday,
November 6th. The cost

was just over $60,000 after

the trade-in and the GST
rebate, which fit within
the budget of the Replacement Vehicle Fund. This
means outsourcing for
additional money was not
required. The new Handi Van is much easier to
drive, it rides and handles
better, and its very easy
to quickly rearrange, or
remove, seats to accommodate wheelchairs, explained Tony. Passengers
are also in for a treat with
larger windows making
road trips much more scenic and a smoother suspension for a more comfortable ride.

Continued
on Page 3