“They built a bunkie next to their cottage, and we stayed in it one night last summer, and it had a screen door and no power,” said Jennifer.
The two loved the concept so much that they decided to build a bunkie on their land on Port Medway Road by the Medway River.
Jennifer and Troy had their first Airbnb customer at Port Medway Bunkies, at 653 Port Medway Road, the weekend of Aug. 26 and 27.
After spending the night at their friends’ cottage on Molega Lake, Jennifer and Troy went home to Hebb’s Cross and started to think about bunkies. The two discussed the idea of putting one on their property.
“Ultimately, we had this land here in Port Medway and started to kind of think about what it would look like to have a bunkie and then maybe more bunkies down the road,” said Jennifer.
The Bunkie
So far, there is one bunkie on the property, which Troy helped design and oversaw the construction of.
The small building certainly didn’t pop up overnight. The land was completely undeveloped, so cutting the road in was a process, said Jennifer.
“We purchased the land about five years ago,” said Troy.
That was shortly after Bowater Mersey closed, he said. Then this past January, Jennifer and Troy took on the project of building the road, which took 219 dump truck loads of fill.
Building the bunkie was a much quicker process. Construction of the building began in late July or early August. The whole thing, including the concrete slab and inspection, took a couple of months.
In addition to “peace and tranquility,” people who stay at Port Medway Bunkies will have enough bunks to sleep five people, a table and chairs, Adirondack chairs outside, a picnic table, a fire pit and bench, firewood, lights, and an outhouse, said Jennifer. Troy said eventually there would be an outdoor shower as well.
Jennifer compares the concept to the oTENTiks at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site.
“You bring your bedding and bring your cooking, just like you’re camping,” said Jennifer.
She said they also recognize there are travellers or tourists who may not have bedding or cooking supplies, so both are available for small costs.
Second Bunkie
By the end of the autumn, Jennifer and Troy hope to have a second bunkie. The second building would be the same style as the first and also be close to the water. The couple hopes to have as many as five to 10 buildings eventually, but that would depend on how business goes. Another eventual goal is to have platforms for tents, said Jennifer.
“I think we’re kind of promoting it as an off-grid, low impact way for people to just reconnect,” said Jennifer. “I think there are people who are looking for that – getting away from screens.”
For more information, visit Port Medway Bunkies.
