Monday, November 24, 2014

Winter is Here: Outdoor Activities to Thrill All


Winter has set its snowy blanket over Red Lake and area. Although we have not been hit hard with crazy amounts of snow like Boston, there is no denying that winter is here to stay. Of course, that doesn't mean that the fun is over in Red Lake... There are plenty of outdoor activities calling to you to keep busy, active and energized this winter.

Five Lakes Lodge offers
 a complete ice fishing pkg
Ice Fishing

We are proud of our many lakes in the area that are teaming with fish. Don't let winter stop you from going out there and catching the big one. Some people claim that winter is actually the best time to fish in the area! Whether you are looking for trophy lake trout, whitefish, northern pike or walleye, you can find them by dropping your fishing line down the ice hole.

Imagine seeing your tip up flag popping up when a fish strikes your bait, the excitement of running to your ice hole and reeling in the big one. Some say it's like the fish are swimming in a barrel up here!

Many people set up portable or stationary ice huts that protect them from the wind and cold and improve the ice fishing experience substantially. If you don't have such a hut or don't want to fly or drive it to Red Lake, plenty of  resorts in the area offer ice fishing packages that are sure to give you the experience of a lifetime.

Rent a cabin or go with a full American Plan and walk out from the lodge to your ice hole or snowmobile out to a rented heated ice fishing shack. Then, get ready because it won't take long for your line to get a strike!


Snowmobiling

If snowmobiling is more your speed, there are many miles of groomed trails in the Red Lake region. Welcome to our winter wonderland... The Trailmasters Club grooms our trails all winter long and keeps them in good condition. They also host a snow poker derby every year. Red Lake can be accessed off the A trail between Dryden and Sioux Lookout on the L301. Read more about snowmachining in Red Lake on the Northern Ontario Travel Website here.

For very interesting accounts of snowmobiling and winter life in the area, head on over to Viking Outpost's blog. You're sure to be riveted by the tales, videos and photos, I know I was!

Cross Country Skiing

We are fortunate to have an active x-country skiing club in Red Lake that maintains trails in the area. Whether you decide to ski to and on McKenzie Island's 30 km of trails, on the 4 km loop at the golf course or go for a short loop on your lunch break at Centennial Park, the Red Lake Cross Country Ski Club relies on membership fees to cover the costs associated with trail maintenance and grooming. Head on over to their website for lots more information on trails, how to become a member of this volunteer based organization and check out their programs. Special events such as moon skis transform the cold winter into a magical wonderland.

So come see us this winter, come join in the winter fun and be rewarded with rosy cheeks, a healthy glow and memories that will last a lifetime!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Fall in Red Lake & Perrault Falls: Savoring the Season

Summer seemed to fly by! Don't you think?
Fall is already here and with it the first frost of the year this morning as captured by Howey |Bay Resort  on their very active Facebook page in this picture...
Check out their website to see more of the beauty of Red Lake.

The salt bins and the shovels are already coming out of hiding and although we undoubtedly still have nice days ahead, the inevitable winter is just around the corner...


Mike Yutzy and Ron Larson working hard at Viking 
How are our members dealing with the change of season? After a busy summer of flying guests in and out of fishing resorts and camps, some of our members are now cleaning up their camps, repairing and making improvements to docks and buildings and winterizing their lodges. Viking Outposts recently re-roofed their lodge and are now preparing for moose hunting. Read more about their excellent packages on their website.

 .

27 inch fish caught by Jeremy
Most camps are still going strong this autumn and welcoming guests for fall fishing and hunting.


At Loon Haunt Outposts, they have great Walleye fishing in |September. The action is fast and furious, seeing many fish over 20 inches. Most of the action is at 21 feet deep and below their waterfalls. Check out more info about what's been going on this fall at Loon Haunt Outposts on the News of their website.





Bob Snow enjoying fall fishing at Golden Hook
Other camp operators like Golden Hook Camp still have their cabins all full and guests are enjoying great fishing on Gullrock Lake. From their Facebook Page: "Survived another change over and waiting for a couple more cabins of guests to show up. Camp is full of repeat guests that have made their second trip for the season. We are having cooler temps, but sounds like lot of people are having cooler temps then normal."


Sleepy Dog Cabins in Perrault Falls is still hosting guests this September and one of them caught a rare type of fish this fall. This fish is a trophy Red Horse Sucker that was caught on Wabaskang Lake this year. How thrilling must that have been for this fisherman! Read more about the fun guests are having at Sleepy Dog on their Facebook page.


Whatever you're doing this fall, hope you get to enjoy the beauty of nature in Red Lake, Perrault Falls and Ear Falls before our lakes and forests go to sleep for the winter... 

Here's a beautiful sunset captured by Grace Kearny at Sandy Beach Lodge on Trout Lake. Check out more Northwestern Beauty on the Sandy Beach Lodge website here or on their Facebook Page.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Summer: In Full Swing

We are in the full swing of summer here in Red Lake and looking forward to an event packed next few months! Although there has been more rain than usual this year, everything is green, growing well and we have a low forest fire risk at the moment so that's good! Here are some highlights as to what's been going on and what's to come this summer in Red Lake...

Transition Red Lake

Red Lake Municipality Community Gardens: 
Community gardens dot Red Lake and the surrounding communities of Cochenour and Balmertown. These gardens are growing very well this year and providing fresh veggies and greens to local gardeners. For only $25, gardeners can rent a plot to grow vegetables for the summer. The friendships that grow along with the plants are what really make these community gardens stand out and the knowledge passed down from member to member is what makes the gardens so valuable.

Red Lake Farmer's Markets:
We are blessed in Red Lake this year to have 3 sources of fresh fruit and vegetables coming at us from the Northwestern farmers of Ontario & Manitoba. Every second Friday beginning July 11th there is a Fruit truck offering quality fruit and vegetables starting at 10am at the Howey Bay Motel. Every Tuesday starting July 22 until October, there is a fresh vegetable trailer from Manitoba that will be offering a wide variety of veggies in Balmertown at Diane's Gas Bar. Every Saturday starting at 10am, there is a market in downtown Red Lake at the Legion where local vendors can set up and sell their baking, plants, crafts and wares. As of the beginning of August until October the Northwestern Ontario Farmers will be attending once a month at the Legion and will help create  a much larger market for the shopping pleasure of all in attendance.


Norseman Movie Night:
This Friday, July 18 2014 kicks off the annual Norseman Festival with a Family Movie Night at Centennial Park.Grab a blanket and a chair and come check out the Lego Movie under the stars. It all starts at 9:30pm and admission is by donation. Sponsored by Rubicon Minerals.

Norseman Rocks the Runway:
Saturday July 19 is the festival at the airport. This fun packed day for aviation lovers and music lovers will include an aviation memorabilia exhibit and a static aircraft display at the airport including a Harvard II, a CL-415 Water Bomber as well as a variety of other activities. In the evening, starting at 7pm, it's the annual Rock the Runway Concert; this year featuring the country sounds of Manitoba artist Nelson Little and Band. Get more info about this event here: Info Rock the Runway

Norseman Festival Weekend
July 25-27 is the traditional Norseman Festival in downtown Red Lake which made its debut in 1992. This year, the Festival weekend kicks off with the annual slow pitch tournament and an outdoor Beer Garden.

On Saturday, downtown Red Lake will be transformed into a festival area. Howey Street will be closed off and taken over by a mix of vendors, buskers and entertainers as well as games, contests, inflatable activity centres and the festival's signature Norseman Express children's ride. Norsemans and other floatplanes will be on display at the docks, Norseman rides will be available at bargain prices and a mixture of fly by and float planes will add lots of atmosphere to this aviation festival. In the evening, Much Music will set up for a Family Street Dance and at nightfall, fireworks over Howey Bay will crown the festival.

Sunday will be more relaxed with a brunch, downtown activities and the Slow pitch tournament finals closing off the festival. Get all the scoop on this event here: Info Norseman Festival

Coming in August....

Pilot Training:
As of mid August, the Huron Flight Centre will be starting pilot training at the Red Lake Airport. Whether you want to obtain a recreational license, a float rating, a private license or a commercial license, Jason Brent, the chief flight instructor will be offering training in Red lake in 2 week period increments. For more information and to sign up for this training, you can call the Canadian Aeronautical Flight College at 519-542-6599 or go to www.huronflightcentre.com

Golf Tournaments & Horse Races:
There is lots going on this summer at the Red Lake Golf Course. On Fridays there is horse racing and weekends bring many tournaments and special events. For the full schedule, go see their website here: Red Lake Golf Course

Fishing Tournament:
The Red Lake Fall Classic is a popular walleye fishing tournament in Red Lake and it is already sold out for participation in the tournament. You can certainly attend the Red Lake Fall Classic on August 30 & 31st and participate in themany fun activities surrounding the tournament. Get all the information here: Red Lake Fall Classic Fishing Tournament

Red Lake Entertainment:
As of early August, tickets will be on sale for the Red Lake Wildnerness Entertainment Series which features concerts starting in September. This year the series presents awesome performers such as The Corb Lund Band, John Mann, Ken Lavigne, Chantal Kreviazuk and more! Get more Info here: http://www.redlakewes.com/

I could go on.....but I think I'll leave it at that for now...
As you can see, there is lots of action going on in Red Lake this summer and we hope to see you having fun with us here. For an up to date list of all the activites going on in Red Lake, check out this calendar of events on the My Red Lake Website Calendar of Events











Monday, May 19, 2014

Scenes & Observations of a Freshly Sprung Spring

Northern Harrier at Airport
Just last month it was very hard to believe that all that snow would ever go away! The winters are very long here in Northwestern Ontario- from November to early May. Actually, we are still getting temperatures dipping below 0 degrees Celsius on some nights but overall, the temperature is quite pleasant now. The highest temperature we have hit so far this year in 2014 is +17 degrees so that is definitely enough to warm up our chilled bones!

Great Horned Owl 
The spring birds have returned and are such a pleasure to listen to, especially in the early morning and at dusk. Many types of birds that we don't usually see here are stopping by to pay us a visit.

The grass is starting to turn green and perennial flowers & grasses are sprouting everywhere! It's such a good feeling to have things growing again. Speaking of growing...

What a pleasure it is to walk into the greenhouse at Chukuni Campground and breathe in the sweet fragrance of blooms everywhere. It's amazing how many different types of annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables are ready to be planted everywhere in Red Lake and surrounding communities. So exciting to pay a visit to Carol and her daughter Andrea who have worked so hard to fill the 3 greenhouses for the pleasure of local customers. Of course Ralph, Carol's husband is the one who kept the place warm to allow the plants to grow to this peak. They are open 7 days a week until 5:30pm until the end of June.


The deer are back! On a recent trip to Kenora, we spotted at least 15! They are wide awake now and back to grazing in fields and backyards. We saw 5 deer in one person's lawn right next to the Tim Horton's in Kenora!We also saw a couple moose, a few fox and a rabbit. Nature is alive and well and excited to get on with the spring/ summer season.

Andrea Fischer of Chukuni Greenhouses is also an
impressive fisherwoman!
The May Long weekend that just passed was also an important event that marks the beginning of spring around here. Although bays and some sections of larger lakes are still pretty much frozen except for the edges, most small lakes, creeks and rivers are free of ice now and ready for fishing.


The highway was teeming with trucks pulling boats, campers and 4-wheelers.  Where were they all going? Fishing of course....and camping. Anything to be outdoors again, after being trapped indoors for so many cold months. Cheers to Spring 2014& all the upcoming fun, relaxing, exciting and warm moments spent outdoors and on the water with family & friends!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Spring: Is it Ever Coming?

from the Rainbow Point Lodge blog
We've had a LOT of snow this winter! More snow than we've had in years according to locals...although according to weather statistics accumulated so far, snowfall amount for 2014 is average.

That doesn't change the fact that there was a lot of snow and it's unfortunately not quite over yet... The weather network is still predicting more snow for the weekend :(

The question on everyone's mind now is: Will the ice be gone off Red Lake to let anglers enjoy the May Long Weekend fishing for walleye? With fishing season opening soon on May 17, 2014, less than a month away, it's natural to wonder if the ice will be off the lakes in time for fishing... Our local newspaper The Northern Sun is even having a little contest to see who can guess when the ice will go out this year.

Here are some opinions from local member camp owners taken from around the interweb ...

"Predictions of ice-out are notoriously fickle. The only thing we can say for certain is ice-out won't be early. At best it will be on time, and most people would probably bet it will be late."

Read the rest of this post on the blog here: Bow Narrows Camp Blog
Dan Baughman, Bow Narrows Camp



Rainbow Point Lodge
"Lakes are all very slushy. Too much snow on the ice, weighing it down, and pushing the water up. The ice augers for fishermen are to the max depth with extensions... that means 5+ feet of ice!"

Read the rest of this post on their blog here: Rainbow Point Lodge Blog
Bob & Gale, Rainbow Point Lodge

Golden Hook Camp
"Don't be alarmed with all the snow & ice. This is insulation, under the snow is bad ice... I can tell it's going to be fishing at its best in 2014!...the later the ice goes out the better the fishing."
Scott & Machelle, Golden Hook Camp on Facebook

"There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon for NW Ontario as temperatures look to finally start creeping above the freezing mark. These warmer temperatures will ensure a massive amount of snow melt and should create high waters for fishermen this spring. "

Read the rest of this post on their blog here: Big Hook News & Fishing
Nathan, Big Hook Wilderness Camp

Pakwash Lake Camp

Pakwash Lake Camp is having their own contest where you can enter the date you think the ice will go out. Winner gets their choice of hat from the camp's stock.

Enter the contest on the Let's Go Fishing Pakwash Lake Blog
Kim, Pakwash Lake Camp


Gwyneth, Enid & family are still enjoying winter activities despite the long winter. " The soft ride over a blanket of fluffy snow is gone, replaced by a rougher ride over slush and ruts. Luckily today, 3 inches of new snow softened it all up. Just a great day for a rip down Red Lake. I just love this time of year! The bush around us is waking up and the season is almost here."

Read the rest of this post on their blog here: Vicking Island Outpost Blog
Enid, Viking Island & Outposts

Deb & Paul are also enjoying winter activities in their back 40 and appreciating the signs of spring coming. "Debbie and I went for a morning snowshoe in the back forty. A lot nicer than in camp a few weeks back. We weren't busting through the crust with every step! Spring is on the way!"

Deb & Paul, Woman River Camp on Facebook









    

Monday, March 3, 2014

Local Heroes in the News

Cold, long & dreary as the winter may be here in NorthWestern Ontario, these past few weeks have been filled with excitement, pride and honor for our little community!

It all started with the Sochi Olympics 2014 where local figure skater Eric Radford competed in the pairs and team events. Canada won a historic silver medal in the first ever Olympic figure skating team event. Eric and his partner Meagan Duhamel performed a dazzling pairs performance, a season's best and second place points. which helped their team win a silver medal. They also skated a short program where they were the highest ranking Canadians and placed fifth overall. Eric Radford had actually composed the routine's music in honor of his long-time coach Paul Wirtz and "enjoyed every minute" of their short program experience.

Eric, born and raised in Balmertown, Ontario visited and toured our community this week and was greeted warmly by his adoring fans and supporters. The mayor of Red Lake, Phil Vinet, even declared February 28 as Eric Radford day! Eric toured the schools, the mine and even took the ice with local figure skaters.

In other news, local aerobatic pilot Pete McLeod took his first podium win March 1st in Abu Dhabi's Red Bull Air Races. They called him red hot as he finished 3rd place and won a spectacular three-way battle for the victory in the blue skies of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Zooming all across the world, Pete McLeod of Red Lake has made history by becoming the youngest pilot and first Canadian ever to compete in the elite Red Bull Air Race World Championship. He is described at impressively smooth and precise in his flying and his personality makes him a favourite wherever he competes. Here's to hoping we get to see him fly over Rahill Beach this summer!