Jim McGregor has been in the land development business since 1969, when he reluctantly discontinued farming for health reasons (acute allergy to grain dust). At that time he bought 40 acres of pasture land 12 miles South of Brandon on highway #10 for the grand sum (then) of $3,700 Can. He developed a mobile home park consisting of 34 permanent sites, with some spaces for over night caravans as well. It was at about this time that his aunt decided to sell her 160 acres of pasture land located several miles down the road.

As he had several retired farm couples living in his mobile home park, who like himself were used to living in the country and had no desire to move into the city, he took a chance and bought this land and sub-divided it into four plots of 40 acres. These plots sold almost immediately to city dwellers from Brandon, who wished to build a home in the country, and thus it started. He purchased more land nearby, and split it into smaller acreages and he and his wife Elaine have been busy doing so ever since.

Jim takes up the story……"In the winter of 2002, we decided to place an advertisement on Ebay in the U.K. to see what (if any) response we might get. As it turned out, that was the single most effective advertisement that the company ever placed!!

"We were quite amazed by the immediate and positive response to our original ad in the U.K. Our very first sale to the U.K. of two lakefront plots, was to a gentleman who has recently purchased another plot here. As we were soon to learn, there is a real need for spacious, affordable properties on which one can build at any time with little or no 'red tape' as we say here. We were also to learn that the land prices in France, and other European and Mediterranean countries has risen rather dramatically in the past years (and continues to do so). For these and various other reasons, it has made for a steady flow of people who have visited Canada, experienced and saw what we have to offer in this country, and who have then purchased from us. We are still a small family business whose aim is to provide people with affordable properties in lovely natural surroundings, on which you can readily and easily build your vacation cottage or retirement home.

"We encourage people to visit us here in Canada so that we may show them some of the many local points of interest as well as the properties themselves. To this end we offer a three day guided tour of the area to any prospective buyer, where I will act as their chauffeur and guide. It is our custom to meet people at Winnipeg International Airport, and drive them about to see the area and the properties for a period of three days. Persons can of course stay much longer if they wish, to see the area at their own pace. We take a very laid back approach to this trip, and you will not be pressured in any way to make a purchase. We let the plots and the beauty of the surrounding area do the selling for us! We also pay for any and all legal fees incurred through our lawyer during the transfer of title on all plots." - Jim McGregor (Northland Properties)