Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
If everything goes to plan, a new hotel could swing its doors open by mid-summer in Killarney.
“We’re really excited about it and it’s something that we’ve been negotiating for some time now,” said entrepreneur Will Goodon.
The new lodging will be a single-level hotel that will combine prefabricated units with on-site building. The hotel will offer close to 30 rooms for guests, located right beside the Shamrock Centre, a multipurpose facility that was opened in 2008.
“There will be some parts that we will build ourselves, in particular, the lobby area which will be a good sized entrance,” Goodon said.
Goodon will partner with his father, Irvin Goodon, for the Killarney venture. The father-son business team has proven successful in Boissevain, where the pair own the Wilderness Inn and Goodon expects the Killarney hotel to mirror the Boissevain location with a “outdoorsy, wilderness” feel.
The ability to be located beside the Shamrock Centre is something Goodon believes will be a good fit for both the facility and the hotel. The multi-use facility features a hockey rink, curling rink, bowling alley, community hall, lounge, canteen and fitness centre under one roof. Goodon said part of the agreement worked out with the town is that guests will have access to the fitness room in the new centre.
In the past, the community has had problems hosting major events due to a lack of available hotel space. In 2010, curlers participating in the 2010 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts had to be billeted for that very reason, and Goodon believes the hotel should help the town attract more events.
“The community has that great big, new centre and it’s beautiful and from what I can gather it’s hard to attract big events, conferences and shows when there is no place to stay.”
Goodon said that the town council has worked hard to attract a hotel to the community, offering incentives to build the lodging.
“There are incentives involved as there are with most developments, but we’ll be bringing people to town and paying our fair share of taxes,” Goodon said. “Then once people are in town, they are going to be spending their money at other places.”
The hotel will not offer a restaurant or lounge as Goodon said those services are already being filled within the community.
He also said the recent oil activity and continued push toward the eastern edge of the Williston Basin played a role in the decision to build in Killarney, but said he understands the hotel will only be successful with “good service, clean rooms and friendly people.”
“Having the oil field right there is a plus, but if you don’t have good customer service, people aren’t going to come back.”
» ctweed@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition February 22, 2013
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If everything goes to plan, a new hotel could swing its doors open by mid-summer in Killarney.
“We’re really excited about it and it’s something that we’ve been negotiating for some time now,” said entrepreneur Will Goodon.
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If everything goes to plan, a new hotel could swing its doors open by mid-summer in Killarney.
“We’re really excited about it and it’s something that we’ve been negotiating for some time now,” said entrepreneur Will Goodon.
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