3 THE BRANDON SUN • Lake Life • SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2024
First of its kind Indigenous-owned accommodation offers visitors to Riding Mountain a chance to “get off the grid” in comfort and still enjoy the surrounding nature. (Submitted)
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: Indigenous business owner leads way with ‘Turtle Village’
BY CHARLOTTE MCCONKEY
“We want to promote sustainable, eco-friendly tourism in the area. And so in this way, we’re teaching peo- ple how to experience that,” she said about the off-grid turtle shells.
the comforts of home,” according to the Turtle Village website. Being inside the shell is a grounding experience, but it is what’s outside the door that makes it truly special. Owner Ashley Smith purposefully created
I
nside a “turtle shell” in Turtle Village at Riding Mountain National Park,
There’s no better way to put reconciliation (into) action than in supporting tourism and indigenous businesses. ~ Ashley Smith ” “
Each is solar powered with a battery back- up, so visitors can still charge their de- vices. The shells are available to be rent- ed year-round, so propane heaters are provided in the colder months. Kitchen facili- ties are outside so people can still take in the surround-
a sign hangs on the wall that reads “Wasagaming, Treaty 2, Turtle Village.” It invites vis- itors to be mindful of the tra- ditional Indigenous territory that the village sits upon. The Turtle Shell units — eight in total are available for booking — are small, weatherproof, indestructible accom- modations “that have zero impact to the ground while allowing you to have
Turtle Village to im- merse visitors in the site’s natural sur- roundings. Locat- ed in Wasagaming campground, the
village is off-grid and unplugged — no TVs, no wifi. Smith designed the turtle shells to have an extremely low impact on the envi- ronment. The units are so in tune with nature that they nearly blend right into the landscape.
ings while they are cooking. In the winter there is a heated kitchen avail- able to use.
» Continued on Page 4
Powered by FlippingBook