Backyard Barrel brings heat to winter park experience By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 5:12 PM CST Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024

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This article was published 20/11/2024 (675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Heat comes in barrel-shaped packages — at least, it will at Assiniboine Park this winter.

A portable sauna available for rent will sit near the park’s duck pond on weekends. It will reside near the Cargo Bar starting Dec. 1.

“We expect there to be a pretty high demand of people wanting to come out,” said Cristen Hamed, co-owner of the Backyard Barrel.

Already, the company’s four rentable saunas are booked through the holiday season with a waiting list. Hamed sought a public space where the Backyard Barrel could accommodate hour-long bookings to satiate some of the hunger.

Portable saunas grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A group of four Manitobans started the Backyard Barrel in 2021, offering cedar barrel saunas for bookings up to a week.

Hamed and her husband Amir spotted an advertisement for the Backyard Barrel online. “We just fell in love with the business,” she recalled.

The pair bought the company in December 2023. They’re no strangers to entrepreneurship — they own Kid City Archibald, an indoor playground, and Hamed formerly ran a physiotherapy clinic.

The Backyard Barrel seemed like a good fit for the couple: she appreciates the health benefits of saunas, and Amir is a journeyman carpenter, meaning he can create the physical structures.

The pair build three- to 3.5-metre long saunas; they sell them alongside the rental business.

Earlier this year, Hamed began contacting various Winnipeg locations, testing whether they’d accept a portable sauna on site. Assiniboine Park said yes.

“We knew that if we could find a spot that worked well … we could be providing more sauna sessions to a variety of people,” Hamed explained.

She considers the space “a match made in heaven.”

A wood-burning stove heats the sauna, so Assiniboine Park didn’t need to change the area. Washrooms are nearby, as are hot and cold drinks at the Cargo Bar.

Patrons will get an hour of sauna time, split into 15- to 20-minute segments with breaks outside. Walking to the Cargo Bar during breaks may become a popular choice, Hamed predicted.

“We’re really happy to be working with them,” added Jennifer Mathieson, Cargo Bar’s co-owner.

The shipping container-turned-bar has opened during the winter skating season for the past four years. Fire pits dot the patio; hot chocolate is on tap.

Cargo Bar may adjust its schedule to be open alongside the Backyard Barrel and activities happening in the park.

“Our goal is to … get more people active outside,” Mathieson said. “All of those activations really help draw more people down and keep them out enjoying the winter.”

Laura Cabak, Assiniboine Park Conservancy communications director, echoed Mathieson. The Backyard Barrel helps expand the park’s seasonal offerings, Cabak wrote in a statement, adding more announcements will come in December.

Hamed hopes the Backyard Barrel’s appearance won’t be confined to the winter months. Should things go well, a more permanent stay may develop, she said.

Bookings are available for Friday evenings, and for Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. Up to eight people can fit inside, though sessions will be capped at six customers unless it’s a group booking.

Globally, the portable sauna market is expected to continue growing. Research reports vary, but show the multimillion-dollar industry will increase in value over the next several years.

Greater health awareness and convenience — being able to position the saunas by homes and apartments — are among the reasons for growth, Verified Market Research outlined.

The Backyard Barrel is taking bookings on its website. An individual one-hour slot at Assiniboine Park costs $40 plus tax. Couples pay a total $65, while groups up to eight pay $150.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com