Tessa and Brad moved into their new home at Sarilia this past December. They have a nearly two-year-old son named Lukas, and a baby on the way in the coming weeks. Tessa grew up in a small town, while Brad grew up on a farm. They made the move from Saskatoon to our river valley community because they wanted their kids to grow up like they had—connected with nature in a smaller, close-knit community.
We recently chatted with Tessa to glean what kind of lifestyle they’ve found at Sarilia, and what they’re most looking forward to doing during their first summer here.
What made Sarilia stand out among the other developments and acreages outside Saskatoon?
The river. That’s probably our top reason—being close to water and being able to walk down to the river. Also, many the lots here have a lot more trees than other acreage areas. It’s also close to a town—in some areas you’d still be driving your kids into the city, say for school or for sports or that type of thing, but Sarilia is so close to Langham that it’s not necessary.
How did you originally hear about Sarilia?
We Googled “acreages” and “estate areas” and looked at everything.
My husband grew up on a farm so he didn’t want the huge acreage life. We wanted to be out of the city and to be rural, but our careers are in Saskatoon so it had to be close. We looked all around at different developments and we loved the fact that Sarilia was by the river.
What are you most excited about for your first summer at Sarilia?
Just being outside and enjoying nature and having a view from our deck. To be able to explore the area, plant a garden and have a baby!
What do you hope your children’s lives will be like at Sarilia?
More of that small-town kind of community. You know, knowing your kids’ friends’ parents and a more rural upbringing. Brad and I never grew up in the city so we knew that was something we didn’t really want for our kids. We wanted what we had growing up, and it’s basically the simple life. It’s being more connected to nature and growing up in a smaller community.
Are there any activities you’d like to do out here?
We love canoeing, so we can’t wait to get a canoe. We usually do canoe trips once a year—overnight canoe trips on the river. We can’t wait to eventually take our kids canoeing or maybe kayaking when they’re older. We’re looking forward to having bonfires.
We have snow shoes for the winter and that kind of stuff. Brad just told me they have ski trails out here, which I never knew about either.
How has your lifestyle changed since moving out here?
It’s a way slower pace. Out here you know your neighbours and it’s just more calming, more at ease. When people come to visit they say the exact same thing. They’re like, “Oh my gosh, this place exists? In Saskatchewan?”
Brad had some friends over recently and our windows were open and one of his friends said, “You can just feel the air off the water.” It’s like when you’re in the mountains breathing the fresh mountain air. This is like that. It’s calming and peaceful.
What else to friends and family say when they come visit you?
My friend came out here and said the view was just unreal, even from inside our house. Pretty much everybody says the view is just amazing from our house—from sitting in our living room, in our kitchen, or on our patio. We have a wraparound deck and everybody says the view is just spectacular.
How would you describe the perfect weekend at Sarilia?
It would probably just involve hanging out with my family, having a bonfire and a picnic down by the river, hiking down the nature trails and relaxing in our backyard or on our deck. Pretty much that’s what we will do this summer. We came out here a lot when we owned the lot. We’d pack a picnic and go down to the river.
It’s a lot of fun. We’re all partners. It works out really well. That way, if something happens to one animal, someone’s not out a whole animal, we’re all out a little bit. But that hasn’t happened. I’ve gotten to know Joe and Gwen really well through it.
