Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence

Last Thursday was quite the day. We received 2 Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence: Rookie of the Year and also the Online Marketing Award. Woohoo!! It all started with a phone call over a year ago.

Shortly after we bought the lodge, we received some emails from Tourism Saskatchewan. They were highlighting their excellence award winners for 2011. Deep inside the planning phase of our first year as lodge owners, and with heads spinning from all that had to be organized, we still couldn’t help but notice the “Rookie of the Year” award. I picked up the phone and called Derrick, “Hey bro, we’re only going to be a rookie once, and I think we should win this award.” Derrick’s answer, “Sounds good!!”

Flash forward one year...

We’re all boarding a Regina-bound plane. It feels surreal, but we’re dressed to the nines just in case, because you only get to do this once. We’re finalists in not 1, but 2 categories at the awards we dreamed about a year ago. 

The 1 hour 40 minute flight is filled with laughter and recent memories of just how far we’ve come in a year. There’s an unspoken agreement: no one asks what are we going to do if we actually win. Maybe it’s because it all still feels unreal.

As the wheels touch the tarmac in Regina, the sun shines on us and there’s a certain electricity in the air. All 6 of us attending are trying not to think too hard about what it will feel like to be recognized. Our hearts are in Lloyd Lake Lodge. We schmooze our way through the cocktail hour, meeting other finalists, judges, and the who’s who of Saskatchewan’s tourism industry. Being just one part of such an amazingly talented puzzle is humbling. I can’t help but think, “How cool to be nominated and in the presence of our peers who are also doing great things.” I listen to stories from other finalists. They’re all giddy with that same electric anticipation we’re feeling.

Before we know it, we’re being welcomed by the Honourable Tim McMillan, minister responsible for Tourism, Government of Saskatchewan. I flip through the program, and realize that the 3-course dinner we’re about to eat is kind of like the last supper, because Rookie of the Year is up first.

My heart is pounding. Derrick’s palms are sweaty, and while everyone around the table is making small talk with our Saskatchewan Tourism companions, we’re all hyper aware that each course served brings us one dish closer to judgment day. Finally, it’s coffee time. I ask for tea, but can’t concentrate enough to take a sip. The MC cracks a joke or 2, and things get serious. Government representatives are thanking tourism operators who go “above and beyond.”

“We’re part of this group,” I think, “Wow.” Brief warm and fuzzy feelings register between the panic slowly building. 6 heartbeats are thumping around our table. It’s a weird time of wishing the presenters would hurry up and get the formalities over with and hoping they’ll keep talking for just one more minute so we can keep the excitement alive, but the big moment inevitably arrives.

The Rookie of the Year presenter announces each of the 3 finalists: Lloyd Lake Lodge, Southern Prairie Railway, and Wounded Warriors Weekend. He has an envelope. It’s like the Oscars. You can cut the tension in the room with a knife. Time stops. I’m overwhelmed by thoughts of all we’ve done in the last year. Here we are: I’m sitting at a table surrounded by the people I love the most, and in that moment, winning no longer matters. Then, “Rookie of the Year goes to...LLOYD LAKE LODGE.” Our name snaps me out of the time warp I’m in. “Really? Wow!!!” I get up and high five my brother. He’s so proud. I register cheers and clapping. My mom is crying, and I’m pretty sure dad’s blinking too fast. Everyone’s overwhelmed.

We have to make a speech and I’m completely overwhelmed. I’m pretty sure Derrick is too. That’s pretty much the word for the next 2 minutes. We get to the stage. I’m thinking, “Remember to thank everybody who is responsible for us getting to this point. And congratulate the other 2 finalists, because we’re not the only ones who worked hard. The first year of any business is blood sweat and tears.” And then, “Enjoy this moment.”

And so we did. Our speech went great. The post-award interview and photo op was stellar. Not sure what we said, but 20 minutes later, we were doing it all over again with the Online Marketing Award. Who would have thought lightning would strike twice in one unforgettable night? This time, when they announced our name, I hugged Derrick tight. The awards mean the world, but none of it would have been possible without him and the incredible team around us.

In the plane on the way home, we shared laughter and good memories of my grandfather. He and my granny have been the inspiration behind this lodge all along. Their faith in us has never wavered, and it brings us great pleasure to make them proud.

We want to recognize Tourism Saskatchewan for giving us the opportunity to receive these awards, the sponsors who make the awards gala possible, and all of the nominees for their hard work and dedication to sharing Saskatchewan with the world. Many thanks also go to our Lloyd Lake Lodge family: our guests, our guides for their enthusiasm on the water, our housekeeping staff, our web designer, and each member of our family, who gives their all to help us continue our dream.

2012’s a wrap. See you on the water in 2013!

Happy 2013!

Looking back on 2012, we can’t help but smile with pride. We’ve accomplished a lot. We could talk about the renovated cabins, the new Lund boats, the sweet EZ-Dock, or the complete revamp of Lloyd Lake Lodge, but those things (which were necessary and very cool) are small when compared to how much heart it took to get them done. We want to thank our family, first and foremost our grandma and grandpa. When they introduced us to Lloyd Lake as kids, they gave us a place where we could make memories. They set the foundation of strong family values, teaching us to love, share and help each other make our dreams realities. Lloyd Lake is their legacy.

We were able to spend unforgettable time fishing with our grandmother this summer. Catching walleye off the dock, long into the night, as the stars shone down with my grandpa smiling on us from above, was a personal highlight.

We would like to thank the person behind the scenes, our mom, whose incredible organizational skill and years of business experience makes everything run smoothly. She makes it all seem effortless. You’re remarkable.

From L to R: Uncle Terry, Granny, Mom, Derrick and Dad.

Our dad was also instrumental in the past year’s success. He spent the entire summer at the lodge playing with his tractor and making the airstrip smooth as butter. While the airstrip is no small feat, he also played architect, engineer, demolition man, and contractor. And yet he still managed to pick blueberries until his thumbs hurt. You’re welcome, dad. In all seriousness, though, our favourite part of having you up there was the chance, after a long day, to cast a line with you.

Through all our crazy lodge adventures in 2012, we added to the Uniat family. Dez married Elize. He simply has had the best year of his life to date. Derrick is also grateful for this development because she’s taken Desi off his hands and landed the largest fish of the season. (No, really, we’re talking about an actual fish.)

Thank you to our clients, who are now part of our extended Lloyd Lake Lodge family. You’ve had an opportunity to experience our slice of paradise, catch a bunch of fish, and create priceless memories. Perhaps we’re biased, but our clients have all come to the lodge with great attitudes, ready to have fun, and that has made it a blast for us.

Being an outdoorsperson means more than just catching fish. It means sharing laughter and wisdom, teaching old friends something new, playing pranks, being silly, trading stories, and really listening. The lodge simply creates a point in time where people connect. People live in the moment when they’re here – they’re without the daily pressures of life – and that’s really cool for us because we get to share these key moments in our guests’ lives where they’re worry-free and can feel at ease. At the end of the day, they hook into a walleye and are able to share that moment with someone else – whether it’s the guide in the boat, the best friend sitting across from them, or one of us waiting eagerly at the dock when they return. It’s not just one of us who can do this. It’s all of us together, and we want to thank our many awesome guests for choosing Lloyd Lake last year and allowing us to be a part of their lives.

We promise that we’ll continue to work hard. We’ll continue to follow our passion and make the lodge the best it can be. A wise person once said that good people attract good people, and we hope to open the doors of our lives and business and make those words come true. We want to hook our guests for years to come. It makes us so proud that we have several repeat guests from 2012 who have already booked for 2013. Their happiness inspires us.

We are thankful. Here’s to a 2013 full of tight lines.

Granny's Fall Walleye

Nice stringer, Gran!

Three weeks ago, we sat on our cabin porch and commented that the air had changed somehow. It was subtle. A little fresher in the mornings. Ever so slightly cooler in the evenings. Daytime weather was scorching-->—still hot enough for regular swims off the doc-->—but, undeniably, fall was in the air. Summer was tired.

We briefly thought about the amazing first season we've had and how sad it was that it's ending. Too soon, too soon, like all the best things in life! Then we went walleye fishing and forgot all about our first world problems.

Fall walleye are huge. The bite is hot. Catching them makes people happy.

Check out our granny's smile.That could be you. We still have room at the lodge.

Spot of Confidence

August 10, 1928 was my grandfather's birthday. Not only was Larry Ewanishan my fishing partner for 25 years, but my mentor, cohort in crime, and all around best friend in the world. It has been nearly a year since he passed now. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him and the memories we shared together, especially those formed on the waters here at Lloyd Lake Lodge. As a tribute to my best pal I decided to hop in the boat and slam a bunch of walleye in his honor. Here's what happened...

9:30 am - I turn off my laptop and turn on my Hummingbird Fish Finder
9:31 am - I fire up Belinda (my boat) and give Milli (my golden retriever) the okay to hop in as we are off to beat on some walleye for a couple of hours
9:40 am - I arrive at one of my favorite spots and launch a 3/8 oz yellow jig tipped with a 3" Jerk Shad Shaky Shad Powerbait and await the bite
9:45 am - First bite...don't hook up
9:50 am - Second bite...must not be holding my mouth right...missed that one too
9:55 am - No fish. I'm baffled. What happened to all the walleye?

Okay, here's the truth of it. For the next 20 minutes or so I change rods, lures, colors of Powerbait, everything I can think of that might turn my luck. I employ every technique, from trolling to casting to jigging. Heck I even stomp on the floor of my boat to try and wake up the sleeping 'eyes to no avail. I know they're there but I just can't elicit another strike. This is where the lesson from my fishing partner comes in: he would tell me not to beat my head against a wall when I could be putting it to good use. It's like the old cliche says: The light goes on and I know what I have to do. Move.

10:20 am - I arrive at a new spot not 3 minutes from "old faithful," size up some structure, find a drop-off from 5' to 12', send my jig to the depths and...bam. Walleye! It's one 'eye after another for an hour straight.

Here's the what I learned. When I woke up this morning I was confident. When you put your mind to a task, and you truly believe in what you are doing, you will succeed, if you allow yourself to. As I hit the water, everything lined up: the sun was dancing on the perfect amount of walleye ripple, I had my favourite gear in tow, and to top it all off, today I had a cause. I could have stayed at my old faithful spot all day. The probability is high that I would have hooked into a fish or two, but a little persistence, spontaneity, and downright desire-to-succeed had me searching out those elusive walleye. It seems to me that too often in life we grow complacent. We stick to what we know because it's safe and familiar, but today was a day for winners. Life should be about seeking out new experiences, taking risks, and learning and sharing with others.

As noon approached I decided to give the fish a well-deserved break: they were great sports. When I neared the dock, I guess my ear to ear smile gave away the secret of my adventures on Lloyd Lake. Within minutes I was sharing the newfound hotspot, named "1928," with my brother. Whether fishing and seeking out new waters, or sitting in front of your computer reading this blog post, challenge yourself today and create a little glory of your own.

August 10, 2012: Slam walleye in honour of my grandpa. Mission accomplished.

Desi and Elize Get Married!

We finally did it! Woohoo!!

July 5 was a great day. Naturally I went fishing with the boys the day of the wedding and caught a 17lb Chinook...no big deal. My brother and best man Derrick made sure I was at the altar with time to spare.

When I first glimpsed my bride I have to admit I got a little teary-eyed. From writing our own vows to the evening's last dance with my wife, the day was filled with joy and overflowing with brilliance! We couldn't have greater families and friends. To our new and old friends: thank you for sharing in our lives!

All our love and tight lines,

Dez & Elize

Diamond in the Rough

Note: The plan was to post this on Mother’s Day, which is when we wrote it, but some unforseen internet issues and just general busy-ness got in the way. Hope you enjoy it anyway, even if it’s a little late!

I’m writing this post as we’re flying from Fort MacMurray on our way home. We had to refuel on the way home from Lloyd Lake.

This weekend was a surprise visit to my dad and brother.  We brought in another Caravan-load of supplies for the lodge. Most importantly, my granny, my mom, Elize and I got to see Derrick on his birthday.

Derrick blows out the candles on his birthday cake. Granny baked it and made sure it got on the plane. It got a few bumps on the way, but it still tasted delicious!

Every aspect of this weekend was awesome. It’s amazing what 6 people can accomplish in 2 days. One cool stat: before, the lights in the lodge used 10,000 watts. When we’re all done in the cabins, we’ll be pulling only 1,300 watts. A great start on our journey to become an eco lodge within a few years.

In the mornings, after having a coffee on the dock, we’d head to the dining room and get to work. For 3 days before we arrived, Derrick scraped wallpaper off the walls—a massive and time-consuming job. On Saturday I rolled the walls, Elize did the cutting and trim-painting, and Derrick found us everything from flooring and paint brushes to light bulbs in the various places they’re stored. It’s a task in itself to sort and find stuff. We’ve brought so many new supplies to the lodge that we essentially have our own Rona.

Mom and granny cleaned out and scrubbed down a storage room and organized the linens. They always take on the tasks no one wants to do and finish them with smiles of pride and accomplishment on their faces. Thanks ladies, and happy Mother’s Day!

Sunday broke beautifully. As the morning sun poured through the dining room windows, we put in the new floor while dad finished reframing the main door. By noon, the new floor was done and we were putting the finishing touches on the paint. Mom and granny had done some more cleaning magic in the owner’s cabin and came up with lists of what we need for the next trip in. What a difference 2 days can make.

Installing the dining room floor.

Although there’s lots of work to be done, Derrick made a rule that we have to go fishing every day. We can’t fish yet, but we did go for a cruise on the lake to the waterfall on Saturday. It’s a peaceful spot with the water running over the rocks and loons calling in the background. We took our new dog, Milli, with us. She’s a golden retriever, and she adores water. She views Lloyd Lake as her private swimming pool.

Meet Milli. She may look like a clean, princessy kind of puppy, but she has special skills for finding the dirtiest, smelliest things to roll in. Fortunately, she loves to swim.

The waterfall.

This afternoon we took her on the boat again for a cruise to see how much of the ice has come off the lake. It’s almost gone. I decided to pick up a piece of the rotten ice. Wow is it cold on the hands! I chucked it back quickly, not thinking anything of it. Next thing we know, Milli calmly makes her way to the back of the boat and dives into the water head first to retrieve. Stunned silence from the 3 of us. Then, pandemonium!

Between laughing hysterically, Elize managed to snap a few photos of me and Derrick giving Milli a hand onto the boat. Notice the ice chunk in her mouth. She was not letting go of her prize, especially after having to jump into a lake with the water sitting at 3.2 C to get it. She’s staying at the lodge for the summer. What dog could wish for anything more? New people every week and a lake just begging her to jump in. She’s going to have a blast!

We’re almost home now. Northern Canada from the sky is a pretty place. Throughout this flight the sun has shimmered on the lakes and rivers. A beautiful flight to end a beautiful weekend.

Busy, Busy, Busy… Awesome

We’ve been super busy since February. Derrick’s been up to the lodge 4 times, and I’ve managed to make it there twice. The last 2 times we hauled in everything from new roofs and a tractor to redo the airstrip to a quartz countertop, 9 boats, and a 1,000 gallons of fuel for the boats and generators.

Hauling in the boats.

Choosing and buying floors for the cabins, tile, faucets, and showers for the bathrooms, countertops and cabinets for the kitchen, and all the other miscellaneous stuff you need to run a lodge takes a long time. The coolest and most useful thing we’ve hauled in so far is the Argo. We’ve also become mechanics in the process. When something breaks in the middle of nowhere, you figure out how to fix it yourself pretty quick.

Just a little floodwater. 

In the middle of all this craziness—and trust me, the logistics of getting three 48 foot trailers and twenty 18 foot trailers filled to capacity to the middle of nowhere, unloading them, and driving the content across 20 miles of floodwater-covered ice road is crazy, not to mention the Visa bills—we keep saying to each other how amazing it is that we get to live this dream. And even better, how amazing it is that we get to do it together.

Riding off into the sunset...to clear more snow.

We won’t talk about the relief of not falling through the ice (we only broke through a few times), or the jittery adrenaline rush when you hit a patch of floodwater on the ice road. Each time we managed to get the trucks across the ice into the lodge, there was such a sense of accomplishment. Owning a lodge is all brand new to us, but I hope we keep the sense of wonderment at our new reality as the years go by.

Getting all three trucks to the lodge was a proud moment.

The busy-ness continues as we get ready to start the real work in the beginning of May, and to welcome our very first clients on May 24th. We’ll be at the Fort McMurray trade show next weekend too. If you’re there, stop in and say hi. We’d love to tell you more about our adventures so far. 

We can’t wait for what I’m sure will be the best fishing season of our lives so far.

Last day; last load. Dirty, but so happy!

Fishing Stories

The Calgary Boat and Sportsmen’s Show was our first trade show ever. Of course we’d been to lots of shows before, but always on the customer side of the booth. Being on the other side was an awesome time. Derrick went down on Wednesday night to set up. Although it killed me, I stayed behind to finish up at my day job. While we had some minor drama with business cards not being printed on time, all was sorted out when show time hit on Thursday afternoon.

For the week before Calgary, we were shaky with happiness, although it’s a tough feeling to describe. It was quite surreal to think about what we were actually doing. There we were, standing in our booth, faced with the cold, hard truth of owning a lodge and having to do something concrete about it.

Luckily, it all came very naturally. Turns out it’s easy to sell a product when you’re speaking from the heart and honestly intend for each client to have the best trip possible. We know the fishing is awesome. We also know that by the time we’re through fine-tuning the accommodations, and Derrick is done in the kitchen, the lodge itself will match the great outdoors.

An unexpected bonus was listening to other people’s stories. Standing in our booth wasn’t just about selling a fishing trip to people. In fact, having them share their fishing stories with us was one of the best parts. We should have expected it. Storytelling is a major part of being an angler (everyone’s caught “the big one,” right?), but it wasn’t until we were actually listening to the funny, the sad, and even the seriously twisted stories that we realized how great that part of working a show is. We loved it all—from the couples who have been fishing together for 25 years to the dads seeing their sons’ eyes sparkle as they consider their first fly-in fishing trip together.

At some point, I didn’t even want to sell trips anymore because talking with everyone brought back so many fond memories of fishing with my grandfather. It really brought home the reality that he’s gone. I have a new fishing partner, awesome memories to cherish of my first 25 years of fishing, and new ones to make for the next 25, but life is relentless and just keeps going whether you’re ready or not. It gives and takes away, sometimes at the same time. Not sure why I became a philosopher in the middle of the show, but there you have it.

Calgary really sorted out that owning a lodge is not just about us. In the end, it’s about sharing stories with people, even those who may never come to Lloyd Lake. We all share that universal feeling of “I was there,” and that feeling never gets old. It buzzes through us each time we reflect on our once-in-a-lifetime trips. What a great privilege to steward a place that can create such powerful emotion.

The adventure begins...

In 25 years, 2011 was the first year we had missed going up to the lodge, but when it came up for sale, there was no holding back. Lloyd came on the market at the end of August, and we flew up on September 3rd with an order from grandpa: make a deal. And so we did.

Derrick (left) and Dez (right) on the dock.

This is a story of boyhood fantasy becoming reality. Now that it has, we are riding a wild learning curve while sharing our dream. Over the next few months and years, we're transforming  the lodge into a comfortable haven where friends and family come together and enjoy the great outdoors.