Back to our roots: Finding home at Sarilia

I was born and raised in Whitewood, a small town in southern Saskatchewan. My childhood home was over 100 years old, situated on a four-acre parcel of land near the edge of town. The land was well-treed, hilly, and had a small creek running through the bottom of the property, close to the garden. Perched on a hillside, our house offered a breathtaking view.

I was one of four kids, and we filled our free time with outdoor adventures. We built forts, made rafts to paddle on the creek, played ball, hosted picnics, picked Saskatoons, and helped our mum garden and our dad cut grass. Those days were simple, yet magical.

Fast forward to today—my husband, Ronn, and I have owned this 86-acre parcel of land, now known as Sarilia, for about 30 years. We always envisioned retiring here, but about 16 years ago, we decided to take a bold step. We began researching how to transform our property into a community and started the process of subdivision.

While promoting the first phase, I met a couple, Walter and Eileen, from Saskatoon. As we stood together on one of the riverfront lots, Walter grew quiet. After a moment, he said, “I was born and raised on land like this, and I just loved it so much.”

I replied, “I get that. So was I.”

It was in that moment I realized something profound. Deep down, I’d always felt a yearning to return to the kind of life I had growing up. I wanted our kids to experience the same joy of being surrounded by nature, of living in a community that feels like family. When I speak with my neighbours raising young children here, they often say the same thing—we were all searching for a place like this.

A place with open space and trees. A place where kids can ride their bikes everywhere because it’s safe and everyone knows each other. A place where community bonds are strong, and that community becomes your chosen family.

Today, Ronn and I have 17 grandchildren. The little ones beg to come for sleepovers and cry when it’s time to go home. When they visit, we relive those magical childhood moments. We build forts, drag blankets and pillows onto the back deck to stargaze, and sing and play guitar in the sun porch. They help me in the garden, fish at the river, and go for walks at the nearby golf course. We pick crocuses in the spring, fly kites in the summer, and go sledding in the winter.

Together, we’re creating memories I hope they’ll treasure as fondly as I cherish my own. Sharing this life with them fills my heart with joy and reminds me every day that choosing this path was the best decision we ever made.

It’s a pretty good life we’re able to share with them, and oh boy, that makes me happy. – Gwen Lepage