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Columnist says goodbye to Fort Reliance

Sometimes rumours are true, and in the case of the rumour that we have sold our property in Reliance, I am very happy to report it is true!

The proud new owner of Red Bush Cabin #1, Reliance NWT is the Nature Conservancy of Canada, under the stewardship of Parks Canada.

We knew for a few years the time to say good-bye to Reliance would come so, when we received the offer to purchase, we already had the mind-set to leave. We had scoured the internet for several years now, hoping to find the right property to buy at the right time. We searched from coast to coast, north to south, all across Canada, confident that regardless of where we landed, we would find friendly kindred souls. We considered vintage B&B’s in Newfoundland and self-sufficient wilderness acreages in B.C.

In the end we found the most beautiful landscaped acreage with a smaller custom house in one of the many tiny Alberta towns that are within commuting distance to a city. The price was half of a similar property in B.C. One of the many features I love about the property is a heated glass greenhouse, which will extend my growing season from three months to seven or eight.

You can imagine the flurry of activity that has been happening the last month as we packed all the worldly goods we retained into blue Rubbermaid tubs while also trying to keep up with the endless paperwork demands of lawyers. Roger drilled holes and secured lids with plastic wire ties, weighing each bin as I packed our treasures.

At first we had thought to take very little with us, leaving the camp fully furnished and ready to be opened up for use. We began to dig out closets and pack up books and saw there was lot of stuff that didn’t need to stay with the camp, we wouldn’t need in our new home but was still very useful. Not wanting to waste any precious resources, we packed up three boat loads of good stuff for the new house our neighbours at the Hoarfrost River Homestead are building. In the end there are just under 100 blue tubs plus a couple pieces of antique furniture for us to take to our new home.

It is a huge step for us, moving from Reliance. Roger has been there for 46 years, beating out old Gus D’Aoust of the Wolverine Trading Post by a year. I wonder if during that first year they spent together, Gus teaching Roger all his knowledge, they ever thought Roger would be in Reliance for almost half a century. Roger has been there so long, there are not many people left alive who remember the time before him. It is the end of an era for sure.

Sometimes I feel sad about leaving Reliance. The last visit to my old greenhouse, filled with flowers and squash brought a few tears to my eyes. I have experienced unbelievable adventures that looking back on now, seem an impossible dream. But, ever the eternal optimist, I gave the house a kiss and a good-bye wave, took off in a twin otter and didn’t look back.

Onward, Upward is, as ever, the motto!