Discussions

So i recently moved to minnedosa,and have never really been here much since i was a kid maybe once or twice.But walking around everywhere i seem to go everything seems to be run down. What i remember was a great town thriving. During summer holidays its better but even still. I guess what i am getting at is i went to clear lake a few weeks ago and it seems like it has everything going there dont get me wrong i know were far from a clear lake , but even growing up as a kid i allways went to oak lake, and even oak lake seems like it has more going then minnedosa. So my question is whats minnedosa laking? What can we use here? And why arnt we like some these other places? is the lake to small? Or are we maybe just to close to clear lake? anyone comming this way would rather take the extra half hour or so to clear lake? or is it our beach is rather poor, not nice good sand and rocks all in the water? Now before everyone gets crazy let me explakn by what i mean. We dont have any boat rentals no places up by the beach like a little restraunt or store or even the mini golf for example what happened there. Im just looking for input i guess as to what we could use or what people want to see. Even in town restraunts stores whatever i know were small but are we that small?

in order to have those things you need the clientele. most everyone living there has their water toys and just a couple of years ago there was a concession stand with a lovely couple running it but they couldnt make a go of it with no or lacking business. i remember as you do, and i also was living there for a short time a few years back and there is no great support for what youre suggesting imo.

If you look at the town today as compared to years back do you see a change in the age of the people in the town. If it is like many towns, the age of the population is increasing and those who do have families, have smaller families, add to that the possibility of just less money for recreation, or even meals out, makes it hard to start and run businesses.  
You mention about Oak Lake, I don't believe the beach area is as it was in past years, the campground seems busy enough, but at times the beach area is dead.

All true however you guys are only thinking about the people that live there im thinking the bigger picture if you have an amazing place then people will come like clear lake has lots of restraunts and stores and rentals and a great beach. Im just thinking if they dug out the beach a bit and addeda bunch of nice sand then maybe added a volley ball court or two maybe a mini golf and i nice restraunt/lounge and even i little boat rental with canoes and paddle boats cayakes nothing to crazy i think it would make for alot busier and better of a place people will come i think but maybe im wrong.

well your town is full of snobs that drive ppl out i camped there in the camp ground 10 years and fnny thing i dont know 1 person from that town and every were eles i go i know ppl after a few weeks so what that say stay away from minnadosa

There is a local group fund raising for new state of the art playground equipment, not sure how that is going.  
Last season the concession shut down early in the season because the business just wasn't there.  
As Don mentioned, less money for eating out means people stock up their campers and make their own meals.  
Unfortunately the beach is just not a priority with the present council, although it is the jewel of the town they prefer to direct their efforts (and our money) towards a new arena for a handful of people.  
And sadly, thechatgod is right, Minnedosa is not very friendly unless you are home grown.

rdp said "All true however you guys are only thinking about the people that live there im thinking the bigger picture if you have an amazing place then people will come like clear lake has lots of restraunts and stores and rentals and a great beach. Im just thinking if they dug out the beach a bit and addeda bunch of nice sand then maybe added a volley ball court or two maybe a mini golf and i nice restraunt/lounge and even i little boat rental with canoes and paddle boats cayakes nothing to crazy i think it would make for alot busier and better of a place people will come i think but maybe im wrong. "

You're kinda missing the point of the responses. It's a been there done that to what you've suggested. There was concession, there was mini golf, there was more restaurants and stores....they weren't supported so now they're gone.

I agree..when I moved here 12 years ago,it was a pretty little town..loved the lake and all that went with it.In the last 5 or 6 years,I started noticing how the town was losing its quaintness..not only the lake but the town itself..it's really starting to appear rundown..the streets are in horribe condition especially Main (which is the first introduction for visitors to the town) and from what I understand the town rid itself or wants to rid itself of the beach and campground.Which to me could be a possible goldmine but the priority seems to be wanting this arena/complex which they seem to have been pouring money in forever,studying and discussing.I'll be dead and gone before they ever make a decision on it..It's a shame cause it's great little town.

The playground will be getting an update, funds are being raised for the project, and the sand at the beach is also being looked into for an upgrade. The town itself is still adorable, and any upgrades that need to be made cost money. The people in town put in a lot of effort to make their town beautiful, and I think they do a great job! I think it is really cute, and has a lot of character to it.  
 
as for the people, I am not from minnedosa, but when I do go there, people are always really friendly to me, and I've met some really good people there. I would say the majority of people are friendly....

I grew up in Minnedosa. I still have family there and visit often. The beach is always a favourite place of mine.  
 
Back in my youth the beach was only half that size. There was a concession area at the top of the main beach area and then a long dock with a diving board on it. The biggest mistake IMO was ripping out the dock and extending the beach and building the pavilion. I get that it made so much more space but old habits die hard and the main beach area is still our go to spot. I really think that hurt the concession as it is just so far away than it used to be.  
 
As for the mini golf it was rarely updated and eventually lost its appeal.  
 
I remember back in the day when they tried paddle boat and sea doo rentals. It worked ok until a wet summer came sling and business was poor and they closed up shop. Also a lot more people own their own boats than back then. We used to have a family member who lived on the other side who had a homemade raft made from old oil drums and a plywood top with a motor. Man the fun we had parked in the middle of the lake!  
 
Those playgrounds have been the same since before I was born. The one beside the beach area was installed new when I was younger. It definitely needs a huge overhaul.

The playground at the beach IS in dire need of replacement and thankfully there is a group of dedicated individuals who are working tirelessly to raise funds. Unfortunately I read that the town is only donating $5000 towards it. How pathetic. Like a previous poster said, the beach is the  
"crown jewel" of the town, the main tourist attraction in the summer. For the town to only be donating such a small amount is quite frankly, insulting. Time for the town council to wake up and realize how valuable a new playground at the beach could be for the town''s economy.  
 
Edited by bazokajoe, 2017-07-24 08:50:51

Great to hear that there's an effort underway for a playground update! I know these things aren't cheap and take a lot of fundraising. All one has to do is look at the sponsor sign at the newer Meadows playground in Brandon to know how many it takes to chip in. Don't be shy to update this thread over time on how much closer things get to the goal!

I will start off by saying I’ve been going to Minnedosa every summer for almost 45 years. My parents bought our first cabin there when I was 6 and I still have one there today. I started and took most of my swimming lessons down on that old dock, and it was great. The beach used to be alive with people all summer, and we met other kids in the cabin area and had playmates all summer because there were always so many people around. The Pavilion (or the Canteen as we used to call it) had a wooden boardwalk that led you from the beach all the way there, and it was always busy. It was a great place to be and my family made the most of it!  
Then in the late 80's and pretty much for the next 20 years, the Town seemed to stop investing any resources into the beach, playgrounds, cabin area and campground. At some point, they brought in fresh "sand" that was mostly gravel and ruined the beach area IMO, they let the tennis courts (that were later changed to basketball courts) fall into ruin, and stopped even mowing the grass in the open areas.  
But for the past few decades, In my opinion, it's the Town of Minnedosa (CAO and council) itself that makes things difficult for the cabin owners and campground visitors. We routinely get letters from "The Town" advising us of the latest issues and the letters always end with the threat of having our lease agreement cancelled. Whether it be damage/vandalism to the showers and bathrooms (blamed on the cabin owners yet it could have been anyone), putting construction materials in the garbage bins (they are threatening to install cameras – why not put an actual RECYCLING bin there for people to use like every other place has these days instead) or putting a new number on your cabin ( a few years ago they finally named the streets in the cabin area and are now threatening to cancel your lease if you haven’t yet changed your cabin number), and the latest one – we sign a yearly lease agreement and are required to send payment by June 30 – this year we got a letter stating that if you don’t sign your agreement CORRECTLY (ie, have it witnessed and signed in the proper spot, or send back the entire document and not just the signature page), they can reject it, send it back to you, cancel your lease all together if they wish, PLUS charge you an extra $50 (because then you would be past the June 30 deadline). We personally have had nothing to do with any of these issues…but we receive the letters as if we too are negligent in some way. The Town knows who isn’t signing their paperwork correctly, and who hasn’t changed their cabin numbers – why do they keep insisting on blanketing everyone with these letters?  
I actually know the couple that tried to run the Pavilion a few summers ago - they did so much work and invested quite a bit of cash into the project themselves, only to have the town turn around and dictate to them what hours they HAD to be open. These people were retired and were looking for a little extra income yes, but mostly something different to do and wanted to see the Pavilion back in working order...they planned on being open for about 4 hours a day during the week and longer on the weekends - but the Town said no, you have to be open X amount of hours per day. So after the first season, they packed it in. So then it sat empty for another few years thanks to the shortsightedness of the Town.  
But now in the past 5 years or so, people are coming back to the cabin area and are building new cabins/refurbishing the older ones and it’s great. That lake and beach are truly a gem, something that brings in tons of tourism, not to mention the amount of money that we all spend on fuel, groceries, home improvement items,etc., at the local businesses (not to mention the property taxes and yearly lease costs) – the Town should be promoting the hell out of that lake! I just hope the Town can have a little common sense and not drive people away with their lack of foresight and stupidity!!