LAKE DIEFENBAKER - If you thought the work and planning going down to turn Sandy Shores Resort located along Lake Diefenbaker into an attractive tourism destination was already impressive, then the area's next phase might once again turn up your eyebrows.
Plans are in the works right now for a lighthouse to be built, situated next to the future marina. It would make for only the second operational lighthouse in the province, the other one located in Cochin. It would feature a viewing tower in order for the public to take in some picturesque scenery of Lake Diefenbaker, and the building that the lighthouse will be connected to includes plans for multiple vendors and public spaces such as washrooms, laundry, and shower facilities.
Rauncie Kinnaird, owner of Sandy Shores Resorts, says the sky's the limit for the potential of business to be done in the area and believes that the resort will grab attention across the board once key steps have been taken to show the public what it has to offer.
"I wanted them to have additional features that would attract," said Rauncie, on the resort's building plans. "There are some really exciting opportunities coming, but we have to have facilities that attract the local Saskatchewan residents into an international market, and I think we have the potential to do that, but I think part of that is the energy that business owners bring to a project. I think that you attract individuals with the things that we have in places such as Outlook and Lucky Lake; everything from gifts to clothing, and we want to attract those to Sandy Shores. There are some people who do business in a really exciting way, and we want to roll out the red carpet for them."
Although the lighthouse for now is in the drawing stage, Kinnaird says that some of the conceptual material she's seen has created excitement and she's looking forward to bringing it to lake goers.
"Right now, I have a conceptual design and I'm looking for vendors," she said. "The design is complete, but at this stage, what I'm doing is taking in acceptions of interest because I don't want vendors to compete. It will be a functioning lighthouse with a viewing platform. On the main floor, there will be anywhere from three to five vendors, and then there will be an area in which you can access the viewing platform to take in the gorgeous views of Lake Diefenbaker. We've done a number of views to get a concept of what that looks like."
Plans right now call for the construction of the lighthouse and area to begin not long into 2022, and Kinnaird says Sandy Shores will consider itself open for other types of business or events, doing their best to be a welcoming spot for a growing marketplace that tries to cater to every need.
"In the spring," she said. "Commercial buildings have a different kind of building code, and it's quite a process. So we have a drawing, and vendors will be able to have really detailed plans about what the space looks like while we still have the option to make changes. There are public washrooms, laundry facilities and shower facilities that would largely serve the marina guests. If there are businesses such as food trucks or even farmer's markets, we would have services for those kinds of events."
Outside of the plans for people to take in some breathtaking sights of the lake area courtesy of the lighthouse, there are other business interests that will add to the scope of the area, helping to make Sandy Shores Resort stand out among other lakeside communities and vacation getaways. Kinnaird says they're taking expressions of interest from vendors that are interested in acquiring spaces, with no commitment required from vendors at this time. So far, there have been discussions with services such as coffee shops, gift shops, and spas.
Rauncie says the resort is willing to discuss business with virtually any type of vendor looking to set up shop, doing so with the understanding that Sandy Shores is planning for a basic, non-compete environment to work toward that helps ensure that all will be successful. The final result could see a potent mixture of stores and products being offered to visitors.
"The kind of business I expect to see would be confectionary," she said. "We're also looking at fuel vendors. Other vendors could really be anything; gift shops, crafts, tourism, food services. There are businesses in our area that have been really unique and have been really successful, and we're hoping to reach out to some of the communities and see who might be interested in running at Sandy Shores. Fishing will be huge too, and we expect to see someone pick up the bait and tackle part of that. We think it'll be a real mix of stores that people will want to see come together!"
Kinnaird says the project to bring a functioning lighthouse to this part of Saskatchewan is an enjoyable addition to the other projects that Sandy Shores already has on the go. Perhaps understandably, she believes that the point of bringing such features and amenities to the area is to show people that the potential of Lake Diefenbaker has yet to be fully explored.
"This is one of several projects," said Rauncie. "The marina is under construction, and it's the biggest project I've undertaken. The lighthouse is a very nice complement to that. There's a parcel where we're doing several interviews right now with several vendors who are interested in developing businesses, and those could also be anything from accommodations to just about anything else. The opportunity that comes with Sandy Shores, we're developing and we've got about a hundred lot owners right now with beautiful cabins and homes. We do have a number of projects that will move forward in the next few years, and there are more coming. People are really enjoying the number of amenities, and we always have that gorgeous lake that we all get to enjoy. We live in a beautiful area!"
Plans at the moment call for the lighthouse to be complete by the fall of 2022.
