Happy 5th Year Anniversary - to us!
A little over 5 years ago, the three of us (Sean, Eric and Brian) decided to take a chance that we could sell a handful of Snowdogs in Manitoba. When we started - it was kind of like the little engine that could - we think we can, we think we can. You can actually read our origin story here.
Little did we know how popular these machines would be. You could almost say we started a revolution! As Snowdogs became more popular, people began thinking differently about how they access the great outdoors. We’ve had some amazing, eye-opening conversations with people about why Snowdogs are a great choice for so many people, and for so many reasons.
Over the last 5 years, we’ve learned so much! Fatbike and cross-country ski trail grooming is a huge part of our business. Ice fishing is another huge part of the Manitoba market, but there are also applications for Search & Rescue, hunting, and even farming and yard work. These are truly multi-functional machines.
Our first sale in February of 2018 was to a retired fellow (Joe J.) who planned to use it for ice fishing! He sent us this photo of what appears to be a master walleye! Well done! Within days of activating the online store, we’d already met our sales goal, which admittedly was a small number (we hoped to sell at least ONE). This was a promising start!
Our next job was to get the word out! We had already begun working on some social media posts, but we wanted to showcase how these machines would work in the wild. In 2018 we attended the first ever Winnipeg Ice Fishing Show, hosted by Eric Labaupa and his Kickerfish organization! It was a great event, and we were glad to participate. The best part was getting to know others in the ice fishing community, and that’s exactly what we did!
Most notably that year, we met up with the folks that organize the annual Lac du Bonnet ice fishing derby. They invited us out to showcase the capabilities of the Snowdog! It was a blast. We hooked up seven (7) sleds behind a Snowdog, and hauled kids around the derby area all morning. It was so much fun!
In 2019, we made a great connection with the Manitoba Wildlife Federation (if you’re not a member already, this is a great organization). We were honored to be invited to their annual Becoming an Outdoors Woman event, where we taught a short program on Small Engine Repair! We learned a lot, too!
Speaking of learning - we are proud to have become the #1 source for Snowdog content, answers, tips and tricks. If you don’t follow our blog today, make sure to check out our articles. We have more than anyone else!
Some of the best things about the past 5 years were the amazing opportunities we had to get outside to fish in new, exciting places. We explored new lakes in NW Ontario, Lake Winnipeg, and the Red River! We knew that we couldn’t just say that Snowdogs were great for ice fishing, we had to see for ourselves! We even managed to reach a few very cool milestones - Master Anglers Walleye on Lake Winnipeg!
We also made some investments to help achieve our “get outside” goals. We purchased an enclosed trailer, so we could carry (and deliver) multiple Snowdogs and sleds, a drone to make some amazing Snowdog videos, and we also purchased a flip-over shack to make our on-ice experience even better. Stay tuned to our blog for a review of the Otter Resort flip-over shelter!
In 2022, we also made our first-ever international all-business trip to St. Paul, MN, where we attended the St. Paul Ice Fishing Show (the largest ice fishing show in North America). We saw some amazing innovations in fishing technology, took advantage of some great deals on Striker Suits, and even met the Owner and marketing team for Snowdog! It was a great weekend of meeting people and making new connections.
We’ve even picked up some new products! We’ve added a line of LiPo (Lithium Ion) batteries from a fellow Canadian company Lynac! They have an extensive range of battery options, as well as solar panel kits for off-grid living, boats, portable power boxes, or anything that takes a battery (yes, even Snowdogs!). We also carry Dayco belts, an industry-leading manufacturer of drive belts for Snowdogs, Snowmobiles, ATV’s and much more. There is more of this product expansion to come with exciting partnerships!
We appreciate you being here, and following along with us on this exciting journey! Your support means the world. We look forward to supporting you as you explore corners of your local wilderness and with you warm connections with those you spend time with in the outdoors.
Cheers,
