Beloved Oaklawn Farm Zoo closes its doors after 4 decades in business

The closure of a zoo in Aylesford, N.S., is a big loss to the community and a sad day, say some Nova Scotians.

The Oaklawn Farm Zoo made the announcement Tuesday morning on Facebook. The owners said they are retiring and have arranged new homes for the animals.

Coun. Tim Harding, who represents the Aylesford area on municipal council, said the closure is a major loss for the community. He said the parking lot was jam-packed during the spring, summer and fall months. 

Harding said the zoo not only brought tourists to the Annapolis Valley, but also employed a handful of locals, as well as students in the summer. He also pointed to the hundreds of schools that brought bus loads of kids for field trips each year.

"We really feel bad that it's closing and you know, I wish something could have been done," he said.

"But I do understand the owners' end of it. It's come to the end of the line for them and nobody's stepping up to buy it out or take it over. It takes a certain kind of person to run something like that, that's for sure."

The Facebook post by the zoo's owners, the Rogerson family, thanked people for their support over the past 40-plus years.

"Having reached our declining years, we appreciate your respecting our privacy and wish you all the best in '24," it said.

The zoo was home to traditional farm animals, as well as exotic creatures like lions, monkeys, peacocks and pythons. 

Over a thousand people commented on Oaklawn's post, many thanking the zoo for years of memories and fun.

Brett MacEachern is from Cape Breton, but has a grandmother who lives near the zoo. He said he's been going to the zoo for as long as he can remember.

"Every time we made a trip to visit Grammie, there was always a trip to Oaklawn in order," he said.

MacEachern, now 33, has a one-year-old daughter. He took her to the zoo for the first and last time this past summer.

"It was just exactly the same," he said. "It was just the pure enjoyment from her to be able to watch the animals."

MacEachern has walked through the zoo with four generations of his family, and was sad to learn about its closure.

Kari Joudrey of Mahone Bay, N.S., went to the zoo frequently. Her first visit was during a Grade Primary class trip. She's been taking her own children to see the animals.

'Generations of families' have enjoyed zoo, says patron

Joudrey has a seven-year-old son, 15-month-old twin boys and two stepsons. She said they've been going at least three times a year since her first son was born, and the monkeys are the boys' all-time favourite.

"I hope they [the Rogersons] enjoy their retirement and take comfort in the fact that so many families have enjoyed [the zoo] over the years … generations of families," she said.

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