Hockey High to Rocky Mountain Dream

Life was good or so she thought. A good marriage, the kids were grown and doing well. She had an exciting job promoting women’s and girls hockey in Ontario.

There were the persistent "Move west for a great life in the Rocky Mountains" sales pitches from her sister including numerous invitations to her new hometown of Cranbrook, British Columbia.

The births of a nephew and niece also meant frequent trips to the beautiful East Kootenay corner of BC. With each visit it became more difficult to leave the peacefulness and fresh mountain air to return to the traffic jams and chaotic life in southern Ontario.

Then one September evening in 2007, when chatting on-line, her sister excitedly typed that she found a website for the new Shadow Mountain golf course development.

Well that was it. A month and two trips west later, the decision was made to invest towards retirement in the amazing Rocky Mountain playground.

Next question, how could Melanie McFarlane and her husband Rick make the dream happen sooner than later? Could Melanie leave the women’s hockey world where she had spent the last 18 years involved in local, provincial, national and international events; her efforts culminating in being honoured as the 2003 Woman of the Year for Health and Fitness for the City of Hamilton.

Then in 2006, Melanie received national recognition when Hockey Canada presented the left-winger turned goaltender with the Isobel Gathorne Hardy Award. The prestigious "Player of the Year" award is attributed to an active player, at any level of the game, whose values, leadership and personal traits are representative of all female athletes. The award recognizes a player that has demonstrated strong community involvement and dedication to the game of hockey.

Could the lure of a life in south-eastern BC be greater than her hockey life? The answer was YES!

Melanie and Rick were excited at the prospect of joining the friendly and fast growing Cranbrook community, with Shadow Mountain offering a very special place to ultimately put down retirement roots.

Making the mid-life move, Melanie looked for a business idea which also offered an opportunity to get to know local folks. Who better to ask then someone who has a finger on the Kootenay pulse.

Over a coffee, Shadow Mountain Sales Consultant Irene Barnes and Melanie talked about the exciting future for Cranbrook, the Kootenays and Shadow Mountain.

The new Rocky Mountain International Airport was a key ingredient in the future growth of the region. It provided international access to the local recreational lifestyle communities. With Delta Airlines offering a link to their western hub Salt Lake City, the world was finally discovering BC’s best kept secret.

Irene mentioned the need for someone to help the future recreational homeowners keep care of their homes while vacant. What a great idea! The wheels began turning and the company name happened before the end of the day.

Thinking about the bear shadow on Shadow Mountain a perfect name would be The Bear Necessities Home Watch Service. Melanie could offer home checks, snow removal, lawn mowing, house cleaning, stock fridges, greet deliveries, airport shuttles and much more.

One goal would be to offer the recreational home owner a chance to spend more of their precious time on recreation and less time in the grocery store or cleaning. The company’s services would also be provided to permanent Cranbrook and area residents going away on vacation.

The transition west has started. Melanie has made the move and The Bear Necessities Home Watch Service is up and running. Rick currently remains in Ontario and is looking forward to joining Melanie soon in their new western adventure.

Melanie has certainly found a niche market as young families, baby-boomers and retirees all discover this recreation paradise. Not wanting to forget about her love of hockey, Melanie packed her goalie gear and was lucky enough to find that the new Cranbrook Women’s Rec Hockey League needed a netminder. Playing hockey in the Rockies, living in the beautiful City of Cranbrook…..dreams do come true!

Now it is Rick and Melanie’s turn to make the persistent "Move west for a great life in the Rocky Mountains" sales pitch to Ontario family and friends!