In addition to his animal sanctuary project, Parc Primal – whose scheduled opening has been delayed till early summer 2021 – Erik Guay tells us he is currently working on several other projects at the same time.

In fact in that context, the twiceworld- champion of alpine skiing and his wife Karen have just finished renovating a hundred-year-old farmhouse on the banks of the Rouge River, and it is now available for rent. It took a year of renovation to achieve the desired result.

Built in 1889 the residence, insulated with sawdust, tilted a full seven inches towards the river. “We only kept the original envelope of the building,” Erik explains. “Inside, everything is new,” he adds. “Let’s just say that it’s kept me good and busy for the past year.”

Elk for neighbours

Erik and Karen managed, however, to retain the feeling and cachet of this hundred-year-old farmhouse sited on 110 acres where you’ll find, in addition to laying hens and five kilometres of walking paths, some rather curious neighbours: wapiti (elk).

These big North American animals, one of the largest species in the deer family, currently comfortably installed in a five-acre enclosure, were to be the first inhabitants of Parc Primal.

It’s not surprising that the virus crisis considerably delayed the animal park project and the four males, now 15 months old, decided to live on the site of the old farm.

“You can feed them by hand, they’re so gentle. We’ve had them since they were three months old,” he says. “Their antlers are already very big; it’s really impressive. My children often go to pet them and give them apples.”

A magical place

The farmhouse, in which there are two main bedrooms and one bedroom for children, can accommodate between six and eight people. In summer there’s a sandy beach for the occupants to enjoy, as well as rows of apple trees and the paths that wind through the property.

In winter, Erik anticipates transforming the five kilometres of trails into a linear skating rink. “It’s truly a magical place,” Erik notes. “All I need now is a Zamboni,” he concludes, laughing.

Available for rent via airbnb.ca, the farmhouse is located at 3821 route des Tulipes in La Conception.

To catch a glimpse of Erik’s future animal park, go to: parcprimal.ca