The Shacks Has Rentals For People New To Ice Fishing

Driving along the frozen Kennebecasis River, day after day, Brett O’Neill had an idea.

O’Neill grew up in Kennebecasis Park, near the water, and always wanted to own a rental business.

So the Rothesay local bought three “shacks” and joined the Renforth ice fishing village. The village, a collection of shacks and shanties on the river, is a popular ice fishing destination in the winter.

“I would always drive by in the wintertime and see 100 plus shacks out there and everyone having tons of fun,” O’Neill told Huddle in a phone interview. “I said to myself, what if I bought three ice fishing shacks and tried that for a rental idea?”

O’Neill called his new business The Shacks and offered guests a “luxury” ice fishing experience, without the need to buy or prepare beforehand.

“It’s funny, before The Shacks, I think I’d been ice fishing once when I was six or seven,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill started the business in 2021 when he bought three fiberglass insulated shacks. Each has room for six adults, with four fishing holes, bait, poles, and a fire lit in a wood-burning stove.

He says it’s a way to experience ice fishing with ease.

“Not only does it get people out there having fun and enjoying themselves, it also brings something else to the community, to Saint John, Rothesay, and Quispamsis,” says O’Neill.

The Shacks is open seven days a week and reservations last three hours. Fishing closer to the shore, smelts are the common catch.

The business is weather-dependent. The first year The Shacks opened it ended up being a 24-day season. This year, O’Neill was able to open in early January and he hopes to make it until the middle of March.

He says 95 percent of his customers are new to ice fishing. Families are a huge portion of his clientele, and he sees a lot of young families with children.

“Ice fishing is a bit more niche,” says O’Neill, “I love the fact that it is different and people can come out and try it for the first time.”

“We want you to create memories and look back on this as a fun moment.”

The Shacks was able to stay open during New Brunswick’s recent Level 3 restriction. O’Neill said his customers appreciated having a way to get out of the house while staying within their household bubble.

Each shack is cleaned and sanitized between bookings.

O’Neill works for RV Canada for nine months of the year. In the winter he runs the business with his girlfriend, Maya Dempsey.

“Without her, it definitely wouldn’t be possible to run this,” says O’Neill.

The couple welcomed a new baby, Violet into their family on January 22. O’Neill says he’s already considering taking her ice fishing next year.

Mary Allan is an intern with Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.