Council Judy Swanson said they kept a lid on the situation for a while, as it was not far enough along to comment.
“We have a letter of intent signed now,” Swanson explained. “We’re very happy with where we are now.”
The idea was to purchase the land that already has municipal property on it like the pool, campground, and Tiny Turtle Playroom. As well, it would be useful for future developments.
“The land we are looking at on the ag grounds would be used for recreational purposes in the future.”
One of these would be a new arena. At one point, Boissevain-Morton began looking at the property on South Railway Street to the east, where the outdoor rink was located. However, as Swanson explained, the public made it clear they did not want to see it there. This was part of the spark for returning to the basic area where the current arena is. As well, this has space for a campground expansion.
A big issue in the purchase is granting. Swanson said in order to apply for some grants from higher levels of government, ownership of the property is essential. This is part of the reason they went to the other site to begin with. The land sale would settle that.
Turtle Mountain Ag Society President Chris Walker said this played a role in their decision last spring.
“It had a lot to do with what was best for the town,” Walker stated. “This would allow them access to grants and loans and clear up taxes for things that were already on the grounds. We always wanted to see the arena there, so we are glad we can work this out.”
He added the land they will be keeping is where their summer fair is currently located, on the north side of the property. They use the current arena, which was originally built by Turtle Mountain Ag Society labour then turned over to municipal authorities.
“Absolutely, keeping that land is important to us. We want the fair to continue.”
“They did not want to give up their land, they wanted to keep that part, and we’re fine with that,” Swanson added.
There has been a long history of partnership between the Ag Society and other groups, including the municipalities in using the land for recreation, community events and activities. The hope is this will continue.
“We have been working with the Ag Society and we want to keep working with them.”
She added they will be working out details like shared parking lots and access to roads.
Should the deal go through, Swanson said the municipality would be paying $50,000 a year up to $200,000 for the property.
This move would be a boon to the Build-A-Rink Committee, who recently held a Sportsman’s Night with Theo Fleury that raised around $40,000. They harvested wheat on the field near the landfill site, and it was announced that Paul’s Pumpkins donated $2,425.35 from their sales to the cause.
Swanson cautioned the sale is not complete. They are currently in the process of working on the subdivision of the property and getting permission for same. She said it could be some time before any deal is approved and anything is completed. However, the initial signs are positive.
“There is an intention to purchase and we are in the process of subdivision,” she stated. “We just received the letter of intent. We’re delighted they agreed to this and we are hoping to move forward collaboratively on this.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff