After Arson And A Pandemic, Bates Barn Still Thrives
LONG POINT-Bates Barn rose from literal ashes and emerged from the pandemic stronger and better than ever before. After being burned down in 2017 and struggling through Covid-19, the barn was recently named one of Canada’s top 25 venues.
Royden and Bessie Bates built the barn in 1946, on Belleisle Bay. Bob Bates bought it from them in 1984, along with some of the land surrounding it, and was used for hay and grain storage.
Bob’s wife and fellow barn owner Janice Bates says that, in 1993, a neighbor asked if they could host their daughter’s wedding dance in the barn. The dance was a success and began an annual August dance and corn boil. In 2010, after a request from a stranger to host their wedding in the barn, the Bates decided to invest in becoming an events venue business.
“From there it just took off – I didn’t start the business, it started itself just through word of mouth,” says Bates. “Then you get people coming to that wedding with their guests and they tell someone and then they tell someone, and the business just grew.”
In the span of seven years, Bates Barn held numerous events, from marriages and anniversaries to family reunions and retirement celebrations. By 2017, the barn had full bookings and 23 weddings planned – then, on February 15, 2017, tragedy struck when the barn burned down by an arsonist.
“It was heartbreaking that someone would intentionally do it,” Bates said. “It was five years ago but it still just feels like it was yesterday.”
Years later, the arson remains unsolved.
After taking time to recover and regroup, the Bates decided to rebuild the barn and reopened it in 2018.
“We wanted the same [barn] shape because we knew that people loved that hip roof shape; it’s the same shape, just bigger,” she said, explaining the new barn is 44 by 83 ft in comparison to the original barn’s 30 ft by 63 ft, and can accommodate 250 people.
The Bateses also incorporated a climate control system and built storage facilities on the barn’s bottom level for their farm harvests, along with a room for the bride and her party, a kitchen area, and washrooms.
The rebuilt Bates Barn opened in 2018 and was recovering well with full bookings in 2020. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic arrived.
“We did six weddings of 50 people in 2020,” Bates shared. “It was really hard because now all of a sudden you’ve lost a whole year’s revenue that you need.”
Last year was a much better year and Bates Barn rebounded as bookings were snapped up for 2022 and 2023.
Bates says many of the couples who were set to be married at the venue 2020 chose to rebook for 2022 and 2023, estimating that 60 percent of all bookings are by people who grew up locally but live away.
“We get quite a few that find us on some of the wedding websites,” she said. “I’ve had three people in the last two weeks that have booked, sight unseen, just from looking at the pictures, something I never thought would happen.”
Through their business, Bates Bates helps support multiple local businesses and vendors, such as DJ Steve, Galbraith Florists, and Chef’s Table. They also partner with the Amsterdam Inn (Sussex and Quispamsis) and local Airbnbs, which are often booked years in advance.
“It’s grown faster than I thought it would, I was really scared to go into such a new venture like, we were pretty much building it on our own from scratch,” said Bates. “All I can say is I thank everybody for their support as we continue on – word of mouth is, I guess, the best form of advertisement.”
Elizabeth MacLeod is a Saint John reporter with Huddle and Acadia Broadcasting radio stations. Send her your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].