EMMA LAKE, Sask. – Most farms kick into high gear in August or September. But one northern Saskatchewan operation is already running flat out.
“This is kind of our harvest season,” said Lori Fehr, co-owner of Rothenburg Family Park, a multi-faceted business near Emma Lake, Sask.
The quarter section of land situated in the forest fringe outside of Prince Albert National Park is home to a horse riding stable, bookstore and coffee shop, newspaper, trailer park and septic service.
“Farm-wise it has never been all that valuable. We grow good rocks and trees here. That’s about it,” said Lori.
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“What we really rely on here is tourism.”
During July and August, there might be 200 people a day visiting the ranch to take their kids on a $5 pony ride, a $2 bounce on the trampoline or to pay a visit to the bookstore and coffee shop. Another 300 to 400 people can be found in the heavily treed trailer park on any given weekend.
But the real backbone of the business is PR Septic Service, said Lance, who grew up on farms near Hays, Alta., and Warman, Sask. He worked for Saskatchewan Wheat Pool for 17 years before taking over the Emma Lake operation from Lori’s parents, Abbie and Anne Roth, in 1992.
The Roths bought the plot of land in 1974 at the tail end of the hippie era as a “going back to the land” project. They grew their own produce, milked cows and made their own butter.
“After a while they realized it’s nice to have power, running water, heat and all that sort of thing,” said Lori.
The business has undergone a metamorphosis since the Fehrs took over the operation. The only familiar fixture from the old days is the riding stable.
It is now a thriving local business that employs seven truck drivers, two mechanics, an accountant, two people to work on the Vactionland News publication and two more to help out with the stable of 26 horses and ponies. Lori’s mother runs the bookstore and coffee shop.
Quite a transformation from a hippie haven.
“It didn’t come without trials, tribulations and lots of tears,” said Lance.
In the early days the family ran the whole show but as the business grew, the workload became overwhelming.
“We started pulling our hair out,” said Lori.
The project that almost rendered them bald was the 100-lot trailer park that opened in 2004. During a recent tour of the park, the couple recounted some of the tribulations in constructing the facility nestled into the trees at the back of their property.
“We were actually kind of stupid because we thought we could do it ourselves,” said Lori.
They purchased new equipment to help prepare the area but soon discovered it wasn’t nearly enough. Each site had to be equipped with sewer and water lines dug down into a four-metre deep trench. The digging created a large pile of dirt that had to be moved off each site.
Lance points to a “junk pile” created by cutting down a swath of trees and getting rid of the stumps.
“Everything you do here is a lot of work,” he said.
For three years after the trailer park opened the couple leased a disappointing 27 sites.
“We were kind of wondering, ‘maybe we made a mistake,’ ” said Lance.
But last year they leased another 40 and then came to terms with a local developer who leased the remaining lots to build cabins.
“Now we have a waiting list,” said Lori.
“The trailer park was a huge investment. It is starting to finally be able to handle most of its own bills now.”
With that project behind them the Fehrs are turning their attention to other items on their seemingly endless to-do list. The transformation of the quarter section continues unabated.
Lance points out the front windscreen of his diesel truck at the place where they plan to build a swimming pool and common play area for their new residents.
Out the passenger-side window he shows a spot they dredged up last winter to build a trout pond. The water that sits there is covered with bright green plants, another addition to the project list.
“If you have any cures for duckweed, let me know,” he said.
