Fernie has just become home to The Little Cabin Company, a manufacturer of little cabins. The Free Press spoke with Jude Smith, Fernie resident and part owner of the business. According to Smith, the company idea came from Europe’s Glamping- glamour camping – culture.
“The initial idea came from the glamping concept in Europe which has consistently been the fastest growing sector of the vacation market for almost a decade. We see a huge opportunity for the sector here as well,” he said. “Essentially it is ‘glamorous camping’. So, you leave for the weekend and all you need is a change of clothes, no tent, no sleeping bag or anything like that. You stay in a little cabin with a bed and electricity. It's comfortable but you still have that close connection to the great outdoors.”
Interest in the buildings is for more than just the weekend glampers. Smith says the product is used for a variety of purposes.
“It is very versatile and can be used for additional office space, a kids playroom, a yoga studio,” he said.
According to Smith, small cabins are the goal of The Little Cabin Company, allowing units to be constructed without a building permit the majority of the time. All of the cabins are under 104 square feet, allowing them to be built without needing a building permit. Smith does recommend checking on specific zoning bylaws before constructing a cabin to be aware of any zoning constraints.
The Little Cabin Company has one model so far – The Cobby. But, according to Smith, it is not a one size fits all option.
“The shell of The Cobby can be easily increased in size and we can also produce them plumbed with a washroom. We see campgrounds perhaps taking six or seven units and using one as a washroom,” he said. “In terms of developments, we are currently in the process of finalizing details with a solar supplier so we will have an "off-grid" solution soon and we are also looking at The Cobby's big brother and little sister.”
The Cobby is built to provincial and national building codes and Smith says, “it is highly insulated and requires minimal energy to heat. It can also be plugged directly into a standard power supply. It is delivered fully assembled and can be installed very quickly without the need for poured foundations. We estimate around two to four hours for installation.”
For power The Cobby plugs directly into a standard power supply. For more information or for the chance to visit a cabin built by The Little Cabin Company, visit their Facebook page or their website, at Thelittlecabincompany.com.