The Editor:
Over the past several months concerned citizens of the Village of Manor and area have been made aware of the sale of property that formerly was the Village of Manor Campground.
A local resident stopped at the campground to fill a camper with water and discovered the water had been turned off. After a call to the Village Office, it was made known the campground was permanently closed and the village council had sold the property. This was very shocking and distressing news.
At the March, 2015 council meeting, the mayor informed council that her son had stepped forward, offering to purchase the campground property. The April council minutes show a motion to sell the Village of Manor Campground property for $10,000 to Sheldon Akins. A council member who was not present at the time, seconded the motion.
The concern is that the village campground was closed without public notice and the property in question was never advertised for public sale and the Municipal Local Government Procedures were not followed.
The explanation the concerned citizens who attended the Aug. 19 council meeting received, about why the campground was closed, was that the Department of Public Health had determined the toilet facilities required upgrading. A septic tank had been installed, however, the decision was made not to proceed with the upgrading due to cost.
The council has disregarded the voice of plus or minus 174 signatures on two petitions. One requested the campground be returned to the Village of Manor as a viable place of rest and another that the site be named a historical identity of our community.
The Manor Campground area was established along Highway 13 by the Manor Board of Trade in (approximately) 1958-59 as a picnic area and was first maintained by the community and later as a campground by the Village of Manor. In 1973, about one quarter of an acre was added to the Village Picnic Area to enlarge it to a total of .77 acres.
For all the years that the area residents can remember, it was believed to be a heritage site, just as the cairn on the site depicts. The cairn that was built from community donations was erected in 1980 at the celebration of our being 75 years as a province. A special ecumenical service and blessing of the cairn took place. The plaque on the cair reads: “This cairn was erected in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Village of Manor 1902-1977. It is dedicated to the memory of the pioneers of Manor and district.” Over the years the campground has been a gathering place for many families. Hosting reunions and a place for visitors to park their campers.
We, the undersigned, care for and love this community enough to speak for the pioneers, those who built Manor, those who reside there now and those to follow. It’s a place where they can be proud to say, yes, we have a great campground at Manor.
If you are truly concerned about issues raised in this letter, please contact either Mayor Vicki Akins, Deputy Mayor Lucille Dunn, Councillors Duane Bye, Dallas Kerr, Paul Corkish or the Village Office.
Signed:
Vivian Wiggins
Gordon Petterson
Daniel Peebles
Fay Zimmerman
Linda Aalbers
Alana Wilson,
Manor, Sask.
