However, with this position, the successful applicant must provide a site for the post office. This is where the municipality is stepping in.
“If it is needed, we are willing to relocate the post office into the municipal office. We are making that offer to whoever is hired, if they do not have other plans.”
Mealy said it would not take a lot of work to renovate space to accommodate the service – maybe a door and a new wall. She added if that scenario happened, the municipality would also get rent from Canada Post for the space, which would help make that whole location more viable.
“Then everything would stay in the community,” Mealy stated.
Keeping services in the community has been a difficult struggle recently. The Community Market, where the post office is currently, has been closed since October 31. Englebrecht and Catlin Smith had been running it since 2016, and the store has been part of Minto for generations. Mealy said it takes many things to make a successful business, and added that although the town definitely misses the store, should it come up for sale, there might be an opportunity for someone to start something in the building.
The Silver Saddle restaurant has been an ongoing story for many years. Community owned, it has been open and closed at different times since its construction, with a changing cast of leasees. Mealy said it has been closed for almost a year now, with the last manager being Khaled Elshaer of Brandon. Mealy said although his food was very good, he had never run a restaurant before. Again, she said it is a small market and people involved have to diversify, do catering and reach outside of the catchment area.
Although not part of the restaurant committee, she said there might be some good news on that front as well. Mealy said there are a few people looking at the Silver Saddle now, and the group might also be willing to sell the building. With luck, the restaurant could be open again this spring.
As well, last fall Minto lost its branch of the Sunrise Credit Union, which rankled the municipality and many citizens.
Unlike other similar situations, however, Minto is actually doing quite well. Their school is running well, as is their daycare. They are receiving money from the Lloyd and Elsie Campbell fund for youth and recreation projects in the community and Mealy said there are a lot of good ideas connected to that. As a former economic development officer, she can point to many different positives. Businesses like AgQuest, Double Diamond, the Pembina Co-op and the agricultural industry are making the community strong. There are many people in and around Minto working in the health field and construction, bringing those wages back with them. If they can get a new postmaster – Mealy said Canada Post is looking to have someone in place by the end of the month – and a few other issues settled, then all will be well.
“There are many things that contribute to the health of a small community,” Mealy said. “Some of these things are normal for a small town, they just all happened at once. Overall, Minto is doing well.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff