Winnipeg Beach council is considering options for the management of the community centre’s canteen after a fire this summer resulted in council accepting a request from Carlo’s Cucina to terminate its canteen lease agreement and the town’s recreation department then stepping up with an offer to run it.
In its letter to council, the recreation department said local businesses – the General Store and Parks Groceries – would help supply some of the food items.
The canteen would need one full-time person to manage duties such as stock, organization, cleaning, shopping and deposits, and a few part-time staff for evenings and weekends.
“Running the canteen would consist of basic food: burgers, hotdogs, fries, onion rings, nachos, pizza, chips and candy,” states the letter which is linked to council’s Oct. 9 agenda. “Your canteen beverages are coffee, hot chocolate, tea, water, pop and sports drinks. We would also sell hockey-related items [such as] tape, mouthguards, water bottles and laces.”
Staff working in the canteen would need to get a food handler’s certificate through a training course and the canteen could also be licensed, which would bring in extra revenue from events such as socials and parties.
The recreation department also suggested exploring the feasibility of having a lunch counter during the week, with healthy meals such as soup, salad and sandwiches being offered.
Chief Administrative officer Sharon Desiatnyk said council considered the recreation department’s request and asked for further information about costs.
Council’s resolution (No. 2024/419) asks the recreation manager to “put forward a cost comparison between the proposed use of [the] canteen and vending machine installation by Oct. 23, 2025.”
Desiatnyk said Carlo’s Cucina was not held liable for the fire. Carlo’s had asked council to terminate the lease agreement, and at its June 26 meeting, council adopted a resolution (No. 2024/270) accepting the restaurant’s notice of termination.
The restaurant had fewer than four months remaining in its lease agreement, which did not have an early termination clause.
Other council news:
-The resignation of Winnipeg Beach mayor Pamela Jackson during council’s Sept. 25 meeting was not reflected in the meeting minutes, but council formally accepted her resignation at its Oct. 9 meeting.
-Council will be presenting a proposed strategic plan and hearing from its consultant at an upcoming council meeting where more information about the plan will be provided.
“The consultant is scheduled to be a delegation at the Oct. 23 … council meeting,” said Desiatnyk.
Council had passed a resolution (No. 2024/395) at its Sept. 25 meeting, accepting the strategic plan proposal that was presented by GovFox [Municipal Consulting], which is based in the Interlake. The resolution states that the town recognizes the importance of a “clear and comprehensive strategic plan to guide our initiatives and resource allocation” and that the strategic planning process involves “extensive consultation with stakeholders, community members and experts to ensure a thorough understanding of our current landscape and future goals.”
-The town proposes to remove a diesel generator and hose that’s used to pump effluent from the wastewater lagoon’s primary cell to the secondary cells north of Kernstead Road, and push a forcemain pipe under the road to connect to the existing lift station and electric pump. It submitted an application for the work to the province for approval.
“As Kernstead Road is not under the jurisdiction of the Town of Winnipeg Beach, the province requires evidence that approval for the proposed crossing has been obtained by the owner, and in this situation being, the RM of St Andrews,” said Desiatnyk in a written summary for council. “The town engineer has prepared a suitable agreement for a situation such as this and is attached for council review.”
The town has to enter in to an agreement with the RM of St. Andrews before the project can get underway.
Council adopted a resolution (No. 2024/422) at its Oct. 9 meeting approving the draft agreement and having it forwarded to St. Andrews for consideration.
-Don and Lori Sul of the Winnipeg Beach Food Connection thanked mayor and council in a Sept. 22 letter for allowing them to fundraise during the town’s classic car show in September. The Food Connection raised almost $330 and an estimated 70 to 80 pounds of food, which will help people in the community and surrounding areas.
– Council thanked Alan Dan from Sherwin-Williams Paint Store in Winnipeg for his generous donation of paint for the town’s caboose restoration project.
“Your support has made a significant impact on our project, allowing us to preserve a piece of our town’s history for future generations to enjoy,” wrote council in a Sept. 25 letter. “The vibrant colours you provided will help bring the caboose back to life and serve as a proud symbol of our community’s heritage.”
Volunteers gave the former Canadian Pacific Railway caboose a fresh coat of paint last month. CPR had donated the caboose to the town in the 1980s in recognition of the town being a lakeside destination for Winnipeggers – who’d ride the rails from the city – in the first half of the twentieth century to enjoy the town’s rollercoaster, dance hall and beach.
