Mintys Moving | Canada Bridge

Vic Minty started the business in 1945. Initially, he began moving buildings locally, in the Onanole area but as the need grew, he expanded. As his business grew, he was able to purchase better equipment, enabling him to do bigger and more jobs. One of Vic’s biggest challenges was the joint effort of moving a coal dock in Brandon (similar in weight to a small grain elevator). Along the way, many changes and improvements were made. The addition of a power bunk to the pulling truck made lifting easier. V.C. Minty & Son were the first movers in Manitoba to have 75-foot Douglas Fir beams shipped from British Columbia. After 30 years in the business, Vic retired in 1975. His son, Harold, had just graduated from high school and had been well groomed to assume the responsibility of the moving business. By age sixteen, he had already managed a crew and was moving buildings on his own. Harold bought the business, had it incorporated, and renamed Minty’s Moving Ltd. Initially, Harold Minty continued to operate out of Onanole, Manitoba; however, he soon set up residence in Swan River, MB, due to demand for moving services. In 1981, he relocated to Dallas, Texas. Business was good (averaging 400 buildings per year) but the pull of family roots brought him home in 1986. In 1988, Minty’s Moving Ltd. began specializing in the moving of larger structures. These have included an entire skating rink, multi-family dwelling units, apartment buildings, a Bailey’s bridge, fully-assembled, single-span railway and highway bridges, and grain elevators. Harold’s most significant move thus far has been the 40 km move of an 800,000 pound grain elevator, 10 m wide, 30 m long, and 30 m high!