Ron Pradinuk is the owner of the Journeys Travel Supercenter in Winnipeg.  His store is very well known for its extensive selection of quality travel items such as suitcases, travel bags, and Ron’s favorite - Tilly hats & socks!  Ron is also very active in the media, having a regular column in the travel section of the Winnipeg Free Press, and also hosting a weekly radio show on Winnipeg’s biggest radio station, CJOB 68. We had the pleasure to host Ron and his son-in-law at Aikens Lake last summer.

This week, Pit was a guest on Ron’s show.  For about 15 minutes, they chatted about the “Aikens Experience”.  Ron was a great ambassador for the lodge, using his own personal experiences to highlight how much of a special place Aikens Lake is!  They also chatted about the history of Aikens, as well as Aikens’s knack for finding a lot of its business from North of the border.  We are well known within Manitoba and Canada as a world-class destination and our 50/50 split of Canadian vs. US customers reflects that fact.  The airtime on the radio was also an opportunity to promote our upcoming shorelunches in Manitoba (April 8th in Brandon, April 15th in Winnipeg - more on those in a new story later this week).  You can listen to the interview at CJOB’s website.  Search for the audio vault and tune in to 12:30 on Sunday, March 28th.  It will be available until the end of April.

Ron has also written a story for the Free Press that should be printed in the coming month.  We will make sure to link that story here on our newsletter when it is printed.  Thanks Ron for your help in promoting Aikens within our great home province of Manitoba!  We look forward to hosting you at the lodge again someday.

If you’ll remember back to December, Aikens put together a team to play an exhibition hockey game.  It was the first time we had put a team together and it was a really great experience to be able to team up for something away from the lake.  It was clear that we have a lot of good athletes on the current and past staff, as well as in our volunteer crew!

We decided to play a second game.  This time, we  played against the Maynard family team.  The Maynards are comprised of all of Julie’s cousins and uncles, and they are a skilled bunch!  Many of them are playing high level senior and junior hockey all over Manitoba.  They are a perennial powerhouse in the St-Malo family hockey tournament, and this game was the perfect warm-up for a team that is a favorite to win it all.

The game started out with a very fast pace!  The Maynard team was rolling over 3 lines while the Aikens team had 2 lines.  The Aikens team iced the following roster:

Goal - Marcel

Defense - Pit, Jesse, DG, Charlie, Yves

Forwards - Seabass, Muscles, Luke, Chris L, Tim, and Leo M.

We learned in December that while we were good at scoring (7 goals), we were much better at letting goals in (15 against!).  This night was a bit different, however.  The action was non-stop and both goaltenders were coming up with huge saves… especially Mars for the Aikens team.  After going down by a goal 15 minutes into the first, the Aikens team responded with two quick ones (Luke and Chris) to go ahead.  The Maynard team did tie it up and after the first period it was tied at 2 apiece.

The second period started off just as quickly as the first ended.  The teams exchanged goals (Muscles and Chris with his 2nd scored for our side) and after 40 minutes of play the Maynards had the lead at 5-4.  The pace never slowed down, although the fatigue on the Aikens side was starting to show.

The final period is one that we won’t go into too much detail about, for good reason!  Final score 11-5 for the Maynards.  Luke got his 2nd of the night for the Aikens side.  The Maynard’s youth and speed certainly helped them blow the game open in the final frame.  Despite our pleas about teaching them how to fish properly in exchange for a bit of a slow-down on the game, they kept coming in waves!  It was quite an enjoyable and light-hearted affair.  Drained of energy and hydration, those post-game beers really hit the spot!

All in all, it was a great time and we are planning to host these two games every year.   We hope the Maynard team is able to win that elusive A-side championship this weekend.  Their quest starts on Wednesday - when they will meet up with a team that has Mars and Jesse on their roster!  Good luck boys!

It is with a very heavy heart that we regret to inform our readership of the passing of two of our cherished guests. Both Mr. David Chism and Mr. Roger Ingerson left us leaving many great memories in their wake. These intrepid fishermen would migrate to Aikens Lake each year to ring the new season. Being the first folks off the planes in late May offered Roger and Dave the opportunity to be the first anglers to entice their favorite quarry to take their baits. Much rhythm had been established between our staff and our ”Opening Guests” over the years. These pleasant folks ensured a smooth start to our year.

Roger Sheldon Ingerson had been coming to Aikens for almost twenty years. His exploits on the lake were always shared with family, namely his son Doug and his brother Chuck. ”Big R” was a huge fan of trolling! He’d spend complete days, with a content smile on his face, incessantly trolling up and down the Back Bay or Stange Bay with his favorite lure in tow (Rap#F9-11). Roger was also an unofficial Junior-Guide Instructor. Having spent many years mastering the spring bite on Aikens, we often sent out our novice guides to learn the ropes with Roger. His calm, smart and friendly approach to educating our neophyte operators instilled many good lessons upon them. Many of our present guide crew have tricks in their tackle boxes that can be traced back to Roger’s teachings. It’s good to know we carry on his legacy! Roger and Doug were a highly prized pair for the guides for other reasons as well. They spent 7 days fishing and always looked forward to their shorelunches. But, days 5 and 6 were a treat that the guides would scramble to be the fortunate ones to be with them… Ribeye steaks flown-in with Roger’s cooler, expertly prepared by Doug over the open flame. I can taste it now… Roger left a lasting impression upon all those fortunate to have crossed his path. His career in aerospace design often had a group of folks mesmerized on the B&T porch when he shared the sights and sounds of his eventful life. It’s comforting to know that his hard work still helps to protect us today. His humble and modest approach towards others made him an exceptional listener always willing to gain his fellow man’s trust. Roger, they sure don’t make them like they used to!

Mr. David Meredith Chism was also passionate angler in his own right. Whether it be chasing down large-mouth bass in his home state of Arkansas or plotting his attack on monster pike at Aikens, Dave was always prepared. Never fazed by the cooler Canadian May weather, Dave would head out rain or shine equipped with his tan rain suit, his white sneakers and his favorite casting rods. His lovely wife Kitty is a huge walleye fan and never missed the morning bite. After an enjoyable shore lunch Kitty usually chose to return to the lodge to read her book of choice next to the fireplace and get cozy with a warm blanket. That’s when Dave got serious about his pike fishing. Accompanied by his guide, Dave would pepper the weedy bays for 5 hours non-stop. The Johnson Silver Minnow, the Slug-Go, the Rattlin’ Rap, or Little Lucky Blue (Rap #F5)  all had their fair share off time in the water. His prowess with a baitcasting rod was evident; the skill set of a life-long angler. He’d only pause to soak in the remote beauty of the landscape, rehydrate with a bottle of water, nod to his guide and back to the task at hand. This quiet man made people in his presence appreciate what we so often take for granted. Dave had an incredibly charming personality and it was truly a pleasure to spend a day in the boat with him.

These two fine individuals will be sorely missed. Their friendship and kindness will not be forgotten. We stand proud to have shared many smiles with each of them. Our paths crossed thanks to our mutual desires to commune with Mother Nature and to once again cast upon her limpid waters. Their legacy at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge is a long one and will not be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ingerson and Chism families during these trying times and we will be thinking of them come Opening this year. We’ll make sure to troll one for you Roger and we’ll heave a cast for you Dave. Thanks for the memories!