A family-run oasis on the Prairies
Gloria Chartier and her five adult children own and operate Prairie Oasis Tourist Complex
In the city of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the owners of the 80-acre Prairie Oasis Tourist Complex are eager to get the season started. Monique Guillaume (pronounced Gilliam, like William) is co-owner of Prairie Oasis, along with her two sisters, two brothers and their mother.
“When my parents (Bob and Gloria Chartier) bought the place 40 years ago, it had a 20-unit motel and about 10 campsites—and no trees,” said Guillaume. “My dad planted every tree on the property. I started working here as a teenager, cleaning rooms and filling the pop machine.”
The small operation grew into what is aptly named a complex. Today, Prairie Oasis consists of a motel with an indoor pool, hot tub and waterslides; a campground, mobile home park and small nature area with a pond; minigolf and a gated, fenced playground; a Tempo full-service gas station; a family restaurant and a convenience store. It employs a staff of about 80—some of whom have worked there for 25 years.
A family business
Running an operation of this size takes leadership, and the six family members have distinct areas of responsibility. Guillaume and her twin sister look after the bulk of the administration for the campground, motel and mobile home park. One brother runs the gas station; the other oversees the grounds maintenance and takes care of the waterslides. Guillaume’s older sister and their mother—who is 85 and still very involved—run the restaurant.
“Mom does the quality control for the food, and it’s great. They serve all the good foods we grew up on,” said Guillaume. “We all get together regularly for management meetings, where we decide what our priorities are and where money needs to be spent.”
A prime spot for family reunions
Besides attracting the usual holidayers, Prairie Oasis is a popular spot for larger gatherings.
“We often have three or four family reunions going on at a time through the summer,” said Guillaume. “On a big property like ours, there’s plenty of space. Besides the motel and campsites, we have mobile home suites that we have outfitted for larger families or multiple families. We have a banquet room they can rent and we also have a Quonset that is available in the summer, equipped with tables and chairs and coolers.”
The personal touch pays off
In terms of administration, Guillaume appreciates the changes that technology has brought to the business. There’s one aspect, though, that she prefers to do the old-style way.
“We like to actually talk to people when they do their booking,” she said. “It makes for a more custom booking for their particular unit and family group, and it ends up taking less time if we talk once over the phone instead of sending multiple emails back and forth.”
Readers of RVwest magazine appreciate the service and amenities that they find at Prairie Oasis—they have ranked this tourist complex their overall favourite privately owned RV park in Saskatchewan for 2013.
