Investigators probe blaze at Morden golf course

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This article was published 21/11/2021 (1447 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Gord Maddock has played plenty of golf at the Minnewasta Golf and Country Club.

On Sunday, a day after a devastating fire levelled the golf course’s restaurant and banquet hall, Morden’s deputy mayor was confident more good memories will yet be made on the community’s links.

“We’re a resilient city,” Maddock said. “We’ll be back.”

The club-owned facility is considered a total loss after fire engulfed the structure on Saturday morning.

The seasonal restaurant was already closed for the winter. Maddock, who has been a club member for decades, said the golf course was in the process of hiring a new operator for the facility.

The structure, which was moved to the golf course from nearby Kalieda, Man., about 15 years ago, was a busy venue for weddings prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Reduced bookings were just one of the difficulties for the club this year, which also faced down challenging water shortages and drought conditions on the course.

An investigation into the cause of the fire continues.

Deputy fire chief Tim Reimer said investigators from the Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner were already on hand Saturday afternoon as firefighters continued their work on the scene of the large blaze.

No cause has yet been identified.

“We’re still trying to figure things out and continuing on with the investigation,” Reimer said.

Fire crews were called to the site on Saturday morning about 9:15 a.m.

“We were looking at a structure with smoke and flames coming through the roof of the building,” Reimer said.

Morden firefighters received assistance from the neighbouring Winkler fire department. About 40 firefighters took on the blaze.

Crews were quickly forced into a defensive attack to protect adjacent buildings from the flames. After a couple of hours, Reimer said the fire was brought under control. The golf course’s pro shop and golf cart shed were saved. Firefighters remained on the scene until early Saturday evening.

Water supply was also a challenge. The golf course building is located a distance from any fire hydrants, requiring tanker trucks to shuttle water to aid in the fire fight.

A newly purchased tanker truck, a timely addition to Morden’s firefighting capabilities, was supported with two additional tankers from Winkler.

“We would have struggled quite a bit more. Water would have definitely been a huge issue if we had not had the addition of our tanker,” Reimer said.

grant.burr@freepress.mb.ca