Delta Marsh History Initiative, Steering Committee Meeting
1:20 am, 26 May 2003
Delta Marsh Field Station
Present: Barry Bills, Maurice Blanchard, Shirley Christianson, Denzil Gamble, Heidi den Haan, Gordon Goldsborough (sec), Bob Jones, Cynthia Jordan, Shirley Love, Myrna Mackey, Glen Suggett
1. Minutes of
the last meeting (26 May) were approved by consensus following a few minor
changes: a) the time of the meeting was 1:20 pm, not 1:20 am; b) St. Ambroise was spelled incorrectly in item 4b; c) Love reported
on the Portage CPR station project, not Bills, in item 4c.
2. Business
arising from the minutes
a) Thomas Kitson The date of this article was given to Sian Bumsted so she can transcribe it.
b) Newsletter Two articles will be included in the next newsletter, one from Gamble dealing with Totogan and the other from Jones on the Phragmites harvest.
c) MHS field trip The date for this trip has been set for the 13th and 14th of September.
d) Portage CPR station The train ride tickets have all been sold, and the raffle occurs today at 1:00 pm.
3. New business
a) Fish fry Blanchard noted that his costs have increased so, after discussion, it was agreed to pay him $6.50 per person attending the Canada Day Fish Fry. Jobs were assigned as follows:
Dennis Blanchard food, plates, cutlery, table covers, etc.
den Haan historical photo posters, to open Delta building, ensure that its septic tank has been pumped, and will help to pick up picnic tables from Pauch.
Goldsborough, den Haan, Suggett, Mackey, Shirley and Stephanie Christianson To arrive at Delta by 9:00 am to set up.
Jones signs
Christianson Canadian flags and pins, purchase 15 pales from Portage Co-op, with Al Merritt (Co-op head) donating 5 more pales (we will each contribute $4.69 to pay for the ice cream), Portage Mall donated envelopes and tickets for the raffle, with tickets being sold for $2 per row or $5 for 3 rows
Goldsborough Slide show
Bills pick up drink concentrate and jug at McDonalds, Barry and Valerie will collect tickets, but only until 1:00 pm when they must depart for the CPR train trip; Love will take over from them
4. Delta discoveries
a) Dow and Denton Mackey reported that she had been contacted by Donna Winstone whose mother, Doreen Dow, has information about commercial fishing at Delta by her deceased husband, Douglas Dow. Mackey also noted that Russ Denton, a retired school teacher in Portage, had family with property around the marsh, near the Inksters. She will send the email addresses for both Winstone and Denton to Goldsborough for follow-up.
b) 1913 map Goldsborough was given a copy of a property map of Delta Beach, dated in 1913, by Garth Ball of Manitoba Conservation. The map was found at the Winnipeg Land Titles office.
c) Tin Town Suggett reported that he had given a list of interview questions to the daughter of a man named Dangerfield who had stayed at Tin Town from 1952 through the early 1970s. She returned his answers to Suggett, along with some photos, which he will bring to the next meeting.
d) Brown photographs Brenda Moorhouse of Oakland has several sheets of photographs, including ones of the Cruzelles and the Delta train station, that belonged to a deceased uncle of her husbands, and which had been provided by another uncle, Eldon K. Brown, a retired accountant living in Winnipeg (42 Linacre, 269-1575). Mr. Brown apparently has more photographs; Jordan will get in touch with Brenda Moorhouse to check if it is okay for us to contact her uncle about them.
e) Dines Christianson noted that the father of Eleanor Dines, with whom she is acquainted, had a shack at Tin Town. Ms. Dines phone number is 888-3606 and her father may have recollections that might warrant an interview.
f) Delta trainman Jordan reported that her father was a train fireman and his first run was to Delta.
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 Tuesday, 16 September.
6. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned
at 10:20 am.