MOOSE JAW — The Burger Cabin has reopened in Wakamow Valley, and according to a plaque near the building, the business’ roots go back more than a century.
The original River Park Cabin was built in the late 1920s and operated until the mid-1940s.
In 1958, Trix and Chic Wray and a partner purchased the Swing Inn Drive-in and operated the venue as a seasonal business selling hamburgers and hotdogs; the couple and their three kids lived in the back. In 1960, the couple acquired a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise after that finger-lickin’ good food hit the market and attached that service to the building.
Meanwhile, the Swing Inn thrived and, many times during 2-for-1 snack specials, customers lined up for blocks for the savings; many customers also enjoyed the beautiful garden surrounding the building.
However, the entire valley was flooded in April 1974, with water levels four feet up the windows of the building. The Swing Inn sat vacant for 13 years before the Wray family demolished it and rebuilt the structure to look like the original River Park Cabin.
The family then operated the business for 33 years until January 2021, when Carol Wray Sooker announced that she would not be reopening the business since she wanted to explore a new chapter in her life.
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