Up And Running

by Jason Hamilton, General Manager

Update from the Island

It was a quiet winter according to the local trappers around Scott Lake, with hardly any caribou hunting traffic. The local community members south of the lodge hunt the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou herds on the southern end of their migration from the Barren Lands. This year these herds stayed far north of Scott.

A total of four turbo Otter loads of metal roofing and materials, ranging from fly reels to plywood, were moved into camp. The aching backs of the winter work crew can attest that all 8000 pounds of those supplies made it in. These winter trips are greatly anticipated and appreciated, the silence and beauty of the far north in winter are stunning and always justify the hardship. But there is no shortage of work to be done immediately upon arrival, since all systems shut down and covered in feet of snow. After much effort breaking trails, shoveling, removing bear boards and the inevitable mechanic work, most basic systems were up and running on the first day.  While we had two full seasons to work tirelessly on the place, the job is never complete (it is a small city) and we refuse to rest on our laurels. The goal is to provide the best lodge fishing experience in North America, and we will continue to do everything in our considerable, collective powers to make this goal a reality for our guests. The summer of 2022 is coming: we will be ready and waiting!

As the calendar pages keep flipping at an alarming rate, we find ourselves already in mid-April, with less than 60 days until the first anglers of 2022 will step off the floatplanes onto our brand new docks! The excitement in our team over these long-awaited first steps is nearing fever-pitch. So many preparations and details in every department: from centerpieces to fuel filters and everything in between… we are on it.

We do have a few items to ask of you, our first guests post-pandemic, to be prepared for your Scott Lake Lodge adventure.

Arrival in Edmonton

There is a lot to be excited about: a new season, a new departure city. While there are few direct flights from the US to Edmonton, the good news is that almost every major US city flies direct into Calgary, and there are several daily flights between Calgary and Edmonton.

While travel is slowly returning to normal, we strongly recommend arriving the day before your Lodge arrival date to relax and explore Edmonton as an added protection against any unforeseen travel delays. We don’t want you to miss a single cast of your trip.

While we are excited about exploring a new city, one thing we will all miss is the smiling face of Donna Hill, our expert Saskatoon concierge.  As a consolation, our recommended Edmonton hotel, the Edmonton Renaissance, is conveniently located right at the airport.  Also there is a free shuttle service from the airport to our charter provider, North Cariboo Air, where the welcoming smiles of Paulette, Karye and Janice will ensure a personalized customer service experience for all of our Lodge guests.

Review all the reminders, including travel links and important info, in our Guest Portal.  

So, You’re Saying There is Still Hope to Come to Scott?

You bet!  But definitely hurry and reach out to Jon Wimpney, our Sales Manager and long-time Scott guide. Jon will get you on the cancellation list, ready for any spots that open up.

We have had a few openings in recent weeks and they are typically filled within the same day.  Make sure to touch base so we can do our best to get you to Scott in 2022.  Give Jon a call at (306) 209-7150 or send him an email.  

In Just 100 Days

by Tom Klein, Managing Partner

The State of the Lodge

In terms of the lodge infrastructure, things could not look better; we certainly did not waste our opportunity to make improvements while the sun was shining over the last two Covid summers. The list of enhanced and new structures on the island is way too long to list here. Since we love surprises, we’ll just allow the island to do the talking. Suffice to say that the place will be ready for Prime Time on June 9 when our first group lands on Scott Lake. Since the last customer left in September of 12019, there have been many positive changes. We welcome a new float plane operator, Wings Over Kississing, with a large fleet of Beavers and Otters and many decades of experience flying the far north, to the Scott Lake Team. And we welcome a new charter operator, North Cariboo Air out of Edmonton, Alberta, our new hub. North Cariboo also offers a wealth of experience in the north and have the perfect planes for the two-hour 500-mile flight from Edmonton to Stony Rapids– beautiful Dash 8-300s, a wonderful upgrade in comfort and convenience compared to our prior charter aircraft. North Cariboo also will be providing a spacious and very pleasant lounge in their terminal, just a mile from the Edmonton Airport Main Terminal, for your pre-flight relaxation.

Covid Update

Well, there isn’t any big news yet, but by the time our season rolls around we are expecting a relaxation of current requirements. At this time visitors are still required to have been fully vaccinated (but not boosted) and present a negative test for entry into the country. BUT RECENTLY CANADA HAS AUTHORIZED AN OPTION OF A 24-HOUR RAPID ANITIGEN TEST INSTEAD OF THE 72-HOUR PCR TEST. This will be a very helpful change for our guests. Also, you will need to download and fill out the ArriveCan prior to your flight. There will be additional information on Covid requirements as we get closer to the season. Recently Saskatchewan has dropped all Covid regulations which will allow life in the lodge to be just like it’s always been, in a word–wonderful. Our team is committed to enhanced cleaning procedures and any appropriate precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip north. We will monitor and report any new developments as they happen.

Getting to Edmonton

Another major change, and yes very positive, is our move to Edmonton, a city five times as large as Saskatoon with a significantly larger airport and many times more flights. At this writing flights are still not back to pre-Covid levels of flights, but we’re getting close. Currently, you can fly non-stop to Edmonton on United from Denver; on Air Canada from San Francisco, and on Alaska Airlines from Seattle. We expect that a non-stop from Minneapolis on Delta will be added within the next two months. Even without these direct flights, it’s an easy city to get to. Multiple US airlines fly into Calgary, Alberta and there are 22 daily flights from Calgary to Edmonton. We strongly encourage arriving the day before your Lodge arrival date.  It is cheap insurance in case of any delays. Check out our recommendations – there is a lot to see and do in the Edmonton area.

Pre-Trip Information

Now is the time to get excited! Book your flights, buy that new lucky lure or tie some new flies. Your trip is coming up and we need some info from you. Please take a moment to fill out the Pre-Trip Planner in our Guest Portal. We appreciate your help in getting everything ready for your arrival.

Last Chance

While the place is full, this season has seen more cancellations and date movements than a typical year. Many of our 2022 guests booked way back in 2019 so some changes are expected.

Make sure you give our Sales Manager and guide extraordinaire, Jon Wimpney, a call at 306/209-7150 or email. He can definitely get you on the list in case one of those coveted spots become available.