A Team Canada Speed Skater’s Off-Grid Tiny House on a Calgary Ranch

Off Grid, THOWs, Tiny House Interiors, Tiny Houses, Tours & Features, Video Tours

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Hayden Mayeur is a two-time world championship medalist and Team Canada speed skater who traded city life for an off-grid tiny house on a cattle ranch just outside Calgary, Alberta. Built by Summit Tiny Homes, his roughly 400-square-foot home runs on solar, batteries, propane, and a wood stove. Tiny House Giant Journey takes a tour of the house, its lofts and hidden storage, and the custom “big red barn” espresso bar Hayden uses to run his coffee business.

Hayden Mayeur's sage-green tiny house beyond a meadow of wildflowers and clover on the ranch
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey

A Sage-Green Home on the Ranch

The house sits in an open meadow with big prairie views. Sage-green board-and-batten siding is topped by a band of cedar shingles at the loft level, with black-framed windows and a silver chimney for the wood stove. Wooden stairs lead up to the front door. From above, you can see how the house sits alone in the pasture, with a small deck, a picnic table, and aspen groves around it.

Aerial view of the tiny house and deck in a green pasture with a dirt track and aspen groves
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey

Off-Grid Comfort

Living off the grid on the ranch means the house has to produce its own power and heat. Solar panels and a battery bank cover electricity, propane handles cooking and other appliances, and a wood stove keeps things warm through Alberta winters. In the video, Hayden shows how comfortable and efficient the setup is in day-to-day life, along with the lofts and clever hidden storage that make the most of the space. A small black wood stove sits on a raised hearth in the living area, ready for cold prairie nights.

Small black wood stove on a raised hearth with a water jug and an acoustic guitar on the wall
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey

A Farmhouse Kitchen Built Around Coffee

For someone who runs a coffee business, the kitchen matters. Sage-green shaker cabinets match the siding outside, and a white farmhouse sink with a brass faucet sits under a window looking out to the pasture. Hayden’s espresso machine and grinder have a permanent spot on the counter.

Espresso machine and grinder beside a white farmhouse sink with a brass faucet and sage-green cabinets
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey

Open wood shelves by the window hold a collection of handmade pottery mugs, which adds color and keeps everyday cups within reach.

Open wooden shelves filled with handmade pottery mugs next to a window
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey

Lofts, Skylights, and a Bedroom

The sleeping loft is bright and white, with a big skylight overhead and a window looking out over the prairie. The bedroom keeps the same white shiplap, with wall sconces on either side of the bed and hooks for hanging clothes.

White shiplap sleeping loft with a large skylight and a window looking out over the prairie
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey
Bedroom with white shiplap walls, two wall sconces, and a colorful patchwork quilt on the bed
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey

A Bright, Simple Bathroom

The bathroom is clean and cheerful, with white shiplap walls, a vessel sink on a wood vanity, an arched mirror, and a sage-green cabinet over the toilet that matches the exterior.

Compact bathroom with white shiplap, vessel sink on wood vanity, arched mirror, sage wall cabinet over toilet; Hayden in the doorway
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey

A Coffee Business on Wheels

Beyond the house, Hayden runs Hayloft Cafe, a mobile espresso bar built into a custom “big red barn” that he takes to festivals and events across Alberta. It’s a big part of how tiny living gave him the freedom to build a life and business on his own terms.

Red barn-style mobile coffee trailer with a black roof sign reading Coffee, parked on the prairie
Video still: Tiny House Giant Journey

Watch the Full Tour

Tiny House Giant Journey’s Jenna Kausal visits Hayden for the full tour of the home and the espresso barn.

Video: Tiny House Giant Journey, “Inside a Pro Athlete’s Mind-Blowing Tiny House Paradise.” Videography and editing by Roaming With Moose.

Design Details

  • Owner: Hayden Mayeur, Team Canada speed skater
  • Builder: Summit Tiny Homes (Summit Building Co., Vernon, British Columbia)
  • Location: a cattle ranch just outside Calgary, Alberta
  • Size: about 400 sq. ft., including the loft
  • Cost: around $180,000 to $190,000 CAD in total, as shown in the video
  • Power and heat: solar, batteries, propane, and a wood stove
  • Features: lofts, hidden storage, sage-green board-and-batten siding with a cedar-shingle band

What Makes This Home Special

  • A pro athlete’s fully off-grid home on a working ranch.
  • A cheerful farmhouse look with sage-green siding and cedar shingles.
  • Lofts and hidden storage that make 400 square feet feel generous.
  • A tiny lifestyle that supports a mobile coffee business.

For more Tiny House Giant Journey tours, see Shelby’s stand-up loft among the redwoods and Grant’s woods tiny home at Tiny House Block. For another Summit Tiny Homes build, see the Summit Boho with a main-floor bedroom and two lofts. For more off-grid inspiration, browse 13 off-grid homes living sustainably.

Learn More

Hayden’s Tiny House
Builder: Summit Tiny Homes · Instagram @builtbysummit
Hayden: @hayden_mayeur · Hayloft Cafe: @hayloftcafe
Video tour: Tiny House Giant Journey · tinyhousegiantjourney.com · @tinyhousegiantjourney
Video stills: Tiny House Giant Journey.

Highlights

  • Team Canada speed skater Hayden Mayeur’s tiny home
  • About 400 sq. ft. on a cattle ranch near Calgary
  • Off-grid with solar, batteries, propane, and a wood stove
  • Built by Summit Tiny Homes
  • Plus a “big red barn” mobile espresso bar

Explore More

Could you live off the grid on a ranch like Hayden? Tell us in the comments.


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More Like This: Tiny Houses | THOWs | Off-Grid | Tiny House Interiors | Video Tours

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

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Alex

Alex Pino is the founder of Tiny House Talk, a leading resource on tiny homes and simple living since 2009. He helps readers discover unique homes, connect with builders, and explore alternative living.

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