Arion Therapeutic Farm will move out of Kelowna in April.
Photo credit: FACEBOOK / Arion Therapeutic Farm
December 30, 2020 – 12:15 p.m.
After experiencing a huge financial hit this year due to COVID-19, Kelowna’s Arion Therapeutic Farm found a buyer for her property and will be moving out of town.
The farm was founded in 2009 as a therapeutic equestrian facility which, according to the farm’s website, has evolved over time into a publicly accessible animal shelter. It is currently located at 2457 Saucier Rd. In Kelowna.
The main hit during the COVID-19 period was a drop in total visitors and the farm was unable to set up an Airbnb for insurance reasons, said Heather Henderson, the farm’s founder and director.
They had incredibly busy months in March and April, but the decline in visitors has made the farm unsustainable. The pursuit of adoption programs and membership options has also failed, she said.
READ MORE: Kelowna Animal Shelter Selling Property After Suffering From COVID-19 Hit
They also want to offer a camping option, but that’s not currently allowed in the city of Kelowna.
“This property no longer meets our needs to be viable,” she said.
Their main customers were from the lower mainland, but they didn’t have that much local support.
They need a location where they can expand more into the agro-tourism sector, she said. The current location has been sold and they will now be moving out in April 2021 but have yet to find a property to move to.
“Our new adventure might be a little different, but we still think it’s an important thing that we do and that we love to do,” said Henderson.
She hopes to make the farm a destination that will offer visitors longer stays and camping opportunities.
They hope to find a plot of land with a barn, hay field, paddocks, fences and water for the sanctuary’s 35 animals and a place for the caretakers.
“We have to be able to move into something, we can’t build a barn or fence in the middle of winter,” she said.
Ideally, it is close to the city.
The farm will remain open in its current location until March.
“The amazing ride we had here cannot be minimized. We are all eternally grateful for amazing experiences (and) life changing moments.”
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