The government of Manitoba is distributing this release on behalf of the Province of Manitoba, Province of Ontario and Pimachiowin Aki.

News Release

April 19, 2013

ONTARIO, MANITOBA SIGN AGREEMENT TO SUSTAIN NORTH AMERICAN’S LARGEST PROTECTED BOREAL FOREST

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Provinces Working Together

On Proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ontario and Manitoba have entered into a unique Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support First Nations-led efforts to protect and manage the proposed Pimachiowin Aki UNESCO World Heritage site and surrounding natural resources.

Pimachiowin Aki, the name of the proposed World Heritage site located in northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba, means “the land that gives life” in the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) language.

The Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project is a collaboration of five First Nations and two provincial governments committed to securing world heritage status for the largest protected-area network in the North American boreal shield.

In early 2012, Parks Canada officially submitted a world heritage site nomination package to UNESCO on behalf of Ontario, Manitoba and the five First Nation partners.

To strengthen this application, the recently-signed MOU has been submitted to the World Heritage Committee’s Advisory bodies prior to their making final recommendations. A decision from UNESCO on the Pimachiowin Aki site is expected to be made by summer 2013.

If successful, Pimachiowin Aki would be Canada’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its outstanding universal value based on both natural and cultural criteria. Only a handful of such mixed sites have been inscribed worldwide.

Working collaboratively with provincial and First Nation partners is part of the Ontario government’s plan to protect the boreal forest and Ontario’s Far North, and the Manitoba government’s plan to protect the boreal forest on east side of Lake Winnipeg.

QUOTES

“I am pleased that Ontario and Manitoba are working together to protect and manage the proposed Pimachiowin Aki site in conjunction with our First Nation partners in both provinces. This area of the boreal forest provides an important habitat to a number of species and holds great significance to the traditional Aboriginal way of life. Ontario is proud to support Pimachiowin Aki as a UNESCO World Heritage site.”

 – David Orazietti, Minister of Natural Resources, Ontario

“This agreement is an important step toward ensuring the heart of the last intact forest of its kind left in the world is protected and managed for generations. Through the leadership of our First Nation partners, we hope to secure Canada’s first UNESCO World Heritage site based on both natural and cultural criteria.”

 – Gord Mackintosh, Minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship, Manitoba

“Elders from our Five First Nations, who are partners on this project, have a vision that we need to work together to take care of this Pimachiowin area for those of us who lived here for thousands of years and for those who wish to visit. We also know that we are protecting the land for children across the world who benefit from things that are often unseen like clean air and clean water.”

 – Sophia Rabliauskas, Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project

QUICK FACTS

* Pimachiowin Aki is 33,400 square kilometres in size and includes the traditional territories of five First Nation communities: Pikangikum, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi, Poplar River and Bloodvein.

* The Pimachiowin Aki UNESCO World Heritage site nomination is the first to be submitted in Canada based on both natural and cultural heritage values.

* Currently, the Rideau Canal is the only UNESCO World Heritage site in Ontario.  There is no UNESCO site in Manitoba

Ken Moody, from Kansas City, MO, is a long time guest, group leader and friend of Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge who has spent his entire life making friends and maintaining those friendships. Gerry and Lorraine recently hosted Ken and his wife Sheila at their home in Lac du Bonnet, MB to enjoy some of Manitoba’s World Class Tourism products starting with some outdoor winter excitement…..riding on Manitoba’s World Class snowmobile trails. Ken can now strike that off his “Bucket List” and add it to his “To Do” list.

     After three days of snowmobiling, winter walks and bird watching while feasting and enjoying fine wines, our intrepid tourists headed back to Winnipeg with Gerry and Lorraine to partake in Manitoba’s World Class Festival du Voyageur. Le Festival is held annually in mid February and is Western Canada’s largest winter celebration. It can be compared to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival du Quebec in Quebec City. Festival du Voyageur is one of the finest in Western Canada and reflects the historical contributions the voyageurs gave to Western Canada and the unique language, culture and cuisine inherited from these real Canadian heroes. The group revelled with thousands at the opening ceremonies where Ken and Sheila actually made it onto the local news….surprise….surprise! At the prestigious Governor’s Ball, they were joined by Pit and Julie and Pat and Janelle. They all sang in French and in English, danced the “Two Step” and “Jig”, drank some “Caribou”. They also enjoyed Festival cuisine….the famous meat pie called “Tourtière” and the infamous sugar pie called “Tarte au Sucre”.

     Ken and Sheila returned to Kansas City after a very full week, maybe a little tired and a little worse for wear, but glowing in enjoyment of their discoveries and new friendships. They are planning to do it again sometime in the future.

     Prior to their drive back to Kansas City, Gerry interviewed Ken for another facet of insights into the guests that drive Aikens Lake. Ken has been organizing groups from Kansas City to fish in Canada for over 30 years and to Aikens Lake for the last 22 consecutive years!

Gerry:    Before we get into your “Aikens Experience”, tell our readers about your most recent winter adventure.

Ken:      Sheila and I sure are thankful to you and Lorraine for sharing your home at the lake, but also your friends, your family and your French Canadian culture at Festival du Voyageur. I enjoyed the snowmobile expedition and the relaxed pace of the lake. We really enjoyed the “Festival”. We were all dressed in voyageur clothes with Sheila wearing her own very beautiful and appropriate beaver coat. We made the evening news at the opening ceremonies when we wished the locals a “Bon Festival”! We enjoyed touring Voyageur Park and some of the historical displays in Fort Gibraltar. We were recognized by some of the artisans at the Fort. “Whoa, Mr. Moody! What are you doing here?” It was Mathieu, the medical student who guided me at Aikens last summer. The Governor’s Ball was very classy and was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed being with all the people from the visiting festivals like St. Paul MN, Lacrosse WI and even guys from Florida whom I talked fishing with. All in all, we experienced new things, met a bunch of new people, were treated wonderfully and had a great time!

Gerry:    You have a long and deeply rooted association with Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. How did that all start?

Ken:      When I was young and president of the Kansas City Ski Club, we used to organize hundreds of trips and activities for our members. Organizing trips is something I’ve always loved to do. Anyways, after the ski trips, I started organizing fishing and hunting trips with Ducks Unlimited. One of my cohorts, Larry Dierks, and I had been organizing this one fishing trip to Canada for years. We had gone to drive-to lodges and fly-in lodges. Our group varied from 12 to 25. We wanted to look at different options, Manitoba being one of them. We went to the Kansas City Sportsmen’s Show. We ran into a brand new exhibitor…first year at the show. So we stayed and talked a lot with Phil Lavack who was a partner in the new ownership group of Aikens Lake at the time. The talk was real good so Larry and I wanted to check it out further for a possible destination two years later. We asked him for a price. He said that for a group of 24, he would have Larry and me come up to the lodge to check things out for ourselves. And if we decided to bring the group up, he would make us a good deal at that time. We said that we would not consider it if we did not know the price ahead of time as we did not want to waste our time and his money coming up there if we didn’t have a price. So Phil called his partner, Gerry, in Winnipeg and they came up with a price. Larry and I went up over the July 4th holiday. We had a great time and were very impressed with the fishing. I caught a Master Angler Walleye the very first morning. We were treated well by a small staff and before returning to KC, we had booked a reservation for 24 guests. I have been back with various size groups every year since, sometimes twice, and one time, even three times in the same season!

Gerry:    You have seen the evolution of all aspects of the lodge: the fishing, the guides, the equipment, the food, the beverage service, the accommodations, the housekeeping and the staff. Tell us about this.

Ken:      I remember well our first trip up and have seen all the yearly improvements. I can point out many ways in which things have changed.

          From the fishing perspective…The first time we had four guides including Gerry and Denis. Eight guys were with the guides and the other 16 tagged along, operating their own boats. Even with two thirds of my group fishing on their own, in small boats with 10 hp motors, they still all preferred the high quality fishing here to what they experienced in Ontario for nearly a decade. I have to give credit to those four guides because they were able to cook up great shore lunches for all of us on wood fires in those old fire pits.

           Nowadays, you fish out of top of the line boats with very knowledgeable young guides who put you onto the big fish, cook you the best shore lunches and look after your needs all day long. I like to talk to my guides so it’s great to engage them in a few stories. Now shore lunches are nearly a religious experience for me and certainly the best part of the day, if not the whole trip.

           From the accommodations perspective…The first time we came up, the lucky 16 stayed in Master Angler’s Row where 4 per room shared 2 bunks, a table and 4 chairs and a 3 piece bathroom. The rest of the guys stayed in the original little log cabins for 4 guests with 2 bunks, a table and 4 chairs, a sink with cold running water and a buck stove.

           Now you have all these new deluxe cabins that are bright and roomy. Hell, even Master Angler’s Row, which was THE place to stay back then, was remodeled this year into super deluxe accommodations for 2.

           From the dining and beverage perspective…The meals have always been good but they have come a long way over the years. The menu keeps up with modern trends but I’ll tell you what…when you come in for dinner, a few hours after your fantastic shore lunch and you still can’t resist what’s served to you…that’s why we all gain weight here!

           The main lodge has been renovated inside out. I remember the smaller wood tables and old school chairs. It was “homey” but now it’s bright and inviting with “Pioneer Log Furniture” dining tables and chairs. The original bar only had a few small windows so it was very dark. Now it’s full of windows and has a great view of the lake. Big Molly’s Bar is a great feature and is a great place for guests to mingle and share their stories.

           From the staff perspective… The most significant change and evolution has been the staff. Most of the kids I’ve met at Aikens were just starting their college education. It’s been a real treat to watch these kids grow up and become chiropractors, teachers, doctors, accountants, nurses and first responders and what not. I always liked to recognize their great attitude and hard work by bringing up enough Kansas City ribs for the whole staff to enjoy a special dinner from Mike McGonigal’s, complete with BBQ beans! The staff has expanded a lot since Pit and Julie took over and they have all joined in to make the “Aikens Experience” happen. I think that because both Pit and Julie worked for Aikens in their youth, that this experience gave them the knowledge to both know what needs to be done and how to recruit the right people for the job.

Gerry:    Thanks Ken for giving us a bird’s eye view of the evolution at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. You have quite a reputation up at the lodge and around Kansas City of being a tireless storyteller. Tell our readers one of your favourite Aikens Lake stories.

Ken:      Well, I could go into a few of the older stories but the staff would not forgive me for going there! So…one of the deals we used to have going way back before everyone had a guide, was that Gerry would “comp” my group a rookie guide and I would rate him on various skills in guiding, boating, fishing, cooking and especially inter-personal skills. I always like to tease and joke with them. One time, I brought my nephew with me and we were assigned this nice young man who was getting along famously with my nephew. So we boated up river to the falls to catch shore lunch. We were catching Walleye and having fun when the rookie guide reached for his pack of cigarettes. He was bringing one to his lips as he said, “Mr. Moody, do your mind if I smoke?” I looked at him with a very serious look on my face and responded, “Yes I do!” He looked back at me as if to say, “Are you kidding me?” while putting the cigarette back in the pack. Before I could say anything else, my nephew said, “Uncle Ken, don’t be so mean!” And I said, “Okay, I’m just kidding you. You can go ahead!” He took it back out and started to smoke. We started joking again and caught lots of fish for shore lunch. His cooking skills needed some work but he was very funny and worked hard to make his guests happy and comfortable. That tall skinny kid is now assistant manager of Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge and has a beautiful wife Janelle whom I have known since she started at the lodge. He is now the proud father of a future fisherman called Oscar whom I look forward to meeting next summer. Funny how time flies!

Gerry:    Thanks Ken and now for the last question which is to describe your own version of the “Aikens Experience” in one word.

Ken:      Paradise!

           Can’t wait to get there!

           Can’t wait to get back there!

Gerry:    Amen!

Originally posted at: http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/blogs/197253351.html

Not Your Typical Fish Fry … Not Your Typical Fly-In

Posted by: Tony Capecchi Updated: March 13, 2013 - 9:44 PM

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A Friday night fish fry in Lent is nothing out of the ordinary. But the fish fry I went to last week was on Thursday, and breaking from the timeless tradition of Friday nights was hardly the main reason it was anything but ordinary.

What was special about the inaugural Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge Minneapolis Shore-Supper last Thursday? Well, there’s a pretty big clue in the event’s title: It was hosted by Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge, which is hardly your ordinary Canadian lodge.

Widely considered one of the most elite fly-in fishing lodges in the world, Aikens is a peculiar collection of contradictions: extreme luxury in remote wilderness; 5-star service at a fly-in camp; gourmet food at a fishing lodge; world-class fishing with lavish accommodations.

The underlying theme at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge, which is idyllically set near the inlet to the Gammon River in Manitoba’s Atikaki Wilderness Provincial Park, is absolute excellence. My friend Doug Stange, In-Fisherman’s editor-in-chief, has said Aikens is “still the finest all-around experience I’ve ever had on a fly-in trip.”

The shore-supper, hosted by co-owner and manager Pit Turenne, displayed Aikens’ excellence and gave anglers a chance to learn about Manitoba’s most storied fly-in. About two dozen or so anglers came to the event at the Golden Valley Golf and Country Club to enjoy free drinks, fresh walleye and––of course––fish stories.

“We had a 39-inch pike literally jump into a boat once,” Turenne said. “It was following a walleye that was on somebody’s line and when the walleye was lifted into the boat, the pike jumped out of the water to try and snatch it in midair but missed.  The guests thought it was a trophy fish (41” or bigger) at first and were already haggling over who would claim the ‘Master Angler’ award!”

From what I heard from the Aikens diehards during dinner, there’s no shortage of ‘Master Angler’ fish at Aikens. Having never been to Aikens, it seems absurd to me how many guests also make the “Century Club”––a feat that entails one person catching four walleyes in a single day that together total over 100 inches in length. It’s even crazier how many anglers achieve this when you consider that in an entire year only 500 fishermen get to visit Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge.

In 2012, the camp averaged 18.8 guests per night over the full season, from late-May to late-September. With over 20 full-time staff, the incredible reality is that Aikens has more workers taking care of guests than … well, guests themselves. Maybe that’s what Stange was talking about with the whole “finest all-around experience I’ve ever had” bit.

One of those staff, manager Pit Turenne, has grown up at Aikens since age 10. His parents joined the lodge as partners in 1988 and transformed it from a more typical fly-in to the world-renowned destination it is today. In the years since, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge has hosted celebrities including former Vice President Dan Quayle, actor Rick Schroeder, NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason and many other professional athletes.  They’ve also had visitors from over 40 different states, as well as from England, France, Luxembourg, India, China and Japan.

The resounding theme from the folks I shared dessert with on Thursday was, “Go once and you’ll be hooked.” There was ample evidence of that in the room, as there is abundant evidence at Aikens itself, such as the shore-lunch site named after long-time guest Tom Greteman.

Greteman first came to Aikens in 1953 (the lodge opened in ’49), and made his 50th anniversary trip back in 2003. He has since passed away, but his children still go to Aikens and they even spread some of his ashes at the lodge.

“Look around here tonight and you can really see what good friends Pit and Patrick have become with the people who come to Aikens Lodge,” said Ted Ries, of Inver Grove Heights, as he stuffed himself with another walleye fillet.

I scanned the room and saw Ries was right. The room was full of laughs, smiles and questions about spouses, kids and grandkids.

“Why don’t you guys just let me know when I can go on to the next slide,” joked Aikens sales manager Patrick Trudel during the 15-minute presentation that preceded dinner. His slide show included trophy fish photos of several of the dinner guests, none of whom were bashful about interrupting Trudel’s Aikens overview in order to keep their personal picture displayed on the big screen for a few more moments.

Many of the regulars, however, were quick to point out that the fish aren’t the only beloved animals at Aikens. Turns out there are a couple of camp dogs who make quite the welcoming committee. Unless, that is, you’re not welcome at camp.

“Our young yellow lab once chased a bear out of camp,” Pit said. “It was pretty funny. The big bear was in no hurry to leave the beach and was just slowly ambling along, while the frantic dog was trying to speed up the process by jumping around him and biting him in the butt.”

The website for Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge is www.aikenslake.com. For more information, call 800.565.2595 or email fishing@aikenslake.com. To download an Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge brochure, click here.

I didn’t need four desserts at the fish fry … but I didn’t turn them down, either. Overall, the food was good, but I have to admit the fish would have tasted a lot better if I was eating it at Aikens with the scenery below as my back-drop.

Click here to watch the In-Fisherman TV episode Doug Stange filmed at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge.

Making Hay While the Snow Flies!

          The inherited notion that fishing lodge owners and resort operators in Manitoba lock up shop in the fall and migrate south to warmer climes for the winter much the same as the seasonal ice cream “stands” operating in this frigid province used to do is simply not true.

          Perish the thought of basking in the sun!  The Dairy Queens and the great Greek burger joints have the “ice cream stands”. The seasonal business of catering to anglers and wilderness travelers of all kinds has also evolved in becoming one of Manitoba’s premier world class tourism products.

          Winter has become a critical time for planning and preparing to deliver the “Aikens Experience” on the one hand and insuring that no stone has been left unturned in the rebooking of existing guests and the recruiting of new visitors on the other.

          In a later story, we will give you a behind the scenes look at planning and preparing for the upcoming season at Aikens Lake. In this “newsletter”, we will focus on the marketing and sales program which will bring a critical balance between income and expenses for the operating season.

          Pat Trudel is the Sales Manager for Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. Pat has been with the lodge since starting out as a rookie guide in 2000. He worked his way through the system to become one of our illustrious and celebrated “Head Guides”. He became a year-round, full-time employee in 2007 and the lodge hasn’t looked back since.  During the season at Aikens Lake, Pat is the assistant everything while he and his wife Janelle also acted as hosts for the Great Gray Owl Wilderness Adventure Camp and handled customer relations. With their new addition, that role will change somewhat for 2013.  Pat and Janelle seriously upgraded their home this fall in preparation for the arrival of their first born “Oscar Royal Maurice Trudel” who came into the world on November 6, 2012. Little Oscar is already aware that the phone rings all the time at his house and that for extended periods of time his Dad isn’t even at the house. He also knows that if his parents are always so joyful, it must be that sales are going well!

          Sitting at the kitchen table, surrounded by phones and with Oscar seriously weighing every answer as he sat on Papa’s lap, we asked Pat a few questions about his winter job.

Gerry:    If you could Pat, please lay out for our readers how you conceive your marketing plan. What are your objectives and what is the methodology in delivering it to existing customers and new prospects.

Pat:      First of all, let me say that working for Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge is never a chore because the staff, the management and the ownership group are so focused on delivering the best “Aikens Experience” possible for each and every one of our guests. It is a privilege to be able to work with my wife servicing the world’s best customers.

          That being said the job of sales manager is not as complicated as it sounds. We are fortunate to have a phenomenal fishery in an enchanted wilderness setting. We have a professional, knowledgeable and fun staff who provide guests with superb meals and incomparable accommodations, as well as using the latest and finest fishing equipment available. Those are the critical ingredients upon which our success is built and around which our marketing plan is elaborated!

Gerry:    Tell us more about said marketing plan.

Pat:      Our plan has all the normal components dealing with the 4 P’s of marketing. although the “Aikens Experience” is unique to every guest, what makes up that experience is the same high level service and amenities that all guests enjoy. That is our  PRODUCT…..the product that we sell and back with our commitment to excellence!

          We operate in a very competitive marketplace so we try to maintain a tight balance between cost, PRICE and value. Our repeat customers benefit not only from our loyalty program, but they also get first opportunity to retain their dates in future years. A few select sales specials and payment discounts are available to everyone.

           Although our guest are from just about everywhere in North America, we focus on PEOPLE/PLACES within a thousand miles, from Denver, west through the upper mid west to the Great Lakes. Nowadays, when people land at the new James Richardson International Airport, here in Winnipeg, they are met by the driver of our deluxe van and transported directly to Bluewater Aviation float plane base in Silver Falls and are flown directly to the lodge in approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. So this greatly facilitates same day travel to and from anywhere in North America.

          The PROMOTION of the lodge takes on many facets and concepts that change all the time. Marketing and sales through the internet are booming and the need to keep up in the electronic and social medias is critical!. These things can get away from you in a hurry.

Gerry:    Just so you can catch your breath, I’ll interrupt and ask you to give us more details on your direct marketing activities.

Pat:      Many things are new for this area, as always, but there are sectors that are completely new like the cutting edge digital front. Facebook is growing exponentially as are YouTube and Twitter. Our positioning through TripAdvisor has been excellent and visibly growing. Think Shift helped redesign and refresh all of our printed material. From calendars to brochures to newsletters…everything looks and feels new and fresh!

          There has been a lot of shifting and transitioning in the sport show venues over the last decade. the travel and tourism components of most shows has given way to transportation and outdoor equipment sales. We will be exhibiting in only a few sport shows this year, down from 15 only 10 years ago. Denver is a very vibrant show for hunting and fishing. The people of Colorado are great and think Manitoba is very friendly. There are direct flights to Winnipeg and their connection to the Lodge is so quick. The Toronto Sport Show is another good venue for our lodge because of the availability and affordability of flights and because they are a discerning market, they appreciate the value in a high end product.

          We have added non traditional direct venues to display our products. The Barrett Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona is a new and unique opportunity to show our wares to high end buyers, on both personal and corporate packages.  “World of Concrete Show” is one of the largest shows in the world and one we are evaluating for future consideration.

          A great way of getting our product directly in front of perspective clients is by asking existing clients to invite their friends and associates to a presentation by Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge in the setting of a shore lunch or shore supper complete with succulent walleye fillets, fried potatoes and hot beans. We will be hosting four of these events this year and the first one has already been held in Toronto following the Toronto Sport Show in February. The second one is in Lincoln, Nebraska on March 5th, followed by Minneapolis on March 7th.  The final Shore Supper will be in Brandon, Manitoba later in March. This is a great way to meet people and a fantastic opportunity to explain the program thoroughly.

          In terms of other direct marketing, the ADS Group from Minneapolis produced a great HD video, which has become an integral part of all of our presentations. We will be mailing out over 4,000 information packages which will contain attractive and fresh new brochures, including calendars produced by Think Shift in Winnipeg. Our internet and social media program is capably shepherded by Beaubois Productions, also located in Winnipeg. We have not purchased any print advertising for this year, but as I mentioned earlier, we are active on the internet with Google and Facebook ads and other digital advertising.

Gerry:    You’ve mentioned the “Platinum Package” on many occasions throughout the interview. Can you describe it in one word?

Pat:      Two words…..”Perfect Compliment” because it includes everything available that is not included in your package, that is, bait, tackle, boat upgrade for evening fishing, all beverages and snacks. Most guests save money on the “Platinum Plan” but all benefit directly from the worry free and hassle free nature of the “Perfect Compliment”.

Gerry:    What do you tell people who ask you about what else there is to do other that fish at Aikens Lake.

Pat:      I tell them about the pristine boreal forest environment which is the gateway to Pimachiowin Aki Wilderness Park which we hope will soon be designated as a “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO. The wilderness is spectacular and waiting to be explored in so many ways. It is very easy to commune with nature at Aikens Lake. Its natural splendor has no bounds!

Gerry:    Feel free to add anything we may have missed.

Pat:      We touched on the corporate incentive and executive meeting clientele. They are a very important demographic for any successful lodge. Getting the “Aikens Experience” in front of the corporate customers is more complex , yet more direct. Pit and I spend considerable time and effort year round to set up trips for our clients that will meet their individual goals. Word of mouth is the best advertising and that is particularly true in the corporate arena. We then spend considerable time and effort  in the off season following up personally on all of our leads and leaving no stone unturned in finding new ones. Unfortunately there are no shows or market places for corporate consumers geared solely  to our industry so finding new customers in that field continues to be a challenge which we enjoy!

Gerry:    We will now get Janelle, who has been patiently waiting with Oscar to join in answering one final formal question. Our readers are always interested in your answers to the one word question. First to you Janelle and then to you Pat…. Describe in one word your association with Aikens Lake.

Janelle:  “Paradise”….. In the summer, I work with the greatest people in a place that is heaven on earth and in the winter I get to work in my home while raising my family!

Pat:      “Proud”…..proud to be associated with and contributing to a very successful enterprise and in my opinion, one of the best fly-in lodges in North America!

Gerry:    Thank you Pat for shedding more light on the winter side of your job with Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. It is a different pace and a different race than your Aikens job in the summer but one, it seems, from which you draw much satisfaction. Thanks to you Janelle and to both of you… keep up the excellent work!

An interview with Nick Leitch

Prologue

As we enter 2013, we bring you the final installment of our 2012 interview series.  Gerry conducted this interview with the last guest of the 2012 season. Nick Leitch has been a guest of Aikens Lake many times over the years. Incidentally, he just won the Hunting and Fishing Preservation Fund’s inaugural contributors draw which was drawn at the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters annual meeting held December 10th. Nick won a free trip to the sponsoring lodge, in this case, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. Congratulations Nick!

Gerry:  First of all, Nick, give us your impressions on being the last guest here at Aikens Lake, on this first day of fall and fishing through a snowstorm.

Nick:     Well, it’s a new experience! I’ve been here in the early part of the year, at different times throughout the summer and now at the very end of the season. It’s given me the whole spectrum. Let’s put it that way!

Gerry:  You have a long history of coming to Aikens Lake and also a long history of being associated with charitable and non-profit community organizations. Tell our readers about your association with those charities and the connection to Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge.

Nick:     The first trip to Aikens Lake through a charity was with the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. Pit and the partners of Aikens Lake offered the Foundation an opportunity to raise funds through a celebrity auction fishing package. The hosts of the trip were Jonathan and Bryan Toews and my son Cole and I were lucky enough to buy the package at the Children’s Wish Foundation’s annual gala fundraising dinner. I had previously been to Aikens with my wife many years before we had children and this was a fantastic opportunity to return. It was fabulous! The Foundation was able to raise a lot of money as all proceeds went directly to the Foundation. It’s organizations like Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge that make it possible for the Foundation to grant the wishes of special children who really need a bright spot in their lives at a very difficult time.

Gerry:  Well said Nick. What other charities are you involved with personally or with your business?

Nick:     On the corporate side, Ranger Insurance is involved with the fundraising arm of the Winnipeg Jets, The True North Foundation. We do a golf tournament and fundraising dinner each year where all profits go to the True North Foundation. It is certainly worth mentioning that this year’s dinner featured a celebrity auction package for 2013 which will be hosted by former Winnipeg Blue Bomber great Grey Cup winner and CFL hall of famer, Joe Poplawski.

Gerry:  Now we get to the core of the interview and talk fishing. You have come here many times over the years and attended many other lodges and camps during that time. What keeps you coming back here?

Nick:     I’ve mentioned my first two trips to your establishment with my wife and the Children’s Wish Foundation. But I’ve always been a fisherman. I had a very best friend who also loved to fish. He and I did a lot of trips to lodges and outpost camps. When I came back to Aikens Lake after so many years, the camp was practically all made over. With great guides and great new boats, the outstanding fishing here could be made even better. It became a special place for me because of the people here. Pit and Julie and the entire Aikens family make you feel at home. You are always treated with the utmost respect in a warm and friendly way whether I’m here with my family, my friends or my business associates. The fishing here is really outstanding and the guides are fabulous. You really have to experience their specialty, the Aikens Lake Shore Lunch! Words can’t do it justice. You have to experience it!

                The place is clean and tidy. The accommodations are luxurious. Over the years, I’ve had my wife, my daughter and my son and daughter-in-law as well as my grandchildren here and they all loved it!

Gerry:  Thank you Nick for giving our readers another perspective on Aikens Lake. As it has often been noted in these articles, everyone of our guests has their own reasons for coming and it was great to explore yours. Now to close this chat, I’ll ask you to find one word to capsulate the “Aikens Lake Experience”.

Nick:     Outstanding! Put that word ahead of all that you experience here…..people, fishing, food, accommodations, equipment and especially the atmosphere. It makes you feel good  when you finish your day on the lake and come to the bar and dining room and exchange stories and laughs with the other guests. It’s just OUTSTANDING!

Gerry:  Thank you Nick for this interesting insight and until next time we “Eat, Sleep, Fish”.

September 2012

Paul Edmonds is the radio voice for the AA Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team.  He also hosts their annual charity fundraising trip to Aikens Lake.  The Goldeyes claimed their first championship this year in the American Association.  While at Aikens after the championship season, Paul sat down with Gerry to go over his busy year!

Gerry   Paul, you’re up here at Aikens Lake to host the annual fundraiser trip for the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Thanks for sharing some thoughts and feelings with our readers. Can you elaborate on your relationship with the Goldeyes, their foundation and how it all leads to Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge.

Paul     The relationship dates back to the off season leading up to 2004, when Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge offered a fundraising package consisting of trips donated completely free of charge to the hosting celebrities and the eventual winners of the trip to the Goldeyes charity, The Field of Dreams Foundation. What I liked at first, and still do today, is the fact that every penny we raise for this trip stays with the charity.

                The Field of Dreams Foundation started in 1995 which is dear to my heart because while the team began in 1994, I started with the Goldeyes in 1995 as well, so my association with Field of Dreams goes back to the beginning…..18 years now! We’re well over one million dollars of monies raised for the benefit of children’s charities in the province. Having all the money stay in Manitoba is a key factor. We’ve been able to help a lot of groups, too numerous to list here, but it is also a great opportunity for us to seal local corporate partnerships from companies like Aikens. It’s a little special for me also because our logo is a fish……and I’ve always loved to fish…..and people know that. So now I have become the liaison for all that is fishing.

                The favourite story I like to tell is that back in those days we broadcast the game on another station whose signal could be tuned into radios up in the Bait and Tackle Shop at Aikens Lake. The Aikens staffers heard on the broadcast that Paul Edmonds, whom they didn’t know, actually enjoyed fishing! The idea was spawned that maybe they should offer the Goldeyes a charity trip similar to the Jets Goals for Kids that morphed into the Moose Yearling Foundation. The rest is history and I think the partnership with Aikens Lake has worked well for the Foundation, has worked well for the Goldeyes and for myself and of course hopefully for the lodge.

Gerry   On your son Nolan’s fourth birthday this year, you broadcast your first ever championship winning game when the Goldeyes defeated the Witchita Wingnuts to win the American Association Crown. Would you share some of your emotions at that moment and how the ride has been since then.

Paul      Well having never won a championship, it’s all brand new to me, but I’m enjoying every moment of it and enjoying the moment of the unknown. There are a couple of things that developped over the last few days that I now can relate. One was the euphoric moment after that last pitch when you are the best there is! That is probably the biggest emotional boost you can get because that is what you strive for and you’ve reached the pinnacle. You’ve climbed that mountain and planted the flag. There is no further that you can go.

                The other, of course, is the celebration with the team and entourage and a few fans.  That was great!  Unfortunately, we won in another ballpark. But celebrating back in Winnipeg and with our fans 30 hours later at Shaw Park was incredible because you got to see the hometown fans enjoying it and being the big part of it they always are. So that’s great! because they, the fans, deserve it for standing behind us day after day, year after year, win or lose, for paying the freight, sitting through long rain delays and sitting through some of the cold, humid evenings that we can experience in May.

                I’ll never forget how proud I felt being there that night. And then there’s the auxillaries from that. People you don’t know, stop you on the street to offer their congratulations. And of course there is the family aspect and I speak only for myself. But there are a lot of people in my family who sacrificed a lot for me to be able to broadcast 112 games in 130 days driving all over the midwest, whether that was my Mom, my Dad, my in-laws and especially my wife and kids. They are the people I enjoyed celebrating this with and they are taking it all in too. They think it’s great for the city and the province but in the end, they are glad for me and very proud to celebrate it.

                I’m sure that we will notice a different attitude for months to come. Wherever we go, people know about the championship, even up here. Guests and staff alike are fully cognisant of what was just accomplished by the Winnipeg Goldeyes. I’m very happy that people are proud of the Goldeyes and the timing of this championship win is great in view of what’s going on with the other professional teams right now.

Gerry   So we are certain that the memories and effects of the championship will linger on but you (@fishvoice1995) have to shift gears as the fall and winter seasons fast approach. What are your plans for this year?

Paul      I’m one of the few Winnipeggers probably who really looks forward to winter because it allows me time to be more of a regular dad and husband. My schedule is still busy but it becomes much more flexible. I will soon return to my role as corporate account executive with the Goldeyes. That takes me back to a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 regular job so I’m normal that way which is totally different from the summer.

                 My time with my wife and kids in the summer is in the mornings when everyone else spends family time in the evenings and on the weekends. It’s my time to give back now, helping out my wife with parenting duties. Our kids are getting older so there is a lot more to be done, but it’s also a lot more fun being with them. Tanis is starting a home business this fall. She is trained and certified in the dog grooming business so the plan is to help her get her own operation going. We have to finalize the business plan and erect a building on our property. I will also take over a lot of driving the kids here and there and attending their events. I will continue to support my oldest son in his hockey and probably be assistant coach again this year if he stays with the same team. But we won’t know that until all the try outs are over. I will attend as many dance lessons and recitals as possible for my daughter. Our youngest son is also starting up hockey this year so that will keep us on the go! We also have piano lessons for two of them and swimming for all of them. So there is a lot of opportunities for me to get totally involved in family life. I get a lot of satisfaction watching my kids being involved with other kids and doing other things. I think it has made me a better person also because, you know Gerry, as a parent you always try and show them the best road to take, the best way to make decisions, don’t do this but do that, but in the end, you have to be that person who is the guiding light or the good example for them.

                That being said, I will be taking some vacation time to fish with my family and go on my annual whitetail hunting trip. I will try and get out to do some bird hunting as well. My dad and I have always loved to spend time together in the great outdoors and that’s what I want for my kids. Also, our little family is getting older now, so If all goes well, Tanis and I will be taking the kids to Disneyworld in February as they are all old enough now.

Gerry   I’m out of breath just listening to you describe your planned activities. Now we’ll slow things down and play the one word game. In one word Paul, describe your emotions and feelings at the moment the Goldeyes won their first championship of your era.

Paul      Euphoric! That’s the complete feeling….the feeling that you are the best….the feeling that you worked as hard or harder than anyone else and the fact that you got the ultimate reward for it all. That’s why it is euphoric…knowing that you deserved it and that you accomplished it!

Gerry   Thanks for this interview Paul.

Approximately 80% of the Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge summer staff are college or university students so when Labour Day rolls around they return to their cities in which they further their education.

Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge’s 7^th annual Friends and Family Event was held this year on the September long weekend, shortly before our staff was heading home after a fruitful summer of hard work and friendships. This event allows staff to invite family and friends to visit the lodge and the lake for 3 days. The near and dear guests were hosted in activities shared by all which featured world class fishing, the world’s best shore lunches, the family dinners! Pool, shuffleboard and cribbage were at the heart of fun and laughter galore in big Molly’s Bar. Observing the eagles, the songbirds and wildlife everywhere or listening to the haunting call of the loon while chilling in their porch, the guests could fill their senses with the incredible beauty and charm of Aikens Lake.

The partners of the lodge value the staff and their huge contribution to its success and through this particular event share the “Aikens Experience” with those people closest to them.

On the last evening, a special shore supper was held at the Great Gray Owl site for the 40 or so participants and staff. At the end of the supper, two fathers of pro-staff guides informally took the floor, one in French and one in English, to recognize this superb opportunity to share time at Aikens Lake with their children and thanked Pit and Julie for making it happen. Both speakers addressed the great insight gained to what they contribute to overall operation. They both agreed to an interview to share their thoughts with our readers. Gerry conducted the interviews with Sig Laser and Ibrahima Diallo.

Sig Laser, Alex’s dad, spoke at the shoresupper. He thanked Pit and Julie and the partners of Aikens Lake for opening a window in their busy season so that they could have a look inside their child’s wilderness job. Gerry caught up with Sig to explore other perspectives and maybe share the same sentiments.

Gerry: Sig, tell our readers what you do in real life.

Sig:     I am a policy analyst with the Department of Conservation and Water Stewardship. I have been there for 6 years and was doing the same thing in other department prior to that. I’m very interested  in what happens in natural areas of Manitoba so that has added a little hook for me here at Aikens Lake.

Gerry: I’ll excuse that pun and ask you what was your experience with the Friends and Family Event?

Sig:     When Alex started guiding at Aikens Lake, we were invited to this event and I came up with my wife Tanis.  This year, I’m here with Alex’s oldest brother, Nathan. Last year we caught lots of fish and this year we also caught lots of fish. I have been very fortunate to catch a Manitoba Master Angler northern pike (41.5”). I love what Aikens does with the photo and presentation and I’m impressed with their use of social media. And boom! There I was, famous on Facebook!

Gerry: Famous being the operative word! You’ve seen the place and you’ve seen your son at this student profession. What does he do and how do you think his experience here will benefit him in life?

Sig:     Apart from all the hands on trade skills he is getting here, he comes back home and is talking about all the people he guides….CEO’s, COO’s, corporate executives, corporate clients, families, and groups of fun loving people. The ability to come into contact with these Canadian and American tourists gives him a better sense of what people do in the world and the things they want to accomplish. When I look at it, he is growing in confidence and growing in strength. He is developing a sense of judgement which will serve him well in life.

Gerry: In one word, describe your experience here at Friends and Family.

Sig:     Energizing! There were many times this weekend when I was breathing the really fresh air. I was flashing back at times when I was breathing the purest , cleanest, most energizing air ever. I had a few moments of that and flashing on to how pure and clean this environment is.

Gerry: Thanks Sig for your insight and another father’s perspective.

Ibrahima Diallo, better known as Ibou, addressed the shore supper gathering in French, so we conducted the interview in the language of Molière.

Gerry:  Dis nous qu’est ce que tu fais dans la vie.

Ibrahima : Je suis professeur à l’Université de Saint Boniface depuis 27 ans.

Gerry : Parles nous de ton expérience avec l’évènement famille et ami.e.s.

Ibrahima : C’est ma 6^e participation à cet évènement car notre fille Aisha a travaillé ici pendant 4 ans et maintenant notre fils en est à sa 3^e année. D’ailleurs Jean-Bocar (JB)  a pris le goût de travailler ici grâce à cet évènement lorsqu’il a visité Aisha.

Gerry : Qu’est ce que Jean-Bocar fait à Aikens présentement et comment penses-tu qu’il  bénéficiera de son expérience dans le futur.

Ibrahima : JB agit comme un guide de pêche. Je crois qu’il fait bien d’apporter les clients à la pêche mais d’un coté pratique, il y en a beaucoup plus. Quand tu travailles dans une telle entreprise,  tu es exposé à plusieurs métiers en dehors de la pêche. Il a fait de la construction, du siding, du ciment, du bois. Il acquière tout un capital d’expériences pratique. Il a aussi l’expérience de travailler in équipe avec des gens. Je ne sais pas quel sera le plus grand bénéfice pour mon fils mais tu sais que la capacité d’interagir avec des nouveaux clients qu’il ne connait pas du tout et dans le contexte d’une équipe constante, lui servira pour le reste de ses jours. Tu n’as qu’à regarder Aisha qui est venue ici une fille extrêmement gênée et qui maintenant interagit avec toutes sortes de clients au Apple Store où elle travaille. Ça c‘est quelque chose que tu ne peux apprendre sur les sur les bancs de l’école.

Gerry : Maintenant pour la question surprise, et peut-être que ton épouse, Lise, l’artisane du mot de la famille, pourra t’aider. Dans un mot, décris ton expérience à cet évènement.

Ibrahima et Lise : Excellent! L’accueil est fantastique et nous voyons nos enfants sous la responsabilité d’une entreprise qui les enrichit. Tous les parents sont inquiets de voir leurs enfants quitter la maison mais ont peut voir nous même qu’ils sont entre bonnes mains. On confie nos enfants à des gens responsables qui en ont fait des adultes responsables.

Gerry : Je vous remercie d’avoir partagé avec nos lectures vos expériences et vos sentiments. Les clients sont toujours ravis de notre personnel et maintenant on peut comprendre d’avantage pourquoi.

Memorable Magical Master Angler Moments during Friends & Family 2012

What a thrill for our guides to put their fathers onto a Master Angler trophy!

Sig Lazer,41.5” northern pike guided by son Alex

David Hewitt, 28” walleye guided by son Griffin

Greg  Selinger, 41”northern pike guided by ALWL head guide and son Eric

“On top of everything else being great, we were blown away by your staff and services!”

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Putting the Family into the Friends and Family Event

Pit and Julie are in their 8^th year as the managers of the Aikens Lake team. In order to get an inside angle on what makes the staff tick and why guests appreciate them so much, we’ll chat with them directly.

Gerry:   Give our readers a history of the Friends and Family Event.

Pit:         When our new partners Chris and Dale Jensen came aboard in 2005, they invited all key staff to visit with them in Phoenix, AZ for a get acquainted session and to hold a meeting to discuss adding new ingredients to a successful  format. Everyone present was asked to contribute ideas which would make for a better staff and a stronger team. Turbo and Diesel spawned the suggestion that amongst other invitations, a friends and family event would strengthen the bond between families. They had always wanted to bring their fathers to Aikens, but we never had a formal vehicle for them to broach that subject with management.  We started off on their idea right away the following summer by introducing a weekend where we set aside a specific weekend and offered the staff the opportunity to invite some friends and family at a discounted rate.  It was immediately very popular and we actually had to limit how many people everyone could bring!  Here we are 7 years later with an annual event where the staff gets to showcase the place where they work, not so much for us but for them to show their pride in their work to those closest to them.  It has become a perk for working here and it’s nice to sit back and watch this all organically happen in front of you and know that our staff is proud to be a part of our success.

Julie:     It isn’t just for them however. We also get a lot out of this event. I find we can get to know our staff from a different perspective. We interview them with emphasis on interpersonal skills. Then we see them at work and see how they relate to guests and peers. But when you see them with friends and family, you see different emotions and behaviour. It’s wonderful to make the connection with where they got those skills in the first place and how they got to be who they are. It’s great for the parents too.

Pit:         Yeah, parents put a lot of faith in us to look after the well-being and development of their kids every summer.

Julie:     And this event gives the parents an opportunity to get to know us too.

Gerry:   What other events or activities do you organize or carry out for the staff?

Pit:         We carried on with the “Little Hammered Olympics” which is a mid season friendly competition and games which brings some relief after the first few months of working 7 days a week and always being “on”.

Julie:     We still host the Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge Christmas Party for staff and volunteers which draws as many as fifty people to a whole afternoon and evening of activities, food, fun and gifts.

Pit:         We initiated a few years ago and organized the Aikens Lake Ice Hockey Team and have been getting together once or twice in the winter for friendly exhibition games. Not that the staff is not already integrated into their own little community in the city, but these events in the Aikens off season just help to strengthen the bond.  On Chris’s and Jeff’s suggestion, we just started a Fantasy NFL Football League and I think this is going to be a lot of fun for all of us to interact on a different level. 

Julie:     We also host a pre-season BBQ at the end of April so that all summer staff and new recruits  can meet each other. The secondary purpose for the BBQ and most useful for us is that we can sit down with everyone individually and discuss their job position, season contracts, and the expectations and challenges for the coming season. This is especially helpful to the rookies as they get to meet their new best friends on the staff. Once they get to Aikens Lake, there is very little time to tr ain and deliver the services, so we want everyone on the same page ahead of time.

Gerry:   What do you think is the mantra for your staff?

Julie:     When we started managing, and we already knew this from our years of working here beforehand, we quickly realized for ourselves that it was all about the guests… and it really is. We have only done a great job if the guests leave happy. I guess you can say our mantra is “wow them with the Aikens Experience and spoil them with service”. If we do that consistently, guests will return.

Pit:         You can never guarantee the fishing or the weather, but thankfully those tend to cooperate with us quite often.  That said, we strive to make sure that all other aspects of someone’s experience here at Aikens is handled with utmost care and professionalism.  No one should leave here having had less than a very positive, uplifting experience. 

Gerry:   Well said! Now we play the word game. In one word, describe your team.

Pit:         Vibrant. There are so many qualities but for me vibrant is the word because it capsulates a lot of good things like positive attitude and atmosphere and projects a “joie de vivre”, very social and amicable.

Julie:     I would say Chameleon-like. Our staff is great at adapting to different guests and to many different situations. They are very personable and are anxious to please.

Gerry:   Thanks Pit and Julie for giving us a little background on the Aikens Lake community.

We are very pleased to inform you that a ten year process of planning and vision has now physically started taking shape. For a long time now, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge has been hoping to build an eight person outpost cabin on the peninsula between Lost Lake and Aikens Lake. This brainchild was shelved by the province until the new Park Management Plan for Atikaki Provincial Park was complete.  The application also went through lots of different processes to ensure that the impact and stewardship of the building would do nothing but beautify the adjacent area.

The approval process was completed mid-summer.  In the past few weeks, many of the guys worked tirelessly to clear the site for the start of the upcoming construction next spring. With winch, chain, shovels, picks and hoes they muscled over 30 trees out of the ground; stump, roots and all! True bull work. They also started prepping the area where the dock will be built to land the future guests at Lost Lake. Great job men! The foundation pads and dock cribs should be completed before the end of our season. At which point, the flurry of construction will begin early next Spring.

The lush moss-covered peninsula is an ideal location for this outpost. It will boast a breath-taking view of Lost Lake and have access to a sheltered bay behind Gilligan’s Island on Aikens Lake. The do-it-yourself format of the planned packages for its guests will offer a very different experience than those enjoyed here at the Main Lodge. When completed, the four bedroom (eight bed) cabin will feature a fully modern kitchen, two showers, two bathrooms, a large living/dining room, a wood-burning fireplace and a massive screened-in deck overlooking the lake.

Lost Lake is located on the West side of Aikens Lake. The mile and a half lake boasts some awesome Walleye fishing as the fish there are a deep golden color.  Some of our biggest walleyes ever (32.5″ and 33″ trophies) were caught in Lost Lake.  That isn’t to discount the pike in that lake, as the spring bit in Lost for Pike is great… especially in the bay that has the feeder creek into Aikens.  There is lots of water and structure to discover as we start to further elaborate our high success techniques in new areas of the lake. This exciting and new venue for visitors to Lost Lake  is sure to get folks talking!

Plans are to complete construction of Lost Lake in the summer of 2013, and then sell a limited number of spots (likely only two!) to those lucky first few guests in August and/or September 2013.  We will post more pictures on our site and FB page as we continue the work over on Lost Lake.

When the hype of the Olympic Games in London was over, Aikens had the chance to have their own series of athletic events at their annual Aikens Olympics. This year marked the 16th anniversary of this prestigious competition. Step aside high jump, tennis and triathlon, these next events will truly raise the bar.

With just a few guests in camp, Sunday, August 19th, was the perfect night to host the Olympics. After dinner, the teams rushed to apply the final touches to their costumes for the opening ceremonies at 7:45 sharp. The teams were picked out of hat a few days before to give everyone enough time to get creative and figure out an original team name and create a costume. There was quite the buzz going on around camp for the few days leading up to the event. Some teams had met and decided on everything right off the hop, while others were scrambling the day of the Olympics. But when 7:45 hit on that warm Sunday evening, all the teams showed up on time with appropriate attire and eager to get the competition started.

Arriving first were The P’tits Trudel (The Little Trudels) dressed up as babies. This dream-team, consisting of Danica, Elliot, Alex, Jesse L and Marcel, were not messing around when they chose to wear diapers; it was for maximum flexibility. The next team rolled in full-character as the Atikaki Park Patrols. Dressed-up as the hunter, Bruno started the colorful entrance when he was trying to hunt Eric, who was dressed up as a black-bear. Little did he know that he was illegally hunting in a provincial park, so cue the Park Patrols : Brittany, Chad and Jesse P.! They get props for staying in character all night and handing out tickets whenever they had a chance! Next up, through a cloud a smoke, appeared Elsie and the Ghosbusters. Réanne, dressed as our resident ghost Elsie, came running out of the Portage (where we believe the ghost of Elsie lives) being chased by the Ghostbusters Griffin, Kik, JB and Étienne. Very dramatic entrance! And finally, what we thought were the B&T Chip Team arrived : Josée, Brad, Dave, E2 and Ben. Josée came up to explain their team name and that’s when were all hit with a surprise. They were not bags of chips, she explained (cue the music, rip-off their chip-bag costumes), they were the Chippendales! And the crowd went wild!

After singing the National Anthem, the games officially began. The first event was the “Shot, Sock & Beet” which consisted of one team member at a time taking a shot, running across a field to their other team members who would then tie a rope around their waist that had a sock with a beet inside hanging from it. The competitor then had to run back to the middle of the field where he or she had to knock over an empty bottle with their “beet-sock” without using their hands but only by thrusting their hips and making their sock swing. After knocking down the bottle, they ran back to their team and the next team member would start all over again until the whole team had gone through. It was a close (and hilarious) race, but Elsie and the Ghostbusters took the lead, with Les P’tits Trudel finishing a close second.

The next event is an Aikens favorite : Flip Cup! Two teams stand on opposite sides of a table facing each other, each with a plastic cup filled with beer in front of them. A toast initiates the first players to chug their beer and place their cup on the edge of the table right side up. They must then try and flip their cup so that it lands upside up. Once the cup is successfully flipped (usually takes a few tries) it cues the next player to start chugging their beer, so on and so forth. Whichever team finishes drinking and flipping all its cups first, wins. Since this is a classic Aikens game, we had some very strong players on each team. The Chippendales, in a very close round robin, took the lead in this competition!

The third event was called the Animal Challenge. Each team had 8 minutes to create two animals out of towels. They all had instructions and pictures, so all they had to was follow the instructions and fold! Sounds simple, but it was harder than it looked. They also had to incorporate a beer can and a prop into their designs. When the time was up,  the judges took a walk around the table to closely examine each animal. In the end, the Smoking Elephant created by Les P’tits Trudel stole the judges’ hearts and won them first place!

And finally, the last event of the night was the Mushroom. A very simple game which consists of delicately placing a deck of card on the neck of a bottle, one card at a time. The twist is that every time someone adds a card, two corners of that card must be showing, therefore forcing the playing area off the neck of the bottle, creating a mushroom. Each team had their own mushroom to make and would add cards at the same time. Once cards start to fall off the mushroom, the team is eliminated from the event. We lost  the Atikaki Park Patrols after only 3 cards. Soon after, the Chippendales were eliminated. Elsie’s team and Les P’tits Trudel were neck and neck. Each team went through a full deck and a half of cards, creating quite a solid mushroom base. But in the end, clumsy JB knocked off his pile of cards and les P’tits Trudel won the challenge!

Usually, we don’t have to move to a sudden death elimination round, but there was tie! Les P’tits Trudel, who were winning challenges left and right but had failed miserably during the Flip Cup tournament were tied with Elsie & the Ghostbusters, who were keeping the pace with their high scores. The tie-breaker challenge was to create a drink for one of our guests that would be judged on taste, original name and presentation. Les P’tits Trudel made a beautiful drink called the Hook-Set, complete with a fishing rod made of celery that was fishing in a blue shooter. What a presentation! Elsie & the Ghostbusters came back with vengeance creating a tropical cocktail in a flashing martini glass called the El Quencho. Each team had done their research and knew that our guest judge loved tequila so they both incorporated it into their drink. After much deliberation, it’s the original presentation and the taste of the Hook-Set that what won les P’tits Trudel the challenge, making them the 2012 Olympic Winners! Congratulations!

Editor: In 2012, Doug Brown retired from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after a star studded career of eleven years.  As host of a fundraising trip for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg, Doug recently took part in his first fly-in fishing trip ever to Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. While he was at the lodge, he took some precious time off his fish, eat, fish, eat, fish, Big Molly’s schedule to share some of his thoughts on life after retirement with Gerry.

Gerry:  You are here as part of a fundraising event for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg. Tell our readers about your involvement with that charitable organization and why it’s important to you.

Doug:   This is part of my inaugural involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters. A former teammate who was engaged with them, introduced me to this organization. I will be hosting a gala event this fall called Barley Infused Gala Dinner. They do great work in the community. As a professional athlete on a community owned team for eleven years, I have found a rewarding and satisfying feeling by paying back the community by lending some of my other skills to some great organizations.

Gerry:  Which other groups are you involved with?

Doug:   I’m really involved with Kidsport Manitoba where we run a football camp for disadvantaged youth. I also am the champion spokesperson and guest rider for Motorcycle Ride for Dad for Prostate Cancer. I do a lot of work with Project Echo which is one of my favorites because all benefits remain in the community.  I like to work with the Variety Kids because it benefits children with hardships in their lives. I have also done work and volunteer work with the Humane Society. It’s funny…..football has given me a lot of opportunity in the community.  When you see the impact you can have on people by just participating in their cause, it is very, very rewarding.

Editor: Doug has been preoccupied with football seven days a week from May to December every year since he was a senior in high school. He played college football for Simon Fraser University in British Columbia for 4 years before his rookie season in the NFL with Buffalo Bills in 1997. He then spent 3 years with the Washington Redskins and then reigned in the CFL for eleven outstanding years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. So the term fishing fanatic footballer is somewhat of an oxymoron. Let’s check out the fishing!

Gerry:  You are here on a fly-in fishing trip to one of the great walleye fisheries of the planet. Tell us about your experience in fishing and your expectations in coming to this lodge.

Doug:   This is my first fly-in fishing adventure and I’m loving it! In my profession, fishing was more of a reactive situation, where people would invite me to events, to their cottage or to their lake. This fly-in situation certainly puts the end result on another level. It really is another level of excitement and an adventure in nature starting with the float plane ride over the (Boreal) forest and seeing the lake from the sky. Then you are isolated in a great wilderness setting. It cuts you off from daily life and brings your focus down to enjoying your time here and relaxing. As I said, this is my first fly-in and you guys just take it to another level. There is a lot to learn about fishing and it really is a competitive thing! I really enjoyed my time with my guide and really learned a lot. I’m afraid I will be spoiled when it comes to the high end fishing. It’s not just the fishing because the non fishing part of this trip is exceptional and parallels the hospitality you receive at the lodge by a very special and professional  staff. Fishing can really be addictive and the kind of service I’ve received here is beyond my wildest expectations.

Gerry:  Now that you have, in your own words, experienced the ultimate fishing adventure, do you think the future has more fishing in store for you?

Doug:   As I said, this is a very competitive sport. In three days as a novice, I landed more walleyes than I could imagine. When you see the huge Master Angler fish and all the Century Club awards given out every night at the dinner table, it almost rivals my own professional career at times, coming so close to winning the big award! I certainly leaves one wanting to do it again!

Editor: Doug has been writing a weekly column in the Winnipeg Free Press for several years and hosting a weekly radio show on CJOB 680 AM in Winnipeg for six years. Everyone who followed his “Hall of Fame” career in the CFL knows that Doug’s retirement from the game would quickly transition into being involved with the game through media. He did not disappoint. While expanding his writing skills to 2 columns per week in the Free Press and his on air radio skills by adding game day and game analyst duties for CJOB’s broadcasts of Bomber games. He has also been developing a whole new set of skills as the newest analyst on the hallowed CFL on TSN Panel.

Gerry:  Tell us about your experience in transitioning to a full time media career.

Doug:   It has really been a salvation for me. When I asked Bomber great Joe Paplowski about his retirement, he said walking away from the game was his most difficult decision ever. It is a salvation because it keeps me very involved in the day to day aspects of the Blue Bombers and the CFL. Everything I am doing keeps me connected with the team, the players and the coaches. During my whole life, football has been at the epicentre. And now I can stay involved with what I know best. Doing color with the legendary Bob Irving for the Bombers is daunting and exciting all at the same time. He raises the bar in sports broadcasting and makes it a new challenge for me. It has been therapeutic, staying involved while learning new skills.

Gerry:  You are a rookie for the first time in 15 years! As you embark on your television career, tell us about you and TSN.

Doug:   I’ve never had to put on makeup to do my work and with television, that’s a big change. The visual is something I’ve never had to deal with before. TV is as much about how you look and how you say things as much as what you are saying. You have to be very aware of cameras and angles and positioning and timing and transitioning. The most difficult thing I ever had to do was to focus on my appearance while giving a detailed analysis while a director was giving orders in my ear piece. It was almost as challenging as the realm of profession football itself!

Editor: Doug fancies himself as a bit of a wordsmith. At the crossroads of choosing between synonyms, he will always choose the least used and hardest to remember. So before segueing back to Big Molly’s……a Howard Cossell type word game….

Gerry:  Keeping in mind your inborn need and penchant to infuse and inject seldom used words into everyday parlance, we want you to describe your “Aikens Lake Experience” in one word.

Doug:   Wow! Aikens in one word …….MAJESTIC is the one word I would use to describe the comprehensive, holistic experience at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. I’m trying to think of other not so often used words and descriptors for this place and SURREAL is the best. Unlike anything you have encountered in the wilderness…….MAJESTIC and SURREAL………okay, two words then!

Gerry:  Thanks for doing this Doug. Your comments will be greatly appreciated by all of our readers!