Lutsel K鈥檈 Dene First Nation鈥檚 Frontier Lodge has received the prestigious Tourism Operator of the Year award for 2023.
Representatives of the fishing lodge, situated on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake, accepted the award at the 2023 NWT Tourism conference, which ran from Nov. 6-8 in Yellowknife.
鈥淲e are very humbled and honoured by the recognition,鈥� said Saniz Catholique-Baton, a Lutsel K鈥檈 Dene First Nation member and president of the Frontier Lodge board. 鈥淐onnecting the community and culture, and maintaining the business through a pandemic and now wildfire evacuations has been a challenge, but through it all we continue to work towards the best future for our lodge and the North.鈥�
The Tourism Operator of the Year award is reserved for businesses that demonstrate 鈥渁ll-around excellence鈥� and 鈥渟trong growth and/or a record of success,鈥� according to the official nomination form. The distinction also recognizes businesses that show a 鈥渃ommitment to education and training鈥� and 鈥渃ommunity involvement and leadership.鈥�
Frontier Lodge made its mark in the latter category during this summer鈥檚 wildfires. With the tourism season cut short, the lodge donated its remaining food to residents of Lutsel K鈥檈, and helped maintain the food supply chain throughout the crisis.
鈥淲hen times get tough, you want to pull together and help each other,鈥� said Corey Myers, Frontier Lodge鈥檚 general manager. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a community-owned business. Yes, every decision we make is through the lens of the business and what鈥檚 best for the business, but it always comes back to what鈥檚 best for the community.
鈥淲hat was going on in the territory this summer was awful, and we wanted to help. We wanted to do what we could.鈥�
Frontier Lodge has been open to fishing enthusiasts for close to 60 years. It was purchased by Lutsel K鈥檈 in 2019, at which point an effort was made to deepen the lodge鈥檚 connection to the land and the Denesuline (or Chipewyan) people.
Those efforts have helped the site to become a hit among locals and travellers.
Less than 24 hours after the lodge announced its receipt of the Tourism Operator of the Year award on Facebook, dozens of people from the NWT and much farther afield chimed in with messages of appreciation.
Iris Catholique, manager at Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve, is one of many people in the area with immense appreciation for the lodge.
鈥淔rontier Lodge is located within Thaidene Nene, which has so much Denesuline history, so many stories and beautiful places,鈥� she said, adding that visitors often leave the lodge with 鈥済reat memories and long-lasting friendships.鈥�
鈥淚 would invite everyone to come and visit our piece of the world,鈥� she said.
Myers has seen and heard plenty of similar feedback since the lodge received the award, and he鈥檚 honoured that the business has endeared itself to so many, particularly after staff were forced to postpone and cancel many customers鈥� trips during the pandemic, and more recently, due to wildfires.
鈥淲e have a super loyal client base,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e over 80 per cent return clients, year over year, so it鈥檚 one big family.
鈥淪eeing the outpouring of support, it means a lot for me personally and for the business,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e humbled.鈥�
Winning NWT Tourism鈥檚 Operator of the Year award is certainly a cause for celebration for Lutsel K鈥檈 and the staff at the lodge, and Myers said it will serve as a source of motivation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 totally motivation,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a great team. This doesn鈥檛 happen without a great team, and that comes from community support, the hard work of our board and our staff.
鈥淸The staff] are the heart and soul of it, and they鈥檒l also tell you that I鈥檓 kind of never finished,鈥� he added, laughing. 鈥淚 always want to improve. We have pretty big aspirations. We want to grow this business and we want to expand what we do.鈥�
