Ponton Gas Station
There is a place 90 miles from Thompson, a place that is dear to ever Thompsonite’s heart. Where is it? If you said Ponton you are right!!! I loved stopping at Ponton. It was open all night. Actually, stopping there at night was exciting to a young guy. I stopped there when the bus stopped there taking advantage to use the bathroom and buy a plastic wrapped (cellophane) sandwich and to stretch before getting back on the bus. It was a special time to be able to take the time sit in the restaurant and order lunch and eat it there with my family. When my friends and I drove to Winnipeg we would stop and eat. When I took my family to Thompson we stopped and ate there. Most of the time we were in too much of a hurry to get to Winnipeg or Dauphin. It was a milestone to stop in at Ponton on the way back to Thompson. It meant you were close to home, 1.5 hours away. That was exciting because when we were younger we would go on month long vacation when the mine shut down for a month. I was home sick when our family drove into Ponton. I think that Gayle Rainer used to work at Ponton for a while. She was an adventurer. I didn’t realize that there were so many communities around Ponton and even the rail line. All I knew was the long Hwy 6. It burnt in 2018 and was rebuilt a year later. And so…here’s to Ponton! May you keep refreshing people for decades to come.
Ponton service station is in the process of being rebuilt
Posted About Two Years Ago by Navi Bal
The general manager of the Ponton Service Station says there are plans in motion to rebuild the rest stop.
Audrey Ducharme explains that phase one of the new facility is complete, and that the next step is to set up the water, sewage, and gas systems.
She adds that they’re looking to adding electric vehicle charging stations at the new rest stop.
The Ponton Service Station burned last year, leaving many people traveling to and from Thompson without a rest area until Grand Rapids.
Ducharme says that not only was the destruction of the station a loss for travelers, but also Cross Lake First Nation, as 14 members of the community were employed at the facility.
While an exact date of the opening of the new station wasn’t discussed, Ducharme explains that Cross Lake is working around the clock to ensure the new service station is fully operational as soon as possible.
https://thompsononline.ca/the-thompson-local-news/455506
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