PRIDDIS, Alta. – The Homeplace Ranch is at the end of a winding road where peace and quiet resides less than an hour from downtown Calgary’s noise and bustle.
Owned and operated by Mac and Jayne Makenny, the guest ranch has been in business for 32 years promoting the western way of life and giving visitors a taste of the Alberta foothills.
After working in the corporate world, Makenny bought the ranch from Irma Hoskins, the only surviving member of the original homestead family. In appreciation of local history, the Makennys decided to keep the original log buildings and preserved as much as they could from the Gillham home including family photos, walls covered with magazine cutouts and furniture, as well as adding their own mementos to give the place a special ambience.
Read Also
Volunteers help exotic animal farm rebuild
Exotic animal farm loses beloved camel and pony to huge hail storm that gripped the Brooks, Alta. area as a community member starts a fundraiser to help the family recover from the financial and emotional damage.
The original farmhouse kitchen dates back to 1920 with operating wood stoves as well as modern appliances. An extension added guest bedrooms and private baths, a sitting room and dining area . With the help of a smaller house nearby, the ranch can accommodate 14 guests.
There is no television or radio and the guests like it that way. They get back to the art of conversation, the quiet pleasure of reading and relaxing with no city distractions and job pressures.
This is a ranch that loves and appreciates the horse, going back to when Makenny’s family homesteaded in the Ponoka, Alta., area in 1903. His grandfather had come from Nebraska and sold horses to the settlers. He liked the region so much he decided to stay and raised a family of 11 children. Family gatherings were always held at the grandparents’ house, which everyone called the home place. That sense of happiness, laughter and holidays moved Makenny to name his property the Homeplace Ranch.
“A lot of friendships have developed here,” said head wrangler Brad McCarthy.
“People say it is like coming home. It never changes.”
Horseback riding is a main feature at the ranch and with 600 acres of its own and another 7,000 acres of crown range, there are plenty of trails to cover. They keep 42 horses and do two rides per day.
“Mac really cares about the horses. It is why I like working here so much,” McCarthy said. A quiet, patient man, he has been there 16 years and has taught hundreds to ride and groom horses.
For many guests, it is the first time on a horse and the first time anywhere near a cow. If the opportunity arises they also can help with normal ranch work. That might involve checking the cattle or the fences, clearing trails in the spring from deadfall or repairing eroded riparian zones.
People like the hands-on opportunity to do some physical work after leaving their desk jobs behind. But at the end of the day, they want the comforts of a hot shower, cozy bed and meals indoors.
“People work for 50 weeks to do what they want for two,” said Makenny.
This kind of operation needs plenty of co-operation and sharing of fresh ideas.
A spring and fall promotion invites local growers and food processors to come to the ranch for a day of Taste of the Foothills. Locally produced mead wine, fruit, vegetables, meat and Big Rock beer are offered. The local food includes pemmican to give guests a taste of what was a subsistence food for the aboriginals and early fur traders.
“You have to make it part of your story,” said Makenny.
Besides promoting local foods, they encourage their guests to try other local activities and venues like Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Calgary shopping and museums, Banff, Spruce Meadows equestrian centre, white water rafting and other day trips.
The tourist business is not a licence to print money and the first five years they were in business, the bank balance was shaky. Successful today, it did not turn out as he expected.
Makenny finds the hardest nut to crack is the local Calgary market. Few seem to know they are there. While they host corporate events with full catering, Makenny suspects people may not appreciate what is in their own backyard.
“Our business is from considerably farther away,” said Makenny.
“People are looking for a braggable vacation. They feel they have to drive farther away,” he said.
His guest lists show about 20 percent of the business is from Europe while the rest are equally from Canada and the United States.
“Once you get them out here, you’ve got them,” he said.
Advertising comes in many forms. Membership in the Alberta Country Vacations Association and dude ranching associations help, as well as bookings through travel agencies, word of mouth and the internet.
As for the future, there is no talk of retirement. The Makenny family is determined to keep the land away from developers, encourage conservation and preserve the western way of life. For the many repeat customers and friends made over the years, that is a heritage worth saving.
