When Leanne Sallenback moved to Canim Lake to operate South Point Resort six years ago, she started keeping a journal.
Sallenback bought the resort with her husband in 2019 and moved to the South Cariboo shortly after. As a new resort owner, she decided to start writing down the challenges and experiences she was having. What she didn't know at the time was that the next five years would be full of floods, wildfires and a global pandemic, as well as new opportunities in her personal life. Last year, she compiled these journals into her new book, From Corporate to Cariboo, which was published in April of this year.
"The book talks about basically what I was doing before, how I got to that point and the realization of when I got there that I wasn't truly living for myself," Sallenback said. "Then it kind of transitions to my first five years running the resort and all of the dramatic events that occurred. We bought in 2019. Wildfires happened, then COVID happened, then wildfires and COVID happened. Renovations, road closures and floods, all of it. It's basically a survival story. They always say the first five years in business is tough and they are not lying."
Before moving to the South Cariboo, Sallenback said she had spent her career working in marketing for several different companies in the Lower Mainland, including Fortis B.C. In 2018, she said she and her husband came to the realization they wanted more out of their life and decided to quit their jobs, sell their home and take a gamble on running a resort.
"Our life was consumed with deadlines, work and paying the bills and living what I called 'the proscribed life'. We just decided to quit all of that and move up here and work for ourselves," Sallenback said. "I know I'm not alone in this shift because I'm aware of multiple people and multiple businesses in the Cariboo who have done similar things in the last six to seven years. I think the world has changed and there's not a specific way to live your life anymore."
After moving to the South Cariboo, Sallenback said she and her husband began to run the resort together. She noted she was inspired to start keeping a journal because she felt people wouldn't believe her otherwise. This took the form of a blog and, as the years passed, she realized she could make it into a book.
When it came time to sit down and write the book, Sallenback said she relied on her old journal entries to create the skeleton of her book and then added in contemporary reflections to illustrate how she feels about the events now. She noted her favourite part was reliving these old memories with neighbours and friends who were part of them.
"It's more of a comedy, when you read it, than anything because you have to laugh at what happened in those first five years," Sallenback remarked.
Sallenback published the book through her own company, Sallenback Press, but she noted she worked with several editors during the writing process. The book is currently on Amazon and is available locally at the 108 Heritage Site, Shannon's Flour Shop, the Canim Lake General Store and South Point Resort.
"I hope this book inspires people to leave bad situations or even boring situations in their lives to find something they're passionate about and pursue it. You can change your life with one big decision. If you told me seven years ago I would be running a resort and ghost hunting on TV I probably wouldn't believe you, but here I am," Sallenback remarked, referring to her work with Beyond the Haunting she does in the resort's off season.
When asked if she plans to write another book in the future, Sallenback said she has no concrete plans as of yet. However, she did note several older resort owners have begun giving her their own journals, so another book isn't out of the question. In the meantime, she hopes the public will enjoy reading her inaugural book.
"It's an inspiring story to read, and it got me thinking there is so much to tell about the region. I'm just one of many stories and a blip on the history of this area. There are so many other people who have just as many incredible stories. I joked the previous owners of this resort ran it for 46 years and I can only imagine what their book would look like."
