Article appeared in the May 26, 2011 issue of the Interlake Spectator…
Who would have thought that the Interlake is home to its own “carnival family”?
Bernice and Dave Smith, of Poplarfield, bought their first ride back in 1969, a swing ride, which has been well maintained and is still brought out to Saturn Shows events. Now, they have 14 rides that includes a live pony ride that they only bring to the Lundar Fair in mid-June each year
With the help of their children they have added numerous carnival games and a mini-donut trailer.
“We built up the show together,” said Bernice, who grew up in the RM of Eriksdale and moved to Poplarfield from Winnipeg with Dave in 1984. The couple’s three children, all of them adults now, grew up with the carnival. They were basically raised on the road from mid-May to mid-September, living a lifestyle unlike any other.
“Not everybody can do it,” said Bernice. “You have to really like travelling. You have to live two lives—one at home and one on the road, and they’re totally different. It’s two different worlds. If you can’t do that, stay home.”
It all started when Dave, who was born and raised in Winnipeg, took a job with Mid-west Shows at age 16. It was his first job.
“He thought this would be a great living, that he would make a million dollars and retire at age 45,” said Bernice. “We’ve raised a family doing this. We live comfortably, but we are not millionaires,” she said.
The three siblings intend to take over the family business once their parents retire. Their father, Dave, still spends each summer on the road with sons, Chris and Michael, and daughter, Teri-Lynn, and their crew, while Ruth has opted to stay home during summers to take care of bookings and paperwork.
On May 12, 13, and 14, the family brought their show to Arborg, as they have been doing for the last six or seven years. The cold, rainy weather kept people away on Thursday and Friday, but once the sun came out on Saturday, so did the crowds.
The weather is always a factor when making a living with the carnival. But plain fun is also a fact of life.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Teri-Lynn. “I’ve been travelling with this carnival since I was two. The whole crew is pretty much a big family. There’s time to play, and there’s time to work. It’s a fast-paced environment,” she said.
