We would like to thank all of our guests who return year after year and all the new faces that joined us for the first time in 2018. Sabourin Lake Lodge is a special place to be experienced to understand the unique wonder and beauty that it embodies.
UNESCO World Heritage Announcement
As of July 1, 2018, Sabourin Lake Lodge is now located inside Canada’s newest World Heritage Site that was designated by UNESCO.
Pimachiowin Aki, which is Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) for “the land that gives life,” is Canada’s first mixed World Heritage property. Blending both natural and cultural heritage values, this large intact boreal forest ecosystem under Indigenous stewardship, is an exceptional example of the indivisibility of the natural environment and the cultural identity and traditions of Indigenous peoples.
The site comprises the traditional lands of four Anishinaabe communities – Poplar River, Bloodvein River, Pauingassi and Little Grand Rapids First Nations – as well as adjacent protected areas, including Atikaki and South Atikaki Provincial Parks in Manitoba, and Woodland Caribou Provincial Park and Eagle-Snowshoe Conservation Reserve in Ontario.
Catch & Release Trophy Report
Sabourin Lake Lodge is conscious of the responsibility in preserving the beauty of the area as well as the incredible fishing we have on the Bloodvein River and our 5 lakes. We are very proud of the nearly 20 years of conservation fishing we have practiced. By implementing catch and release and only eating fish at shore lunch, we have guaranteed the quality of the fishing for generations to come.
Triple Crown pins were awarded to 59 guests this season. This is given to anglers who catch and release trophy sized fish in three different species. We will also be adding ten more names to the Grand Slam Award. These ten anglers caught and released trophy fish in 4 of the 5 species at Sabourin - Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout and Perch. Congratulations to all!
A Season to Remember
Our 2018 Season will be one to remember! Forest fires were burning in many regions right across Canada including our own. We are beyond thankful that Sabourin Lodge was completely spared. Record low water levels, little to no rainfall and incredible lightening storms, made for an unfortunate recipe for fire.
The low water level had us extend the docks by 32 feet to prevent the planes from grounding as they came to load/unload at the docks. Without a doubt, Sabourin has not experienced such low water in anyone’s memory.
On the afternoon and evening of July 15th, we were treated to an amazing display of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) water bombers landing right in front of the lodge and dropping their loads on the fire burning across the lake.
On July 18th, we were put on standby to evacuate. By 6:00 PM, an MNR helicopter landed on the front rock and for the first time in our history, we evacuated the camp. Our charter company from Lac Du Bonnet, Adventure Air, immediately sent in caravans to take out guests and staff. Superior Air from Red Lake came in to take out guests departing their way.
For fire protection, a 10-person crew from the MNR and 9 of our staff installed sprinklers on the buildings, docks, and fuel stashes. 9 fire pumps and thousands of feet of fire hose was operating to protect our property and buildings. Over the next 10 days, as directed by Kent Fraser - Acting Superintendent of the Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, the MNR flew in daily to gas the pumps and check on the situation.
We cannot give enough thanks to the MNR on how the fires were handled. They staffed a camp of fire fighters and helicopters across the lake, monitored the fires in the area with a helicopter and kept us updated of the situation with daily reports.
We greatly appreciate our guest and staff’s understanding during this difficult time.
Fred returned to camp on July 28th and guests flew in on August 1st. We were all anxious to see for ourselves how the fire had affected the area. Thankfully, the lodge was completely untouched, and we were all amazed to see that although some areas had burned, the vast majority had not. It is an interesting juxtaposition to see how the fires burn some areas but leave other areas alone.
Fires provide a service to the lifecycle of the forest. Fire accelerates the decomposition of organic material, returning nutrients to the soil; it also helps evergreen cones to open and jack pine seeds to germinate. Within a few weeks, we were able to see regrowth occurring and look forward to seeing the forest recover and regenerate in the future.
Around Camp
We completed the new tiled bathrooms in Cabin #7 and have had rave reviews on the project. We are looking forward to making similar changes to our other cabins over the next few years.
2 new boats and 4 Motors were flown in by helicopter to add to our fleet.
We’d love to see you next season!
We will open from May 18th through September 15th, 2019.
For Rates, availability and to book your next fishing adventure, please contact Fred and Susan Penner at:
1-888-722-6874 or email us at: info@sabourinlake.com
We would like to thank all our guests and staff for making 2018 a great and memorable year.
We wish everyone all the delights of the season and hope to see you next year.
Best wishes,
Fred and Susan Penner and The Williams family
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