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PO Box
279, Ear Falls Ontario P0V 1T0 - Your Host: Mike & Julie Hoffman (We are back!!!!)
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Several Good Reasons to consider fishing Ontario Canada walleyes. When fishing Ontario walleyes, northern pike, lake trout, or small mouth bass on the Woman River Chain of lakes, you will encounter superb angling opportunities that will fulfill your dreams. We offer Canadian fly-in and outpost trips. An American Plan Ontario fishing resort featuring fine dining & meals, modern accommodations, friendly hospitality & excellent service, professional guides, and the finest in boats and motors. An all inclusive trip at an affordable price.
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December 2010 www.canada-north.com P.O. Box 1109 Effingham, IL 62401 800-CNL-9812
Canada North Lodge Newsletter
64th Anniversary - 2010 Winter / 2011 Spring Edition
Our 32nd Year ! ! ! 1978 – 2011
An Introduction -
Taking back Canada North Lodge last year presented Julie and I with a demise to be overcome. During 2005 my partner Ross Cornett and I purchased an Internet Service Provider business in Effingham, IL. I now had to figure out how to successfully run two businesses 1000 miles apart. Being as I had exposure to that experience when buying Canada North Lodge in 1978 I knew how difficult it was to be in two places at once and do a good job at both. After giving it a lot of thought and after many conversations with Ross and his wife Carla we came up with a plan that all felt confident would succeed. It was decided that Ross and Carla would be at Canada North Lodge running the business there while I remained mostly at the business in Illinois. I spent about a total of 4 weeks there last year and can be up there quickly if needed and a telephone is only a call away for advise.I have known Ross for many years and like myself is an avid outdoorsman who loves fishing and hunting. On many of his past trips to Canada North as a guest prior to our becoming partners he often related as to how fortunate we were to own a place like Canada North Lodge and how his passion and dream was to be a resort owner some day. Little did he know back then that his dream would come true. I guess I would call it destiny just like what happened to Julie and I many years ago when buying CNL. That is another story for another time.
Ross and Carla are in their early 40’s and have four children – Lantz (18), Trevor (15), Evan (11) and Logan (6). Ross and Carla are some of the finest persons I have ever known, they are fully trustworthy, hard working, ambitious, high moral standards, and with that wonderful personality needed for the resort business. Like myself Ross and Carla are all about customer relations and making sure that customers/guests get the best that a business can provide, a very strong point that I strive at each and every day in business. They are both very good with their relations and ability to work with employees and strive to gain their respect.
Therefore during 2010 the plan went into effect and with my assistance they ran & learned the business at Canada North Lodge. As I anticipated they were a natural for the business. After talking with a lot of the guests or from their correspondences back to me after their trip, Ross and Carla did a great job and the guests went home very satisfied and happy with their trip to Canada North Lodge and had nothing but good to say about them. Naturally as with everything there were the learning curves and some mistakes were made but immediately resolved. Heck, even after my many years at CNL I still made mistakes. Making mistakes and learning from them is what it is all about , as we all know we are never to old or too smart not to have that happen.
In conclusion everything worked out well during 2010 and Ross and Carla will return in 2011. They will be looking forward to meeting you upon your arrival .As always if you have any concerns or questions please give me a call or drop me a line, our guests come first and will provide you with the same quality trip we always have. To our many past guests please stay in touch and pass on any comments you may have. Email: mikeh@canada-north.com
Mike & Julie Hoffman – Ross & Carla Cornett (Managers)
Looking Back to 2010
2010 was a very interesting year to say the least. Opening the lodge after being closed a year was a real experience. Getting the water up was by far the largest challenge we met but we were very happy to find few broken pipes on the lodge and cabins. The 125kw generator fired right up and provided us with instant electric to the entire camp. Once the basics were in place the guys set out to get the hard work done. The new 45kw generator was installed, a completely new roof on the lodge, new roofs on 5 of the guest cabins, water damage repaired in guest cabins, ice machines installed, docks repaired, boat and motors back into the lake, outpost opened, portage lakes opened, shore lunch sites set up, and all the other equipment back to running order again. The lodge, cabins, and all building received a fresh coating of Oil and CWF from the ol faithful spray gun. Balconies and boardwalks received the same treatment. From there we went to work on getting the lawn and exterior landscape done. After hours of mowing, racking, weed eating, chain sawing and cleanup we completed the exterior cosmetics and CNL looked like its old self again. While all this was going on the gals where busy getting the lodge kitchen, dining room, guest cabins, & office opened and cleaned. Then the windows washed, linen washed, food ordered, carpets shampooed, and a multitude of other things completed. Canada North Lodge once again had a real big smile on its face and was up and running and ready for the guests. My hat is off to |
all the staff and their hard work and dedication towards getting the lodge opened again in such a short period of time. They all seemed to be on a mission. The weather was much more cooperative than in 2009 and for the most part a very nice weather year. The fishing was very good with a lot of really nice walleyes and northern caught on a daily basis. When the fishing and weather is good it makes our life as lodge owners a lot easier. It is really remarkable to see how much better the fishing on our lake system is than it was when I purchased the lodge in 1978. Good conservation practices make all the difference in the ability to provide a true fishing experience for our guests. In closing I would like to assure all of you that my commitment to quality and to your hunting or fishing experience at Canada North Lodge will always remain my top priority. I look forward to seeing that Canada North Lodge remains one of the top fishing and hunting destinations in Northwestern, Ontario. We’ve been doing it since 1947! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, we wish each and every one of you the best in the coming year! Looking Forward to 2011We are confident that 2011 will be a successful year. No major projects are planned and minor improvements here and there remain to be completed. Our focus will be entirely on rebuilding the business side of things and recovering from having been closed a year. Complete attention will be paid towards our guests, their needs, and the quality of their trip. |
2011 Newsletter - page 2
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Sport Shows 2011 - Dates and Locations: Kansas City, MO - Jan 13-16 – Bartle Hall Indianapolis, IN – Jan 18 thru 22 – Indiana State Fairgrounds Oklahoma City, OK – Jan 28 thru Jan 30 – Cox Convention Ctr. Tulsa, OK – January 31 thru Feb 6 – QUIK Trips Expo Square St. Louis, MO – Feb 9 thru Feb 13 – America’s Center Tulsa, OK – Feb 18 thru Feb 20 – SPIRITBANK Event Center. SHOW SPECIAL – 10% discount on Plans 1 thru 3 if booked at show with paid deposit. A 5% show discount applies to bus trips. Bus Fishing Trips to Canada North LodgeOriginating from Oklahoma City, OK Two (2) Motorcoach Trips from this area for the 2011 season. · Originating in Oklahoma – serving Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, & Minnesota – I-44 to US route 71 to I-35 to US 53 then on to CNL. · Dates – · July 9th thru July 16th, 2011 · Departing Oklahoma City on Saturday morning, arriving at Canada North Lodge on Sunday, Fish Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu, Depart for home Friday, Arrive home on Saturday. · Fishing Dates – 4 day-5 night trip – Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu · For reservations or information please call or visit our web site at http://www.canada-north.com - Click on TRAVEL. · The package includes: fully modern accommodations at Canada North Lodge, transportation, meals, gas, boats and motors, one guide per two persons, daily maid service, conservation fishing license, fish filleting service, 2 motel layovers, and lots of fun. · Taxes, store bills & (minnows) bait are NOT INCLUDED · Overnight motel is based on two persons per room. Single occupancy if required will require an additional charge. Rate per person . . . $1770.00 Plan 1 w/guide service $1450.00 Plan 2 w/o guide service **New** Special Children Rates – 17 years of age or less – 2 full fare adults required. 25% discount – maximum 2-3 children – includes extra guide, boat, motor and gas. 35% discount – if child is 3rd person in party and 3rd person to boat and share motel accommodation in same room as adults. A trip from the St Louis area traveling the 1-57 and I-90 corridor thru Chicago, Madison, Wi is in the planning stage at this time and will be announced at a later date if decided upon. Call for information. We have provided these bus trips for over 20 years and have a long list of happy guests, for references please call. Ban On Hand-Held Devices in OntarioIt's now the law - the use of hand-held cell phones and other wireless devices while driving is prohibited in Ontario. The new distracted driving law makes it illegal for drivers to talk, text, type, dial or email using hand-held cell phones and other hand-held communications and entertainment devices. Hands-free use of these devices will still be permitted.
Canada Pleasure Craft Operators Card It is now required to have this card or the (equivalent from your state) if you are operating one of our boats or renting one of our boats. This card must be on your person while on the water and operating a boat. We encourage you to obtain this card prior to arriving and can be obtained by going to this web site www.boaterexam.com/ . If you arrive without one we will go thru what you need to know and issue you a Rental Boat Safety Checklist Certificate. Non-Residents do not require an operators card if they are using their own boat and are in the country for less than 45 consecutive days. If your stay is longer than 45 days, then you will be required to have this card. |
The Conservation Fishing Policy at CNL During 1989, The Lodge Owners for Wilderness Preservation initiated a Fishing Conservation Policy on our lakes which is known as the Woman River Chain of Lakes. Our goal was to release the larger breeding size fish, while allowing take home limits of quality size fillets. This program promotes natural reproduction and development of a trophy class fishery. Year 2011 - 21 years later and the program is a success story. The secret to sustained good fishing is the number of breeding fish available for reproduction each year. The larger the number of breeding fish the more fish you are going to have. Protecting the large fish promotes just such a condition. Our lakes are proof that these methods work. The policies that are in effect on our lakes are as follow:
Our goal is to provide each guest with an exceptional fishing trip that they will remember for years to come. As it has often been said, “memories are made of things like this”. These policies are in effect for all guests of Canada North Lodge whether staying at the main lodge or at the outpost. Confidence and Guide Service Confidence in one of your own known good fishing spots makes it easy for an angler to hold out, but it's difficult to have confidence when you don’t know a lake or only fish a lake a few days every year. The use of a knowledgeable and experienced guide can greatly increase confidence and improve your odds of success. The term "guide" gets thrown around quite loosely at times and some of our new guests arrive with more than a healthy bit of skepticism for the quality of the guide staff. Doubts quickly disappear when guests realize that our guides are experienced, work together as a team and are on the water almost every day of the season looking for new patterns, presentations and locations. First year guides should not be looked upon as questionable either as they go through an extensive proven training program with the older guiding staff not to mention that we hire them through fishery specialized colleges and have enjoyed fishing throughout their youth and know fishing and boat handling technique’s when we hire them. These so called first year guides often surpass the expectations of the guests and the older guiding staff with their abilities. The cumulative experience and knowledge of the guiding staff is another tool that consistently successful anglers use to improve their odds. The guides know where all of the good fishing spots and big ones were caught that season and the seasons before. Areas that attract trophy class fish at a specific time of year tend to draw big fish every year. Confidence based on the guide's knowledge and experience keeps anglers attention focused on a good fishing spot even when volume is down. Confidence in their abilities are further reaching than just fishing, they are unmatched when it comes to knowing the shore lunch spots, filleting your fish and preparing a delicious meal of freshly caught fish. Their ability to navigate the lakes and their knowledge of hazard spots is very important in a day of fishing. |
2011 Newsletter - page 3
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Fishing Regulation Limits and License Fee Ministry of Natural Resources – Size and Limit Regulations Walleye – Possession Limits – Opens 3rd Sat May 4 walleye possession limit - Regular license 2 walleye possession limit -Conservation license Northern Pike – Possession Limits – Open all year. 4 Northern possession limit – Regular license 2 Northern possession limit – Conservation license Lake Trout – Possession Limits – Jan 1 to Sept 30 2 Lake Trout possession limit – Regular license 1 Lake Trout possession limit – Conservation license
Non-Resident License Fees – Effective January 1, 2010 A Non Resident Temporary Outdoors Card is now required in addition to License Fee’s – Valid for 3 years - $9.00 Regular Seasonal Fishing License - $69.50 Conservation Seasonal Fishing License – $42.75 8-Day Regular Fishing License - $44.50 8-Day Conservation Fishing License - $25.75 Small Game Hunting License - $99.25 Moose Hunting License – 396.75 Bear Hunting License - $198.25 Your Outdoors card and Licenses must be on your person while fishing and hunting. License Prices are Quoted in Canadian Funds.
We have a safe water system!!! Everyone has heard and read media coverage about problems with water and water supplies. One of the most frequently asked questions is where do we obtain our water and is it safe to drink.
Canada North Lodge has a water treatment system that delivers safe drinking water to every water outlet throughout our resort. The water system includes water storage tanks, a chlorination system and three large filtration systems. The final filters are absolute filters, which remove everything, including Guardia and Crypto. The result is completely safe drinking water. Inside the lodge itself we take one additional step, we remove all the chlorine, providing excellent water for our dining room coffee and drinks, and a place for our guests to refill their water bottles for the day with plenty of pure, good tasting water.
But, there is always a downside to everything. The filters must be changed periodically and the largest problem is that we never know when the flow rates are going to decrease because the filters need changed. Occasionally this happens during peak water demand and we then have no choice except to shut down the water and change the filters. The maintenance is a very small price to pay for ensuring safe water.
Summer / Fall Bear Hunting Season The Ontario Bear Hunting season is August 15th of each year. We have found that the August dates present our hunters with excellent bear hunting which is as good or better than the past spring hunt. Some positive points about the summer/fall hunt are
We consider the time period between August 15th and Sept 7th to be the prime time for a successful hunt. Our bear population is excellent and has never been over hunted.
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Passports Now Required Passports are now required for anyone entering Canada or the US. Apply early. Your local post office can assist you or go online to www.usps.com/passport/welcome.htm
Anyone bringing underage children that are not their own must have on their possession their passports and written permission from the parents along with the parents address and contact information. Ontario Boating Liquor Law Ontario has very strict driving and drinking laws which apply to boating the same way as if you were driving your vehicle. Transportation to your outpost cabin is allowed providing all of it is sealed and not opened. Expensive tickets will apply if open liquor is found in a boat. In a nutshell here are the regulations. a) It is illegal to consume alcohol in a moving boat. b) It is illegal to consume alcohol in a boat unless it is also a residence. c) It is legal to carry alcohol on a boat as long as it is either sealed or stowed away in a closed container. d) It is illegal to operate a motor boat while impaired by alcohol. Federal criminal code penalties apply. e) Ontario Highway Traffic Act penalties for a federal conviction for operating a boat while impaired do not apply. We suggest leaving the alcohol on the bank not in the boat. __________________ Wanted: Area Sales Reps and Travel Agents. Interested? Please give us a call for information _________________________ Group Discounts for parties of 8 or more _____________________________ Late Summer Special August 10 thru August 30 15% off on Plans 1, 2, or 3 _____________________________ Sport Show Special 10% when booked at show with paid deposit. _____________________________ Life Jackets: Canadian Coast Guard regulations require that you must have one approved life jacket on board for each occupant of the boat. The life jackets must fit the person and be readily available. Even though the law states that they do not have to be worn we encourage everyone that does not swim or feels uncomfortable on the water to wear the life jackets. This is very important in the case of children. Boat cushions are not legal for life saving. If you have your own life jacket USCG approved life jackets are legal if you own them. Any color is acceptable provided it has the coast guard approved tag. We have ample life jackets to go around, but many guests prefer their own personal lifejacket. If so - bring it with you. Bear & Moose Hunting Information: Our brochure does not provide ample space to address all the information about these hunts. For complete information on these hunts please call 800-CNL-9812. We prefer to discuss these hunts personally with our hunters to ensure all their questions are answered properly. We have individual brochures about the bear and moose hunts and will forward them to you by mail or you can visit our web site and access them immediately. |
2011 Newsletter - page 4
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Trip Payment–Cash, Checks, Credit Cards
Cash or checks is our preferred method of payment
As a convenience and courtesy to our guests we accept Visa and MasterCard. We are now able to accept your credit cards in US funds without having to convert the amounts to Canadian Funds as we are allowed as a Canadian Merchant to have a Merchant Account for Visa and MasterCard with a US Bank. This is especially good news as the previous method was time consuming, confusing to our guests and often led to final charges being higher than the original amount.
Hunters must Register Firearms Canadian Law requires non-resident hunters entering Canada to register firearms. Complete information about the legislation and the registration forms can be obtained on the internet at http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca . Hunters at CNL do not be concerned. In brief here is what is needed and is easy to download and to complete.
A trigger lock must be used on each of your firearms and cased properly. |
Travel Information - Commercial Air For those of you that prefer to fly Commercial Air we suggest either International Falls, MN or Winnipeg, Manitoba. Distance from International Falls is 240 miles, a 4.5 hour drive Distance from Winnipeg to CNL is 320 miles, a 5.5 to 6 hour drive. By Vehicle – We are 240 miles north of International Falls, MN. We offer several maps on our web site which we encourage you to print. Go To: http://www.canada-north.com/travel.htm
Propane Cooking Stoves As owners of Canada North Lodge for the past 25 years, we have always known that forest fires present a very dangerous threat to our lake system, surrounding forests, and our business. The threat of forest fires is always in the back of our minds and we live in fear of their happening. It has always been known that forest fires are often started with “shore lunch fires.
“Propane cooking stoves” are in place at all shore lunch sites. We no longer allow open wood fires in any form. . guest or guide built . . the risk is not worth it.
Fishing tips that can apply to all months.
Woman Lake Outpost .The Woman Lake Outpost is located 15 miles north of our main lodge on a scenic point on Little Woman Lake and is accessible only by water. Little Woman Lake provides our guests with excellent fishing for walleye, northern pike and lake trout. To the north of the outpost is Big Woman Lake to the south is Big Bear and Middle Lake, all within 10 miles of the outpost.
The outpost has been completely remodeled, inside and out, is a very clean modern accommodation. Included are: kitchen cabinets, sink, thermostatically controlled propane heat, hot and cold running water, solar electric for interior lights, propane refrigerator, propane cooking stove w/oven, a bathroom with shower and vanity, cooking & eating utensils, and bunks with foam mattresses. You need to bring your own food, towels, personal items and bedroll.
Included are 16’ boats with Mercury 25hp motors and 5 gallons of gas per day per boat. The boats are kept at the lodge for your pickup and are very clean, dry, well maintained and comfortably fish 3 persons. The boats are complete with swivel seats, depth finders, paddles, life cushions, landing net and minnow bucket. Your trip to the outpost will be assisted by one of our guides. The return trip is not assisted.
The outpost is booked for 4 to 6 persons on a Saturday to Saturday basis, a full 7-day fishing trip, or any portion thereof. Other options available include guide service, additional boats, and evening meals booked at the main lodge. If you are looking for a housekeeping plan where you can do it yourself, have good fishing, and be in an isolated area, this is your chance.
For complete information about the Woman Lake Outpost - go to our web site at: http://www.canada-north.com
Wishing everyone a successful fishing year.
Merry Christmas & Happy New YeaR |
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Phone: 217-259-6101 |
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E-mail -getinfo@canada-north.com |
