SEPPALA KENNELS is moving to the geographical centre of North America!
For fourteen years we have lived in a very primitive lifestyle on an unserviced parcel of Yukon bush land. Our sourdough years have been sweet, but they have taken a lot out of us physically and financially. Now as the SSSD Project grows and Isa and Jeffrey grow old, we have searched our hearts and found it is time to move to a better location. We need to be closer to our sources of supply for things we need for the dogs -- in the Yukon we now pay a terrible "northern premium" in transportation costs as Peak Oil drives the price of petroleum inexorably higher. We need electricity, internet, water and other basic services that others take for granted, but which we have lacked on our primitive bush property. Seppala Kennels also needs to be more centrally located, the better to serve the growing public interest in the Seppala Siberian Sleddog Project.
So Seppala Kennels will be moving to a new home in summmer of the year 2007. We shall relocate to the Rural Municipality of Rossburn, Manitoba, about a mile from the second SW corner of Riding Mountain National Park in the Parkland Region of central Manitoba. We are buying a 240-acre property there, the former Walter Didych farm, settled and established by Ukrainian immigrants in the late 19th century. This part of Manitoba consists of lovely rolling pasture and cropland, partly cleared, partly wooded. The Parkland region is a gathering place in spring and fall for vast numbers of migratory waterfowl and is rich in wildlife of all kinds. It is regarded as good snow and winter recreation country. We hope to have trail access into Riding Mountain Park for our winter training.
the approximate new location of Seppala Kennels
Seppala Kennels will be sharing the new farm property with Susan and Jack Murray and their Tullibardine Farm Chinook dogs! We've decided to join forces to achieve new levels of self-sufficiency, advanced dog care and breed development expertise. Up I.S.A.!!!
For at least the past couple of years Susan and Jack have been bothered by the "creeping gentrification" of southern Maine where their farm and kennels are presently located. It seems that dogs, horses and farmers are no longer welcome in the growing "retirement community" atmosphere of New Sharon. So they have bravely decided to try farming with us in real Canadian farm country! We are thrilled with the new possibilities this alliance brings. Our respective skill sets are formidable and complementary. We hope to be able to do more in Manitoba, and to do it better, with a little help from our friends.
Below are some photos of the Manitoba farm taken last October by Jeffrey! (And by the way, our heartfelt thanks to super-realtor Karen Goraluk of Jakeman, Brook, Brown Agencies, Ltd. in Roblin, Manitoba, for her good offices and amazing professionalism. I have never before seen a realtor put so much effort into showing properties and forging a deal between buyer and seller. Without her skill and dedication, we would never have managed to find this farm and finalise an accepted offer. Thanks for everything, Karen!
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Don't know where Manitoba is? Not even that sure about Canada? Check the map below! (Canada's just north of the United States.)
