It’s a done deal.
The historic Quilchena Cattle Company, which dates back to the 1880s, has been sold to Canada’s largest working cattle ranch.
The Douglas Lake Cattle Company, which has nearly half a million acres of protected and managed land, is now even larger after acquiring its longstanding neighbouring ranch, which operates on 28,000 deeded acres.
No details on a purchase price have been released, but the deal includes the Quilchena Hotel, the RV park, Quilchena golf course, a restaurant and general store. Douglas Lake Ranch will become the new landlords of the privately owned Sagebrush golf course.
The historic Quilchena Hotel was part of the Quilchena property, recently purchased by the owners of the Douglas Lake Ranch.
Guy Rose, now former owner of the ranch, told the Herald that the Douglas Lake Cattle Company agreed verbally to maintain current staffing.
“They promised to take on the whole crew, so nobody is unemployed as a result,” Rose said.
“They’ll be good managers,” he said.
Rose also said the new owners told him they will maintain current activities and won’t turn the land into a subdivision.
“It will still be a ranch,” Rose said.
“We hope it will be a seamless changeover.”
He said those conditions were verbally understood and not conditions of the sale.
The deal was completed at the beginning of the month, he said.
Douglas Lake Ranch general manager Joe Gardner did not respond to calls from the Merritt Herald by press time, but has told other media outlets the Quilchena Hotel — which dates back to 1908 — the golf course, the general store and the RV park will all maintain their names.
Rose told the Herald he and his wife Hilde decided it was time to sell the ranch and the deal had been in the works for a couple of months.
“We’re getting on in years and we decided that we didn’t want the responsibility anymore and that we want to do some other things,” Rose said.
The 84-year-old Rose said he decided he wanted to do some travelling.
His grandfather, French-born Joseph Guichon, acquired the Quilchena Ranch in the late 19th century.
Rose took over his mother’s share when he was 26, he said, and his cousin, Gerard Guichon, took over his father’s share.
“That’s the way it went,” Rose said. “But that’s a long time ago [and] in the meantime we’ve had a good life, we’ve raised our five kids, and we’ve got to see our grandkids go on to university and things like that so it’s been a pretty full life.”
Rose added that he’s always been active in the ranching community and said he’s enjoyed 99 per cent of his life.
“Not many people can say that,” he said.
“And if I didn’t I would have done something else.”
Rose said he and his wife will not be leaving the Nicola Valley as they will retain their homes and some of the acreage around them.
Rose said in a way, it was a sad day saying goodbye to the Quilchena Ranch, but added it’s time for a new chapter of his life.
