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An Historic Barn Venue with decades of stories.
Located just 3 km south of Elie on Treaty 1 Territory, The Swallow’s Nest is one of Manitoba’s newest venues for retreats, workshops, business meetings, and intimate gatherings. Designed for those seeking closeness, inspiration, and a touch of rustic charm, our space offers a unique blend of history, nature, and hospitality.
Our farm has been in the Girard family since 1945, when Danny’s grandmother first called the property “paradise.” Over three generations, the land evolved from a traditional grain and livestock farm into a beloved community destination. In the late 1980s, Danny and Janet launched Girard Gardens, known for its pick-your-own strawberries, greenhouses, corn mazes, and the legendary “Haunted Forest” each fall. At the heart of it all was a 1928 hip-roof barn — carefully moved from the Bernardin family farm and transformed into a licensed restaurant where guests enjoyed fresh pancakes during strawberry season and Christmas parties in winter.
After the 1997 “Flood of the Century,” the enterprise closed and the property sat quiet for years, until Justin — the oldest of Danny and Janet’s two children — returned to farm organically and began the painstaking process of converting the barn into a home. Three years of work created what is now The Swallow’s Nest, a beautiful and welcoming space that Justin and his family called home for a decade.
Today, this lovingly restored venue is open once again for gatherings of all kinds. With its historic character, natural surroundings, and intimate scale, The Swallow’s Nest offers a setting where creativity flourishes, relationships deepen, and memories are made — just as Danny’s grandmother imagined in her “paradise.”
Our farm has been in the Girard family since 1945, when Danny’s grandmother first called the property “paradise.” Over three generations, the land evolved from a traditional grain and livestock farm into a beloved community destination. In the late 1980s, Danny and Janet launched Girard Gardens, known for its pick-your-own strawberries, greenhouses, corn mazes, and the legendary “Haunted Forest” each fall. At the heart of it all was a 1928 hip-roof barn — carefully moved from the Bernardin family farm and transformed into a licensed restaurant where guests enjoyed fresh pancakes during strawberry season and Christmas parties in winter.
After the 1997 “Flood of the Century,” the enterprise closed and the property sat quiet for years, until Justin — the oldest of Danny and Janet’s two children — returned to farm organically and began the painstaking process of converting the barn into a home. Three years of work created what is now The Swallow’s Nest, a beautiful and welcoming space that Justin and his family called home for a decade.
Today, this lovingly restored venue is open once again for gatherings of all kinds. With its historic character, natural surroundings, and intimate scale, The Swallow’s Nest offers a setting where creativity flourishes, relationships deepen, and memories are made — just as Danny’s grandmother imagined in her “paradise.”
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