Call Us At: 1.877.456.7717
GAZETTE MONTHLY | APRIL 2023
In This Newsletter:

* Presidents Message
* Staff Announcements
* New Wifi For Groups
* The Story of Randy Trites 
* New All Day Adventure Rides
* New Prospector's Holding Area
* 2023 Important Dates
Historical Note:
Bert Gammie arrived at the ranch in 1937 by motorcycle up the Fraser canyon road. He had come from England. Jake Reinertson worked there already in 1937. He was foreman back then until he retired about 1967. Randy Trites then became foreman of the barn area with the guests. Guests today can stay in the original farmhouse built by the Gammies at the ranch!

President's Message

Last season marked a couple of achievements. First it was our 100th birthday of the guest ranch. (The ranch operated as a cattle ranch for a long time before that). But on top of that, 2022 marked the all time record guests registrations with over 2000 guests enjoying the ranch. Special thanks to all the returning guests and staff who have become like family at the ranch. We have worked particularly hard to make the ranch a great experience for the entire family. So it's rewarding to see that the ranch has become a part in shaping your children’s development. This year we are ready for your vacation like never before. Last fall we worked hard to get the facilities ship shape for this Spring. Everything from new docks and trails to new arrivals for the herd. Our wranglers are here right now working with the herd for season opener May 8. This is your ranch and thanks for keeping the 100 year old traditions alive. See you in 2023! - John Lovelace CEO
Staff Announcements

Over the past 8 years we have worked hard to develop the best team of staff and contractors in the west. 

Returning Staff

We have the largest group of returning staff ever! Cowboy Steve will be back again larger than life. He is an institution in these parts. Victoria, our head wrangler, is back and Angela her trusty sidekick will be right there too. Ariel returns year after year and does everything from wrangling to archery. Zaira, our terrific cook, is back in the kitchen with some great new menu ideas. Will and Omar are both returning to keep the ranch trails, fencing and cabins in tip top shape. Maggie will be back to head up housekeeping. Dan who was part of the Fremlin Flying U family will work tirelessly on everything from farrier work to fencing. Tamara is again back in the kitchen looking after home baking. Another Quebecor Karina is returning to work in the lodge. We have two teenage sisters Avery and Skylar from Ontario returning to work in the front end of the lodge. Returning wranglers are Aimy from Quebec, Daphne from BC and Chelsea from the USA. Nancy is back in accounting working tirelessly as ever. 
New Staff

But we don't stand still and 2023 will see some great additions. Seraina is coming all the way from Switzerland to help out for 6 months in the wrangling department. Stacey who was with us a couple of years ago is retuning as our events coordinator. Natasha is already hard at work in the office with Lori doing backup. Our second cook is Debbie. We have 6 new wranglers and they are excited to be part of the team. 
Cowboy Steve and Nala oversee the loading of the ranch tractor going in for servicing last fall.
New Technology To Help With Our Wifi

We have acquired the latest high speed Starlink wifi system. What makes this one different is that it's mobile so when we have a corporate event or a wedding then we can locate it anywhere on the ranch property. Ask about the new remote wifi for your group's booking. 
The Story of Randy Trites

This winter John was walking Nala and Lucy in a little desert Mexican town of San Carlos on the sea of Cortez. He stopped to talk to a couple who also were dog owners to talk “dogs”. As these things generally go the conversation turned to “so where are ya from anyhow”. Turns out Randy was the head wrangler at the Flying U back in the late sixties! He had written a book about his life for his family and gave us the chapter with photos of life at the ranch that date back to the 30's. What a treasure chest and a welcome addition to the archives. Life at the Flying U in the 60’s will be hard-copied and available in the Lodge for reading by the fireplace. Randy and his wife Shirley will be a special guests at the ranch this summer. 

“This short story is dedicated to all the Gammie family, Jake Reinertson, all the Flying U guests and staff through the years, 70 Mile House to Bridge Lake and 100 Mile House local residents and all the horses, cattle and other livestock that helped turn me into a cowboy and made my life so enriched and changed it forever for the better”

Randy Trites 
Guests can stay at the original ranch house of the Gammies
Guest Deserve A Break. We Are Not Passing Along Our Merchant Fees For 2023

Recent government legislation now allows businesses to pass on Credit Card merchant fees to consumers. Our Guests will be happy to hear that we will not be passing on the Credit Card merchant fees in 2023 to our guests for Visa or MasterCard Charges.
New For 2023, We Are Offering All Day Adventure Rides

Our Adventure Ride Programs are new this year. These are guided day ride options for all levels of riders! For three days each week guests can join our wranglers on one of our Special Destination Rides. Rides vary from 5 to 6 hours and the pace in which you ride will depend on if you are on a beginner or intermediate/experienced rides. All groups will stop for a lunch break for both horses and riders. Ride options are Moose Mountain (intermediate & experienced riders), Nagi Lakes (all levels of riders) and Gymkhana (all levels of riders) with a chance to try the barrels. These rides give the guest an opportunity to upgrade their riding skills with a wrangler or do a more advanced trail ride safely. Pricing is easy as you simply upgrade to the platinum plus package for the day.

New Prospectors Holding Area

Last fall we created a new 4 acre holding area for the herd. It's just west of the main corrals up the hill in a treed area of Prospectors Ridge. The idea is that during hot summer days the herd will be released to this sheltered area instead of hanging out in the pens. They will be in the shade, they have lots of room to spread out with their groups, and they can just walk down to the water trough. Special thanks to the volunteers at the Fall Wrangler Week.
The 2023 Important Dates 
 
  • May 8 Official Season Opening
  • May 8 - 12 Wrangler Week 
  • May 12 First Guest Bookings
  • May 19 - 22 May Long Weekend
  • May 26 - 28 Closed for a private wedding
  • June 2 - 4 Closed for a private wedding
  • June 22 Summer Season Begins
  • June 30 - July 3 Huge Canada Day Weekend
  • Aug 4 - 7 BC Day Celebrations At The Ranch catering to the entire family 
  • Sept 1 - 4 Labour Day Weekend
  • Sept 8 - 11 Closed for a private function
  • Sept 17 - 22 Closed for The Canadian federation of Artists retreat
  • Sept 22 - Fall Season Begins (Last September we experienced summer weather here) 
  • October 6 - 9 Thanksgiving Weekend Celebration
This Summer Take a Sunset Cruise In A Modern Classic

The ranch is built on the shores of Green Lake and the waterfront activities have become an important part of the ranch. The “Thundercraft” boat was an extremely popular Quebec-built brand in the 70’s and 80’s that reached throughout Canada and parts of the United States. In 1989 the company had installed the most powerful sterndrive available at the time and had raised the engine to accommodate raising the outdrive higher than what would be considered normal. This was to reduce drag and increase speed.

Fast forward 31 years when a post on social media advertised a 1992 Thundercraft up at the 108 area. Seems like folks in these parts did not understand the historical significance of the Thundercraft brand and it had been offered at a very reasonable price. The ranch acquired the boat and immediately went to work restoring it. This season the work will be completed with the original 350 engine which purrs like a kitten and new upholstery done by Dianne up at Horse Lake. It will be used for complimentary Sunset lake cruises for guests this summer at the Flying U Ranch.
5 Days for the Price of 4 A Huge Success

Last fall we announced our new 5 days for the price of 4. We were surprised that many people who had already booked have let us know they will be extending their visit. This is a great opportunity for the ranch as it helps with the horse assignments and housekeeping turnovers. It also effectively discounts the cost of a ranch stay by 20%. If you want to add an extra free day to your vacation give Natasha at the office a call at 250 456 7717.
The Flying U is a great venue for special events
P.O. Box 69, 70 Mile House
BC V0K 2K0 Canada
1.877.456.7717