Gordon Lake Homestead Old Style Country Living
Our Story
Once upon a long long time ago a ten year old, born in a big city in the U.S.A., moved to Saskatchewan where his parents had both been born and raised. For this fact alone he will be forever grateful to his folks for returning to paradise. This same lad would accompany his father driving around the Hafford, Saskatchewan area where his father was born and raised on a pioneer homestead. We would stop in visiting and there were still some of the old people living in the old way. This fascinated the young boy and stuck in his mind for life. Seeing the chickens, ducks, turkeys and other poultry ranging freely in the yard particularly impressed him.
A few years later this same boy had grown up a little and was deemed mature enough to help his uncle on the homestead. These were glory days for a twelve year old, operating tractors and tillage equipment, driving the big grain truck, and the accompanying chores on a grain farm. Alas though, there were no animals or birds on his uncle's farm and so the germ of interest from seeing the old ways was kept alive without any conclusion.
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Original Homestead
The boy grew into a man and pursued a variety of occupations in the cities across Canada. Starting as a auto body refinisher, then a flooring mechanic, welder at a mobile home manufacturer, moving to Vancouver and working in a winery and then for the Canadian Pacific Railroad where he became a yard foreman/conductor.
Returning to Saskatchewan he continued his railroad career for more than a few years then went back to take his training as a machinist. Working through the apprentice program he became proficient on programming computer controlled lathes at the outset of computers in the machine shop. Finishing his career running a huge horizontal boring machine which machined such items as giant gear housings for the potash mining industry.
Coming finally to the conclusion that working for wages was not personally rewarding or particularly well paid, in about 1980 he started earning his own way. A variety of businesses were started, a window glass shop, beer brewing ingredient store and finally moving to Prince Albert with a tool sharpening shop, then a piano technician company and finally, and still, a commercial outdoor fireworks display company.
Nattering on for a few years about wanting a country place he came across the opportunity to baby sit an acreage near Spiritwood, Saskatchewan while the owner was away for the summer. So still with the dream of a ten year old, he bought fifty chicks, ten laying hens and ten guinea fowl. As was his life experience that what sometimes was in his head was not always a reality this was the perfect opportunity to try the country life. After just one season of the blessed solitude and trying out the farmers markets in Saskatoon he knew he had arrived at yet another chapter of a varied and interesting life.
So on the banks of Gordon Lake he found his dream of so many years ago. Moving in permanently in the spring of 2009.
Gordon Lake Homestead
With the increase in concern for where and how food on your table is raised we have decided to raise products as naturally as possible and share them with our urban friends. Products at present include products from the honey bees and free range brown eggs. We will be adding to this list as products come on line. Please contact us at peter qz gordonlakehomestead.ca or phone 306.883.2221 for information on joining our customer base.
