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Our journey has been a wild ride
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B efore becoming business owners in Cape Breton, Alix and Thomas worked in the oil sands of Alberta, building careers in the demanding field of heavy equipment operation. After meeting in 2010, they spent over a decade navigating the fast- paced world of energy. But throughout their careers, they knew they longed for a lifestyle rooted in nature and community. “In Alberta, we spent 10 years working in the oil sands. It was good money, but it wasn’t fulfilling,” Thomas reflects. “We knew we wanted to do something more meaningful and have more time to spend with family.” In 2013, Alix’s grandfather unexpectedly had to sell his home (now The Cedar cottage), which was the family gathering
the cottage to at least start paying for itself. We had already had some interest from family friends looking to rent it over the summer, so we decided to list seasonally on Airbnb.” Alix and Thomas were overwhelmed with interest, and the summers were booked at 100% occupancy every summer. “It all started as a side hustle,” Alix says. “We didn’t expect it to turn into what it is today, but as soon as we saw people’s reactions to the place, we realized there was something special about it, and I became passionate about hosting.” In 2019, Thomas and Alix welcomed their first son, which made them realize they wanted to raise their family closer
spot for many years. Alix and Thomas decided to purchase the property to keep it in the family. “We were not in the market for a vacation home, and we had to make sacrifices to make it work, like trading in our vehicle and postponing buying a home in Fort McMurray,” Alix says. Alix continues, “The cottage was mostly vacant for a few years, except for us spending our summer vacation there. Each visit home, we would work on improving the property. The first thing we did was dig out the steep bank and level out the property, so we could build a large deck and have water access. It was an extensive job but made all the difference in the property. Once we decided it was time to buy a home out west, we knew we needed
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Cape Breton is stunning, and we wanted to share that with others ”
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BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE 89
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