Reflections on the Cedar Rapids Iowa Sportsman’s Show 2018

by Sophie Castonguay

It was our first time in Iowa. We drove 16 hours to get there and thought to ourselves... as if anyone this far away is going to know where Red Lake Ontario was. Boy, were we in for a surprise!

It was a joy to set up our brand new display at Hawkeye Downs Arena in Cedar Rapids. Standing at 20 feet long, our new backdrop, courtesy of the RED Grant, is big and beautiful! It showcases everything that is special about our community. The fishing , the aircrafts , the mining, the natural beauty, the Aboriginal culture, the openness of our community, etc... We were proud to host this beautiful booth!

The maps drew them in to our booth, the memories kept them grounded there. We were delighted to see that 90% of people that stopped by our booth knew where our region was! Many had memories of their father or grandfather coming up Hwy 105 fifteen to twenty years ago . Many have been coming up to Hwy 105 for 10 years + themselves. We also encountered many people who have been going to Perrault Falls or Ear Falls for years and years without driving that extra 45 minutes to get to Red Lake. We highly encouraged them to travel the extra miles to discover our vibrant community. 

Overall,  the Iowans we encountered had very positive, almost wistful memories of the Red Lake area. The nostalgia and longing for a return to simple, peaceful days spent in nature was the overall sentiment we took away from Americans in Iowa vis a vis our area of the world. They view Northwestern Ontario as a land of pure, crystal clear lakes, unpolluted air, peace and quiet.

Although many were interested in the fresh fish in our lakes, in particular in our trophy size Northern Pike and Muskie, many more said they couldn't care less about the fish, they only wanted to be surrounded in our untouched wilderness with the opportunity to photograph it. These nature lovers wanted the chance to escape in a canoe or be dropped off into a remote lake via our bush planes to absorb and relish every moment spent in the rejuvenating isolation that only nature can provide.

We were the only ones on Hwy 105 represented at the Cedar Rapids Sportsman's Show. For this reason, we felt it was very important that we were there to represent our members, promote them and spark a flame in people's spirit that will lead them down Hwy 105 in the near future. Iowans were very grateful to us for having made the long trek to Iowa to bring them news and hope for a peaceful and invigorating trip up Hwy 105 in the near future.