Delta Marsh History Initiative, Steering Committee Meeting
9:00 am, 21 October 2002
Home of Shirley Christianson, Portage la Prairie
Present: Barry Bills, Maurice Blanchard, Shirley Christianson, Denzil Gamble, Gordon Goldsborough (sec), Heidi den Haan, Bob Jones, Cynthia Jordan, Shirley Love, Myrna Mackey, Winnie Pauch, Glen Suggett
A welcome was extended to Cynthia Jordan, whose family have been long-time Delta cottagers.
1. Minutes of the last meeting (16 September) were approved by consensus without corrections. Gamble noted that he was the one who had mentioned the Garrioch diary at the 10 June meeting. He had seen the diary and transcribed it onto audio tape, and has a copy of the tape. He will try to determine who has the original diary.
2. Delta discoveries:
a) Mackey reported the existence of photographs of her Campbell relatives at Delta Beach, and Dave McDonald with four kids. She will arrange to borrow them for copying.
b) Bills reported that Irene Ogilvie (nee McAllister) has photos, from 1939 to 1941, dealing with the Delta school, store, her home, and a man with horses. He will arrange to borrow them for copying.
c) Mackey reported that Mrs. Morris has photos of Delta related to picnics by train, Saskatoon picnics, and trapping. She will arrange to borrow them for copying.
d) In response to a tip from Mackey, Goldsborough had exchanged email with Gerry Kissack whose grandfather, James Kissack, was a long-time caretaker of the Lakewood Country Club. Mr. Kissack has photos, maps, and other documents pertaining to the club. Goldsborough will arrange to meet with him.
e) According to the High Bluff history book, the High Bluff Country Club maintained a clubhouse in the marsh until disbanding several years ago. The last secretary was Cliff Steeden, who resides in Portage. Goldsborough suggested that he might have information about the club’s activities. Love indicated that she would be seeing Mr. Steeden later that day, and would ask him about it.
f) Suggett reported that he had been speaking with his neighbor Monty Simpson about the Younghusband Lodge, and will follow up with a formal interview. He asked Goldsborough to send him a copy of Pauch’s interview questions used this summer by Sian Bumsted.
g) Other potential sources of information were identified: Dale Caswell (Harry Collins Avenue, St. Vital), and Bob Carmichael (son of Barb and Harvey, brother to Jody, he has a Delta cottage).
h) Love brought a copy of Ducks Unlimited Story by Jimmy Robinson, and DU brochures about its proposal for development of the marsh in the 1980s. These were borrowed by Christianson.
i) Goldsborough reported on his progress scanning photos at Sports Afield Lodge. To date, most of the photos on the walls of one room have been scanned, over 500 in total. He had received help from Suggett and others.
j) Suggett is looking for information on the Younghusband Lodge. Apparently, Jimmy Robinson owned it for a time, then he moved to St. Ambroise. Blanchard said, in relation to Robinson, that a man named Miller (of Miller Beer fame) was killed in a plane crash while traveling to Manitoba for a duck shoot; Blanchard had been waiting at the airport for him. Miller had been a major source of income for Robinson’s lodge operations, and Blanchard suspects that his death may have instigated Robinson’s move to St. Ambroise.
k) Christianson provided two short articles on Delta from recent issues of the Daily Graphic.
l) Love provided printouts of the postmasters of Delta from the web site of the National Archives of Canada.
3. Publicity:
a) Fish fry – Christianson reported that the $25 charge for use of the Herman Prior Center (reduced because we were overcharged for our last fish fry there) will be further reduced to nil because they had found $80 that had been taken in for tickets to the last fish fry. We have a credit of $55 that can be applied to the cost of the caretaker for the upcoming one on 23 November. Some of the donations received to date for the silent auction were listed by Christianson, and ways to carry out the auction without requiring ticket purchasers to remain for the entire fish fry were discussed. Christianson will organize a separate meeting of herself, Jordan, Mackey, den Haan, Pauch and Love to make final plans for the auction. Love suggested that we ask McCains for a donation of cakes instead of pies because they do not require cooking beforehand. There was general agreement on the idea. Her firm, Legacy Accounting Services, will donate ice cream, along with other Portage business. Goldsborough printed 500 tickets and delivered them to Christianson and Bills. Goldsborough will check with Poschenrieder to see if he will make signs for use on the day of the fish fry. Bills will check if it is possible to use the roadside sign at Fort La Reine to announce the fish fry. Christianson will arrange for coffee service and for orange drink concentrate from McDonalds. Pauch will bring her special coffee. Goldsborough will mail posters about the fish fry to people in Winnipeg who might be interested in attending. He will also post a notice on portageonline.com.
b) Newsletter – The next newsletter will be prepared for circulation in January 2003. Committee members should send any material that could be used in it to Goldsborough as soon as possible.
4. Other business:
a) Christmas party – Goldsborough asked if there was any preference on the menu for the upcoming dinner, to which there was general agreement to go with turkey dinner with trimmings. Desserts and beverages will also be similar to last year.
5. Next meeting: The next meeting will be held at the home of Shirley Christianson (118 Wilkinson Crescent, Portage la Prairie) at 9:00 am on Monday, 25 November.
6. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 am.