The owner of a historic building in Gimli hopes its next tenants will bring new energy into the space while preserving its past.
The Gimli Farmers Hall is currently for sale in the lakeside town north of Winnipeg.
“Growing up, you would always hear stories about the Farmers Hall, and then it got revitalized a few years ago and really brought back to life,” owner Jordan Dankochik told CTV News.
The red-painted building was originally the United Farmers Community Hall. It was built about a century ago, and, according to the Manitoba Historical Society, it was moved to its current location west of the town in 1941.
“My grandpa was a realtor and said it used to be the place everyone would go,” listing agent Tee-Jay Furgula told CTV News. “There was no town hall in Gimli, so this was the place.”
Dankochik said the hall fell into disrepair over the years but credits former owners Darrell and Elaine Klym for salvaging the historic structure and “giving it a new lease on life” about a decade ago. He purchased the property about two years ago to use as an event space.
“We’ve had socials, weddings, funerals, and charity auctions,” Dankochik said.
Dankochik has also been using the hall as a live auction site for his company Norsemen Auction. The business specializes in heavy equipment auctions throughout the Prairies.
However, he and his wife are selling the hall because it hasn’t panned out as an auction site as expected.
“Just the balance of the economy right now,” he explained. “We’re going to go move back to our yard and back to our existing operation there.”
Dankochik said he hopes the next owner carries on its legacy as a gathering place for the community.
“I want to just see someone with a lot of energy. Someone with a lot of roots in the community or someone new who wants to make an impact.” Dankochik said. “It has such a long, rich history in Gimli as a public space. A lot of my family met there or had their weddings and socials there. Everyone has a Farmers Hall story.”
Realtor Tee-Jay Furgula echoed Dankochik’s sentiment.
“[Residents] want someone in the area to actually continue using it as an event centre,” Furgula said. “They’re crossing their fingers that someone doesn’t just buy it for just the land and demolishes the building. That’s what we don’t want.”
