A popular fall destination in the Pembina Valley is receiving provincial recognition, as King Korn Maze has been named a finalist in the Small Business category at the Tourism Awards Winnipeg | Manitoba.
King Korn Maze in Notre Dame de Lourdes has been named a finalist in the Small Business category at the Tourism Awards Winnipeg | Manitoba, recognizing its contribution to visitor experiences in the Pembina Valley region
The Notre Dame de Lourdes attraction is one of six finalists selected in the category for the fourth annual awards, which celebrate businesses and individuals who contribute to Manitoba’s tourism industry through exceptional visitor experiences, innovation and destination promotion.
For co-owner Janik Grenier, who operates the seasonal attraction alongside her sister Taya Grenier and brother Justin Grenier, the nomination carries both professional and personal significance.
“Being named a finalist for this award is a huge honour,” Grenier said. “As a business owner, it reflects the time, dedication and behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating an experience people genuinely want to come back to. On a personal level, it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch what started as a backyard family project grow into something that’s now recognized at a provincial level.”
The business has grown steadily over the past eight years.
“When we first opened King Korn Maze, we were honestly just grateful we could cover the gas to fuel the generator that powered the borrowed camper we were running everything out of,” Grenier said. “Eight years later, it has grown into something provincially recognized — which we never would have imagined in our first season.”
In those early years, she said, the learning curve was steep.
“We learned quickly and adapted constantly. We went from one ‘impossible’ corn maze to four mazes, added a permanent snack shack, a golf range and a barn with endless potential. On top of that, we’ve continued developing and refining activities every year.”
Grenier said the growth has been guided largely by listening to visitors and understanding what families are looking for in a day-trip experience.
“One of our biggest early lessons came from that first ‘impossible’ maze — we realized quickly that success comes from putting yourself in your customer’s shoes,” she said. “Listening, adapting and continuing to improve the experience has become part of what we do every day.”
She believes what sets King Korn Maze apart is its intentional focus on families.
“From pricing, to activities, to hours, to booking options — everything is built around making it easy and affordable for families to spend time together,” Grenier said. “That focus has played a big role in building loyalty, especially in a small rural community like ours.”
Community support, she added, has been central to the business’s success.
“We love collaborating with local groups and committees whenever we can, and it’s one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. We enjoy seeing the familiar faces year after year just as much as welcoming new visitors. Bringing people into our community has been a lot of fun — and it’s also our way of giving back to a place that has given us so much.”
Beyond serving as a fall attraction, King Korn Maze plays a broader role in regional tourism.
“King Korn Maze offers something for all ages in the Pembina Valley, which is important because most families include a mix of different ages and interests,” Grenier said. “We’re proud to provide a local destination that can accommodate an entire family for an affordable price, while also bringing more visitors into the region each season.”
Operating a seasonal business in rural Manitoba has come with its own lessons.
“Because we started so young, we learned everything from scratch — from the realities of business ownership to the importance of understanding what guests want,” she said. “Even though a seasonal business may only be open for part of the year, we’re always thinking about how to make our customers feel happy, welcome and excited to spend a day wandering around a corn field.”
Looking ahead, the siblings are continuing to explore new opportunities.
“It’s hard to say exactly where the future of King Korn Maze will lead. We look at every new opportunity as a new challenge, and we try to take those challenges on with open arms — which is part of what keeps things exciting and unpredictable.”
This upcoming season will mark another milestone for the business as it prepares to host its first wedding.
“We’ll see where that takes us,” she said.
The awards ceremony will take place April 23 at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg. Winners will be announced during the gala event, bringing together tourism operators from across Manitoba.
