Saskatchewan growing a new kind of accommodation

A pair of enterprising Saskatchewan couples are taking agritourism literally – and to a whole new level – with their unique accommodations.

Grain farmers April Anderson and her husband, Darryl, run Alive Sky Lodge, outside of Rosetown, Sask., a property which they have expanded in recent years with the addition of BINcredible, a converted four-season luxury grain bin.

The bin, which is generally booked full from May through to August, came about when the Andersons were trying to devise a “quintessential prairie accommodation,” April said in a report by The Canadian Press.

Despite its rustic exterior, BINcredible’s interior boasts a vaulted ceiling with some of the bin's original metal finish along the wall. It also has a bed, kitchenette, in-floor heat and fireplace.

The Andersons aren’t alone in the converted bin craze.

Julie Hilling and her husband Dennis, retired grain farmers near Moose Jaw, opened the Bin There Campground in June in response to a lack of group camping in their area, which is close to Buffalo Pound Provincial Park.

The campground features six leftover grain bins which have been transformed into two-floor cabins with skylights and an old seed-cleaning plant into a hall.

According to the Hillings, with some of their bins being constructed in the 1970s and 1980s, it was a challenge to do the carpentry work inside because of their round shape.

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