All aboard!
- Details
- Published on Thursday, July 14, 2016
Photo courtesy of Vern May. Kendall Prettie (left) and Samantha Smith stand at Minnedosa’s new vistors’ centre.
By Vern May
Submitted
Two community needs came together to create an innovative solution in Minnedosa this summer, and visitors to the community will reap the benefit. Last week, the community opened a visitor information centre in Tanner's Crossing Park, bringing the iconic Canadian Pacific locomotive and caboose back to life in the process.
The valley community of 2,500 sees a rush of activity throughout the summer, both from the slate of events hosted by the community as well as showcase amenities, including the popular Minnedosa Beach. However, without a centralized visitor information centre, it has been felt that first-time guests may be missing out on some of the community's hidden gems. Discussions began last year at the Tourism committee to re-introduce a seasonal resource for this purpose. The challenge was identifying a location. When last operated, the visitor information booth was located at the rest stop northwest of town until Council discontinued funding.
At the same time, the community has been exploring options for an exterior renewal of the Tanner's Crossing train, particularly the caboose, which has been showing signs of wear in recent years. The park, and the train itself, are popular attractions for both residents and visitors and have become central to a community theme that has been expanded throughout the town. In recent weeks, fresh paint and the replacement of windows have contributed to a refreshed look on the exterior that has generated a great deal of curiosity to see what's inside.
Marrying the need for a visitor information site with the interest for some renewal of the community attraction set the stage for a visitor information centre to be located in the train caboose. The centre officially opened in time for the Minnedosa Fun Fest weekend, welcoming dozens of visitors on opening day last Friday. The centre is open seven days a week from 9:30 am to 6 pm and hosts a wealth of local and regional resources on site, as well as some great free Minnedosa souvenirs.
