History repeated itself this past weekend with a fire that heavily damaged the new Minnewasta Golf and Country Club clubhouse and restaurant.
A New Year’s Eve gala had just celebrated the official reopening of the facility, which was built after a massive blaze three years ago destroyed the previous historic building.
General manager and head professional Greg Hesom said it was a feeling of utter disbelief when word got to him about the fire, which started in the early morning hours Sunday.
“I wouldn’t say I’m exactly over the shock of it just yet,” he said when reached late Monday afternoon.
“It was a very busy two days,” he said, noting there was a lot of time spent with firefighters and investigators and then also with making initial contact with the insurance company. “I hadn’t really had a lot of time to sit down and really let it all sink in yet.”
It is impossible to have an accurate assessment at this point, but there is certainly hope that it may not be a complete loss like last time.
“The fire department did a great job,” Hesom said. “The pro shop and the simulator room are still standing. Obviously, there was a lot of water in there and some damage … but it’s really hard to know. It’s going to be a wait and see …”
And all that is known at this point is that the fire started in the kitchen area.
“That’s really all we know and anything else would be just speculation and guessing,” said Hesom.
The emergency call came in around 2:20 a.m., and the volunteer fire crew was there within five to 10 minutes, shared Morden Fire Chief Andy Thiessen, who said they did an initial interior attack to get a handle on the inside of the building.
“But the fire had gotten into the ceiling area,” he said. “So we worked at that for at least eight hours or more to get into that confined space in the ceiling.
“The fire seemed to have started in the kitchen area somewhere. It’s under investigation now where exactly that took place, but we were hoping to get a little more information from the cameras and other stuff.”
Morden Fire made use of their mutual aid agreements with other departments to battle the blaze, with Winkler’s firefighters being called to the scene early on.
“I needed their ladder and manpower,” said Thiessen, who added they then called in Plum Coulee volunteers as well around four or five a.m. “It was for the manpower as well because our guys were just getting frozen. We still had a lot of work to do, so we called them all in for help. They showed up and did us a real blessing for sure.”
It was a very challenging situation all around.
“The weather was one thing; darkness was another … especially the cold. Water and cold don’t get along very well,” said Thiessen. “It was a real challenge. “The guys did extraordinarily well. I have to give them kudos for not giving up. They kept on going at it.”
He noted it was a bit of a struggle at first to put your personal thoughts and feelings aside.
“I came down the hill, and I could see smoke and flame coming from the ceiling, and I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ The initial 30 seconds was heartbreak, but then you’ve got to just get to work and try to stop it as best as you can.”
It is heartbreaking for the whole community, the chief noted.
“So many use it for raising funds,” he said, while expressing hope it might not be a complete loss. “It looks awful, but it’s maybe not quite as bad as you might think … and I think everyone will bounce back. We’re a resilient bunch.”
Hesom as well has been thankful for the support from the community.
“The community support already has been just absolutely amazing,” he said.
“We’re really hoping we’re not going to have to really go back to the community [for funds to rebuild],” he added. “They’ve given a lot … obviously its support is much appreciated. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with the insurance, but hopefully it pretty much covers the loss of the building.”
Hesom noted an update went out to their membership Monday, and the process now will obviously take some time.
“We’ll plan and try to be ready for when we get the go-ahead, but it’s going to be a waiting game. It will take a while.
“We have to be cautious with our optimism,” he added. “Unfortunately, we know how to operate without a clubhouse. We had done it for the last three seasons … so we will have to move back into the old pro shop, and we still have the snack shack … we will have to rebook a tent and do business as we had for the last three seasons.”
Mayor Nancy Penner agreed that this situation is devastating for the entire community.
“It hits at so many levels,” she said, noting it was exciting to have a new restaurant option in Santa Lucia as well as a venue that supports so many vital fundraisers, not to forget the employment opportunities the facility provides.
“It hits the community at so many different levels,” she said. “It’s so heartbreaking.
“We have a strong community, and I know the support will rise up,” Penner said. “People will come together … it just shows the community spirit that we have here.”
