Village Squire, 1979-01, Page 6Small A -frame huts, called sugar shacks provide snug rental
accommodation for those wishing to spend some time at Hully
Gull).
When the snow went it still didn't stop them demonstrating
their machine. There was a field of clover that was used during
the summer months for demonstrations. In the summer of 1971
the first sale was made and to their surprise the retail end of the
business took off. It was a surprise because they'd never really
planned to get into sales and set -vice: it was just a means of
getting snowmobiles. They got a dealership to get the machines
and started servicing because it was important to be able to offer
service to those who bought machines. In those days too, there
were dozens of people selling snowmobiles. Still that first sale
set them on a long road that this past year brought Hully Gully
revenues to more than SI million.
In the fall of 1971 the first big move was made when the couple
built a new building on the farm that houses the showroom,
offices and service facilities of the operation today. In those days
it also had a small little cafe -style restaurant in one end. There
Mrs. Collins worked long hours on a home made grill (a sheet of
steel over a hot plate) to turn out food for hungry customers.
The move into the new field of a winter resort came as part of a
growing disillusionment in farming. Randy had come from a
farm background and been involved in both 4H and Junior
Farmer work and loved country life but he was more and more
feeling farmers were being ripped off and felt helpless to fight
back. The winter resort meant they were still able to keep their
country way of life.
But if things were tough on the farm. they weren't to be much
better initially in the business world. With both the cattle still to
be looked after and the new business as well the hours were
tremendously long. Then after the gigantic snowfall of 1970-71,
the winter of 1971-72 was almost snowless: not the best
conditions for a snowmobiles resort.
Still it was full speed ahead. That first year they sold 35
snowmobiles. They also decided to provide some kind of
accommodation for visitors so they constructed some small
A -frame huts to be rented: Randy's brother was involved in the
business at this point and they had big ideas and small finances,
he recalls. The huts were uninsulated and heated by a wood
stoveand lit only by oil lamps. Still they were rented a good deal
of the time.
The hopes of the young couple weren't looking quite so bright
by the spring of 1972. With the lack of snow came a lack of
profits. Randy took a job selling farm equipment to help bring in
money. It required him to be on the road a lot and after only a
month, Audrey decided that there had to be a better way than
having the family split up. She suggested they do whatever they
had to to get enough money for Randy to stay at home with the
family. So they went to work trying to turn the fledgling business
into a full time one. They decided to go ahead and build the
chalet and applied to the Industrial Development Bank for
it!
STARTS
Jan. 2 fo Jan. 6
20-50%
OFF
EVERY ITEM IN THE STORE
A
(Formerly The Needlecrati Shoppe)
MAIN ST., BLYTH PHONE 523-4351
Monday thru Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Valerie Dale, Prop.
January 1979. Village squire 3