British Farmers Fall In Love In Saskatchewan

When John Lewis first came to Saskatchewan in late January of this year, he absolutely fell in love with the prairies.

“I am in awe of the space, the hospitality and the opportunity to start anew as an agricultural producer in Canada. It has become very difficult to operate a family farm in England and I’m a farmer at heart. My family and I are willing to consider all possibilities, even if it means immigrating.”

Lewis came to visit his in-laws who immigrated to the Willowbrook area north of Melville after they bought a farm there in June last year.

On his second visit, in June this year, his wife Catherine accompanied John. They were about to spend a week travelling throughout the province, looking for a suitable property.

As they flew to Regina they looked through the window, fascinated by the expanse of land, the irrigation systems, the network of sections, quarters and roads that give our landscape its distinctive qualities.

They were met at the airport by Bob Lane’s farm real estate team. Since 1998, Regina-based Lane Realty has helped about 50 farm families move to Saskatchewan from Europe.

“About half of them come from the United Kingdom, the others are from Germany, Austria and France, generally. We list the farms and ranches on our Web site but we also attend agriculture trade shows in Europe where we tell attendees about the Saskatchewan lifestyle, farming practices, social amenities, and educational opportunities here,” says Bob Lane.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program has simplified the immigration process for farm owners and operators who wish to relocate to our province. Applicants must be individuals with proven experience in farming, substantial capital available to invest in a farming operation, and who have made a signed offer to purchase land for a farming operation in Saskatchewan.

James and Christine Akrigg are often used as Saskatchewan ambassadors by Bob Lane, who regularly brings to them potential immigrants from the UK. They themselves moved from England’s Lake District in 1999 and bought a farm in the Dysart area with their three grown-up sons. They realized that their new house was somewhat bigger than their needs warranted. Within a couple of months, they opened up the Jumping Deer Bed and Breakfast. A stay with them helps put their guests’ fears to rest.

“You literally burn your bridges when you leave England. You must sell your farm to secure financing here. It is very much a leap of faith. We left the mountains but we got in exchange all that sunlight that you have here in Saskatchewan. And the sense of community is priceless, ” says Christine Akrigg. “Newcomers with children must put them in school and start getting involved in local activities.”

This is what happened to Laura and Robin Smith, John Lewis’ in-laws. After a year and a half in Saskatchewan with three children, two of pre-school age, they had to mix in. What they didn’t expect was to find themselves combining in sub-zero temperatures:

“For us to have imagined the environmental conditions in which farm producers must operate would have been difficult. For instance, back in England there is much to do on the farm in the winter. Here you are much more limited because of the climate. It is a different world.”

Reached on the phone in England, John Lewis still ponders what the future holds for his wife Catherine, their four children and himself.

“We saw one property we liked on our last trip, but it was not the right fit for us. We are keeping our ears to the ground. There has been a major development in our lives recently. We sold our farm — the entire lot as we say here. Someone approached us with an offer we couldn’t refuse. We are now tenants in our former home. As you can imagine, many questions enter our mind as to what the future holds for our family. Moving to Saskatchewan is one of the options we are considering.”

There is solace in knowing that newcomers can count on Saskatchewan hospitality to make their farming transition a little easier on the mind and the heart… John and Catherine are well aware of that.