Deloraine harvest benefits new community recreation centre

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This article was published 14/09/2017 (3013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With so many farmers volunteering to combine a quarter section of canola near Deloraine they wouldn’t profit from, organizers were forced to turn some volunteers and their combines away.

“I phoned them and said, ‘Literally, we have enough guys that are caught up with their own stuff,’” recalled Gordon Weidenhamer, Head of Council with the Municipality of Deloraine-Winchester.

“If you’re still combining,” he remembered saying, “hang tough, we’ll maybe get you to help with the soybeans” once that is harvested.

The final count was nine combines, three grain carts and five semi trucks, gathering Sept. 6 at a field south of Deloraine to harvest a quarter section of canola, rented out by the Edwards brothers of Phil, Duane and Jack. All proceeds are earmarked for the planned recreation complex, which a year from now will re-gift Deloraine with a curling rink and community hall.

In less than two hours, the field was harvested, Weidenhamer said.

“It’s been overwhelming to say the least, lots of guys stepping forward.”

In addition to volunteer labour, various agricultural chemical and seed companies donated or slashed the price of inputs to keep the community’s price low.

Community members also sponsored each of the estimated 300 acres, to the tune of $100 apiece. Each individual donation is tax-deductible.

Altogether, the Deloraine Winchester Community Complex’s fundraising committee hopes to earn in excess of $100,000 by donating the proceeds from two quarter sections of harvested land, and a vacation lottery raffle from earlier this year.

The funding will go toward a $3.7-million recreation complex featuring a curling club and community hall. The project drew controversy, with opponents hiring a lawyer to argue the initiative was too expensive. The Manitoba Municipal Board gave final approval to the project this spring.

A six-figure donation this year will go a long way to alleviating any strain on ratepayers’ pockets, Weidenhamer said.

“It really offsets the dollars that the tax base has to handle. In order to heal wounds, get in and help,” he encouraged residents, “sponsor in any way you can, or help any way you can. The more we pay upfront, the less we pay in the end.”

Up next is a sod-turning barbecue on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Doc Bonar Arena parking lot at 6 p.m., with opening remarks and a fundraising update at 6:30 p.m.

Later that night, the arena doors will open beginning at 9 p.m. for a fundraising social, with tickets going for $15 apiece. A DJ will perform, along with a live band featuring Steve Meggison and Al Manshreck.

These fundraising projects are just a start, with Weidenhamer acknowledging the harvesting effort would continue next year.

“Hopefully the enthusiasm now that the shovel is in the ground is that much better,” he said. “We just want to carry on and get it paid for and look back and say, ‘This was a good idea.’”

Weidenhamer said the project would maintain the $3.7-million price tag residents were informed of a year ago. Some of the exterior work will be conducted by volunteers to ensure the price of construction remains under budget.

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