Elevating Equestrian on
Vancouver Island
Bonnie Brae Farm has been a mainstay of the Central Saanich agricultural community for generations and its history is as rich as it is long. According to the Hallmark Heritage Society, the farmhouse that still stands on the property today had been built by 1911. Lynda Farmer says that in fact, the old barn and the original portion of the farmhouse were built by the original owners in 1890.
According to the Doug Gents History Pages George Stewart, a Scottish author, poet, philanthropist, artist and businessman, migrated to Vancouver Island in 1892 and lived on Bonnie Brae Farm. In 1911 when Stewart tried to sell the land it was declared that the majority of the land was under cultivation. An additional thirteen acres was orchard and seven acres pasture, with an eight-bedroom house and large barn on the property that is still used today to house the school horses. Lynda Farmer also explains that a right-of-way for a short-lived electric railway was created on the western boundary of the property in the early 1900s, which took passengers rumbling through to Sidney town.
The property was later owned by Norman Grieve who purchased the property and moved his family out of town in 1946 just after the end of the Second World War. Grieve farmed the land for about 12 years, raising cattle and producing dairy and berries. “It was an absolutely marvellous place to grow up,” explains Daphne Panter, Norman Grieve’s daughter. “It was an idyllic life. There was a period when I rode to school.”
Today Bonnie Brae Farm is run as an equestrian estate.
6404 Central Saanich Rd. Saanichton, BC V8M 1Z4 www.bonniebraefarm.ca @bonniebraefarm
Bonnie Brae Farm has a total of 40 spots for boarders. We can accomodate the needs of each horse based on our flexible boarding solutions.
Our team specialize in training horses, and developing them through the levels. Whether it is to assist with green horses, or advance your horse, we are available for training rides or full time training programs if desired.
Available for private, and semi-private lessons. Please inquire about travel to your own facility if you have your own horse and would like to participate in a lesson program. Safe, reliable horses available of all levels up to FEI Schoolmasters. From time to time, lease horses may also be available with a lesson package.