Life at Saskatoon's Leisureland comes to an end as lease with Meewasin expires

For years, a small community has lived in a trailer park tucked away in the trees along the South Saskatchewan riverside on the outskirts of Saskatoon.

The area is known as Leisureland.

"It's like a hidden gem, a little sanctuary," said Jackie Jenson, who has lived in the area for nine years as part of the housing co-operative south of the Queen Elizabeth Power Station.

The secluded area is quiet, with towering trees and abundant wildlife. Jenson said she learned about it when she was going through a rough patch, and as time went on she stayed because of the affordability and the nature.

"The quality of living here is unparalleled."

Now Jenson and her neighbours are saying goodbye to Leisureland. They had a 25-year lease agreement with Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA), which owns the land. That lease expires this year and MVA is not interested in renewing it — devastating news for the few remaining residents.

"It's heartbreaking, and it makes me cry to even talk about it," said Jenson.

"I'm trying to be positive and be grateful that we had the opportunity. Most people don't even know this place exists, right?"

People have used this area, in the RM of Corman Park, for decades. Cottagers camped on the site as early as 1915, said an MVA spokesperson in an emailed statement. 

"It has a long history and there has had been a campground, and there was even an amusement park here pre-us," Jenson noted. 

The area peaked in the 1960s, when local landowner Mike Egnatoff transformed the area into a mini-amusement park called Leisureland. The site was active for 20 years, with mini-golf, ball diamonds, a miniature train, a Ferris wheel, concessions and a catering facility. 

But the fair did not go on forever. 

Egnatoff told The Phoenix in 1977 that he had big ideas for the place, but he didn't have time to run or develop the site. He also couldn't afford to pay someone else to do it, and wished the city would redevelop the land. 

"… so the ferris wheel and all the other rides that used to rock and whiz and whirl their young patrons through space have been pushed over, partly dismantled, or otherwise made less tempting to the small fry who visit the place," wrote journalist Eric 'o Burt.