District of Cactus 鈥� where people of all ages come together to experience the old-fashioned simple way of life.聽
District of Cactus is being developed for like-minded people that want to use their horses to work in fields, people that want to just ride and enjoy the experience, and people that want to dress the cowboy/cowgirl way. 聽
鈥淒istrict of Cactus has been an idea that鈥檚 at least 20 years in the making,鈥� says Dan Cole, managing director of District of Cactus and spokesman for the family run business.聽
Cole is hoping to bring Main Street in Kennedy back to life again.聽
鈥淲e already purchased three buildings in the Village of Kennedy and are in the process of signing the deal on two additional buildings,鈥� explains Cole. 聽
The plan is to change the downtown street back into the old wild west theme with wooden sidewalks and stores that look like days from the past.聽
The company purchased 75 acres of land just outside of Kennedy where Cole and his family plan to build old-fashioned homesteads and move here from Pilot Butte.聽
鈥淭he RM has given permission to build the two houses on the land that was purchased.鈥澛�
鈥淲e鈥檝e been looking for the right land,鈥� explains Cole. 鈥淲e had different lands throughout time but none of it panned out for one reason or another.鈥澛�
鈥淲e had land in northern Ontario where we first planned to do the development on but after thinking about the mosquitos, black flies, no-see-ums, bears, cougars, wolves and the timber wolves 鈥撀犅爀verything involved in northern Ontario didn鈥檛 make it feel right.聽
So the question on everyone鈥檚 mind 鈥�. Why pick Kennedy, Sask.?聽
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 pick Kennedy鈥ennedy picked us!鈥� says Cole. 鈥淚n a roundabout way, Kennedy just happened.鈥澛�
Cole says they weren鈥檛 looking for an existing town that had people living there but were actually looking for a ghost town to start this project as they thought that would be the ideal situation. They would have fewer obstacles to overcome.聽
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 find a ghost town that was suitable,鈥� explains Cole. 聽
鈥淲e were negotiating on 14 sections of land in southeast Manitoba near an Amish community so the horse and buggy was already there but again there were many reasons we decided against that area.鈥澛�
District of Cactus is a family project for families to enjoy.聽
鈥淚 feel this is what people want,鈥� says Cole. 鈥淭here are more and more people who just want to get away from the city. They want to get away from the technology and they want to go back to the basics.鈥澛�
鈥淎t first I thought Kennedy may not be the right place either but I made a trip down there and met with council. They, along with other people I talked to around town, were very warm and welcoming,鈥� explains Cole. 鈥淎fter different times making trips to Kennedy, and talking with council, things just started coming together.鈥澛�
Cole has no prior connections to Kennedy, as he says he鈥檚 never been there in his life.聽
Over the years, Main Street businesses in Kennedy have disappeared but Cole feels bringing this idea to the village is viable and feels it鈥檚 going to work because Kennedy is a cowboy town.聽
鈥淭hey have the annual Pro Rodeo, other rodeos and horse events,鈥� says Cole. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a horse town.鈥澛�
This was a draw for Cole and his family. Now it鈥檚 just a matter of promoting the whole horse theme. And going back to the old wild west.聽
鈥淚 was born in the wrong era鈥 should have been born in the 1800s,鈥� states Cole.聽
Cole says he hopes to have things up and running very soon.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to have the General Store up and running at the end of this month as we have someone leasing that,鈥� explains Cole. 鈥淲e鈥檒l get the store front ready and they鈥檒l lease the store.鈥澛�
They have a part-time blacksmith coming who will be running their own business and District of Cactus will be looking for a full-time wheelwright to make wagon wheels and buggy wheels.聽
鈥淲e already have things planned for this summer in Kennedy,鈥� says Cole.聽
鈥淲e need the support of the community. Once this is up and running, we hope to have lots of horses in town.鈥澛�
Eventually they hope to have wagon and horse and buggy rides.聽
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing for Kennedy to lose by allowing this project to try and make a go of it,鈥� states Cole. 聽
It鈥檒l also become a tourist attraction. 聽
Down the road, Cole says they would also like to start a Kids鈥� Camp which would provide horseback riding, tips on how to cut and split firewood and lessons on how things were done 鈥榖ack in the day鈥� rather than being on their cell phones and computers. The camp idea is still up in the air depending on what the RM will allow.聽
Let鈥檚 live the simple life.聽
鈥淚 feel reservedly optimistic about the District of Cactus,鈥� says Ward Frazer, administrator for the Village of Kennedy, about having this idea coming to Kennedy. 鈥淒an Cole has shown that he is hoping to renew the commercial aspects of the community while attempting to co-habitat with the general population. Council was likewise tentatively optimistic about the offer.鈥澛�
聽鈥淐ouncil was, at first, skeptical of the proposal,鈥� says Frazer. 鈥淭hey agreed to meet with their spokesperson, Dan Cole, to discuss options. Dan鈥檚 sincerity and conviction soon had council taking the matter seriously. The District of Cactus made an offer to purchase two pieces of property that were in tax title property from the village and council felt it in the best interest of the community to get these properties back into a taxable format. Dan asked that the district be allowed to bring these properties back to the style of the 鈥淥ld West,鈥� meaning wooden sidewalks complete with covered verandas and hitching posts. Council agreed to this providing nothing was permanently attached to the existing infrastructure. Dan has asked council to amend a bylaw regarding keeping animals within the village and council will be discussing this issue at their next regular council meeting.鈥澛�
Frazer comments on how this idea will benefit Kennedy:聽
聽鈥淭he District鈥檚 proposal is to restore the commercial area of Main Street back to an original Western themed rural community. I believe that it is attempting to draw on tourism to attract people to the area. The District is proposing to attempt to instigate the revival of a general store, meat market and other business ventures. The benefits of these businesses to the community would plentiful should they proceed. Council is optimistic that this will succeed.鈥澛�
