Welcome to the Wild West

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This article was published 31/07/2017 (2997 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

John Trowbridge has dabbled in a bit of everything, but the businessman has a soft spot for the elaborate western town that he’s built on his property at 1270 Sturgeon Rd.

Officially called Unique Corral, Trowbridge says the three-building attraction is best known as Winnipeg’s old western town. True to the nickname, the space features several saloons decked out with a clutter of western décor, a massive fire pit and teams of horses ready to take visitors on a sleigh or wagon ride.

“People like it down here, they rip ‘er up pretty good,” Trowbridge said.

First opened in 1974, the space is available for rent for parties, socials and weddings, though Trowbridge says they’ve seen a bit of everything, including churches that will use the site for mass a few times a year.

The town is adjacent to Trowbridge’s business, Unique Pre-Cast. The shop specializes in gravel, sand, sod and concrete, though they also sell firewood and have even done pools in the past. Now 74, Trowbridge said he likes working and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He’s currently building a stagecoach to add to his fleet of passenger rides which will seat 25 people.

How did things start?

“A friend of mine and I bought a team of horses and started giving sleigh rides and it grew and grew,” he said. “Mine are work horses, called heavy horses. They’re percherons and they’re the biggest, most popular work horse in North America. They weigh about a ton (2,000 pounds) each… They’re my babies.”

He said before that, he’d never thought much about horses, but he now keeps between two and four teams to meet the demand for rides year-round.

“We take the sleighs through the Timmy’s drive-thru, everyone loves that,” he said with a laugh.

All the buildings are equipped with a fire stove, fridge, grill and bar, making it a four-season operation. Trowbridge’s collection includes a custom-made carriage for weddings which cost him $31,000—19 years ago—as well as an antique hearse carriage that he continues to rent out for funerals today.

Trowbridge isn’t a huge western enthusiast himself, though convincingly decked out in a cowboy hat and yellow-tinted glasses. Regardless, he said there’s a universal appeal in spending a night under the stars shooting off fireworks with friends and family.

“People can let their hair down here, it’s not like a social where you’re indoors,” he said.

It’s a bring your own food and beverage setup, which allows Trowbridge to get to bed at a reasonable time at his house on-site while the party continues through the night.

Besides meeting celebrities who come through town, and giving rides to local politicians, Trowbridge and his staff have been witness to plenty of couples meeting and proposing.

“A lot of people have met their spouses here.”