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A Puslinch Diary July 2002 Today, Brigitte and I attended the open house at Mini Lakes. The Mini Lakes community is very well aware that it needs to improve it's image within the community and the open house was a first step in that direction. We were greeted at the entrance and directed to the community centre. At the centre we were met by Dianne Paron, who knew Brigitte from her work on the Pioneer and knew me because she has e-mailed me rotary club information for the web site. She explained all the upgrades that the Park has undergone over the past two years to make it acceptable by Puslinch Township for residents to live there year round. Previously residents could only live there seven months of the year. 
Unlike most other mobile home communities, Mini Lakes is owned and managed by the residents. The community spent two and a half million dollars, primarily on improving the sewage disposal system and widening and paving the roads. Many of the residents own golf carts for transportation within the park, and several were available to provide tours. We were shown the new sewage treatment facility, the horseshoe pits, the bocce courts, the allotment gardens, the recycling area, the swimming pool and, of course, the lakes. My tour guide, Dave, also pointed out a home that had recently sold for over $100,000. Back at the community center, while seeking a cool drink (only coffee was available), we met a very friendly woman who invited us to her house for a beer. We said we would stop by later--as it was getting to be beer time. On the way out we met Carolyn Ladley, who is on the Board of Directors of the Mini Lakes Residents Association and responded to the Sandra Hall--trailer park from hell--posting in the Readers' Forum. We also ran into Frankie Shaw and her husband Malcolm. Frankie is one of our local librarians. 
We looked at some of the model homes and were quite impressed by the quality of the workmanship. We wandered around looking at the park. Everyone we met greeted us. Virtually every home appeared to be well maintained with the yard well tended. Eventually, we arrived at 8 Dogwood, where we were invited for the beer. Here we met Art and Shirley, who have been residents since 1977 and retired there about 10 years later. We sat in the glider beside their home and enjoyed Art's "brewed himself" beer. They are in their third home within the community. They told us much about it. About the frustration some home owners are experiencing not being able to bring their units up to OMB standards. About the fishing derbies in the stocked lakes, the dances, the bocce, the dart tournaments, the allotment gardens. Clearly they take great pride in their small community. Shirley also mentioned that Art, as a veteran of WW2, would be meeting the Queen on October 10--but that is a whole 'nother story. 
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