by Janice Henshaw –
“What do we do with 140 acres of cow corn now that our dairy herd has been downsized?” That was the question faced by Pendray Farms of North Saanich last year. Employee Boyd Fuerst suggested: “How about a corn maze?” Boyd’s idea resulted in a steep learning curve, a great deal of hard work, and the Vancouver Island Corn Maze opening its gates a mere six weeks later.
Owner Sarah Pendray says her team is very appreciative of the generous support that came flowing in from the community and local businesses. As an example, Van Isle Containers Inc. showed up with a truck and unloaded a container. “Here you go,” they said. “You will need this for an office.” Albert of Coast Helicopter College took the team up in one of his helicopters to see and photograph the maze. Sarah says it is because of this kind of community support that the corn maze is back for another season. Sponsors include Top Shelf Foods Inc., CSTT Driver Training, Victoria Buzz and Slegg Building Materials.
This spring, 560,000 seeds of corn were planted to create the 14-acre maze area. A maze specialist (did you know that was a job?) from Idaho used his GPS-equipped tractor to cut the computer-designed trails. The area includes three separate mazes, with the largest comprising 5.7 kilometres of trails. The second maze has 4.3 kilometres, and the kids’ maze is made up of .6 kilometres. Visitors will be able to participate in a scavenger hunt game, with six game stations located throughout the mazes.
“You will want to bring your family to my corn maze because it’s something totally different that you have probably never done before,” says Sarah. “It is an opportunity for you to come out and challenge yourself in the outdoors. You have to work together to navigate the maze.”
Halloween is coming soon, and there will be pumpkins for sale at the corn maze! Sarah said they received great assistance from Terry Michell of Michell Bros. Farm, who advised on the seed selection and growing process. A new building includes a ticket booth and concession area. Snacks for hungry mazers include freshly popped kettle corn and soft beverages. Kids can also play in a corn sandbox.
The plan is that each year, the theme of the maze will be centered on “something we feel is important to our community,” says Manager Tess Riley. “This season, we will be working with the Sidney Lions Food Bank, contributing $1 from each admission ticket.” Additional donations to the Food Bank will also be happily accepted at the corn maze; last year, visitors donated over 1,000 pounds of food. Sarah’s sister Jennifer Pendray was the driver behind the donation initiative.
“We want people to feel comfortable and safe, and to come out and have fun,” says Sarah. “And we are excited about giving back to our community.”
Sarah recommends that parents accompany minor kids. Also, don’t forget to bring flashlights if you will be “mazing” in the dark! The corn maze is located at 9537 West Saanich Road in North Saanich. Information, tickets and hours of operation are available on the website at www.vicornmaze.com.
Photo courtesy Victoria Buzz.
