It’s hard to believe that today marks the first day of spring as Northern Ontario is still blanketed by snow and temps remain below freezing. Nevertheless, this day always causes us to consider our upcoming season. While we loosely plan all winter long, today we begin to finalize and detail all we wish to accomplish in the short operating season we have. Our main goal is always to ensure our guests have a most successful wilderness vacation.
This blog post will give you a little glimpse of the special challenges and work that goes into successfully running a remote business.
On top of the regular and never-ending renovations of decks, flooring, dock repairs and more, last season we focused heavily on roofing and we will continue to do so over this season.
We will be upgrading our satellite television service this spring. We will be bringing in a new HD dish and a new 70″ HD television. We know you come to Mar Mac to enjoy the outdoors but many of our customers still like to know they’ll have access to those “can’t miss” sporting events and more. In the event of bad weather, the lounge is always a perfect place to hang out and now it will be even better!
One of the biggest challenges faced while running a remote operation is the transportation of necessities. This is especially true when it comes to building supplies! We try to keep our dollars in Northern Ontario and close to 100% of our purchasing is done in Sault Ste. Marie, Wawa and White River. Items we can’t source this “close” come from Sudbury or North Bay. The first hurdle is getting our fuel, food, building supplies, cleaning supplies, marine equipment, bait, parts, etc. to White River. From there we have to arrange for their transport by either train (thanks Via Rail!) or air to our dock. Many thanks to White River Air for ensuring not just our guests but also our supplies are delivered each week!
Our Northend Outpost is going to see some upgrades this season. We have replaced the dock and will be working on the cottage’s deck this year as well as adding a combination gas/electric refrigerator and a new generator. This will help those staying during those super hot summer days when a propane powered fridge struggles.
One thing that sets us apart from most other lodges is our boats. There will be 4 brand new hand-built 18 foot cedar strip boats going into the water this spring. Last year we converted half of the fleet from 20HP motors to 25HP motors. We plan to finish the conversion in the spring of 2020. There is no experience more enjoyably iconic than fishing from such a work of art. We are proud to support Giesler Boat Builders, a Northern Ontario company, and to use an environmentally friendly and safe vessel.
We are now officially counting down the days until we get back to the beauty that is Esnagi Lake. We look forward to seeing you there! As always, do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions!
