September 23, 2017 was the final day for us in camp. As we are loading the last Otter with the items that are necessary to take out of camp for the long, cold winter, our brains are busy wondering what we forgot to do, or take with us.
The water system has been turned off and drained, items that can’t be frozen are locked up in the root cellar, dried goods are placed in the cleaned-out freezers, the generator is shut down and prepped for startup come spring, and finally, the satellite phone has been turned off.
Close up is a culmination of a lot of planning and hard work by our dedicated staff who did the bulk of the work. Thanks to all of them!
We are grateful to our guests who return year after year and all the new faces that experienced Sabourin for the first time. Without you, none of the above work would need to be done.
Arriving on May 10th, the lake levels were lower than normal due to a smaller snow pack and no early spring rains. To access the floating docks, it was necessary to build a crib dock on the exposed shoreline to connect to the floating docks. During the rest of the season, even though we did get some rain, the water kept dropping. This made it difficult to get the boats into Musclow and Simeon, and extra caution was required navigating the rivers and lakes. With the dry season, forest fires to the South threatened us. We made evacuation plans in case it was needed, but thankfully enough rain came to dampen down the fire.
Prior to opening this year, we purchased a Kubota Tractor that would meet our needs. It was delivered to the floatplane base in Lac Du Bonnet, and dismantled to reduce the weight to 2500lbs. This was the weight that the charted helicopter could sling into camp. They dropped it onto the beach below cabin 6. When we went into camp, we brought the pieces like the front-end loader, fenders, seats, 3-point hitch, two rear tires and all the bolts to reassemble it. Colton led the reassembly with expert help from Roger and Cary.
During some slower times, we accomplished many improvements in camp. Our staff was happy to have a new bathroom facility completed at the lower end of camp. A Deutz generator was bought in to replace the old generator, which was 14 years old and had almost 38,000 hours of operation. More of the camp wiring was updated. David took on the project of completing the metal roofs on all the staff cabins and all the outbuildings. The lodge and cabin #7 were freshly painted. The water treatment and filtration system was further upgraded and the water line was improved and extended.
As many of you are aware, we had a major Jack Pine tree kill over the last three years. Not only were these dead trees unsightly, they also created hazards every time a storm brewed. One storm in June brought down about 20 trees, which thankfully, did not land on any people or cabins. Over the season, there was a concentrated effort to remove the dead trees and by year-end, the vast majority had been cut down. A wood chipper was purchased to assist in the cleanup. The woodchips will be used on the walkways to prevent sand erosion. Another use for all the felled trees was lumber. A new 24’ x 48’ maintenance building was built with lumber sawn on site.
The 2018 season will be one to celebrate: Sabourin Lake Lodge is turning 60 years old (it was built in 1958) and the Williams family has owned Sabourin for 50 years – since 1968! We are proud that the tradition of service and warm hospitality remains the foundation of Sabourin.
As we look to the future, we want to ensure that Sabourin continues to meet the needs of our guests.
We are hoping that you could help us by sharing any feedback you might have about what you love about Sabourin, and also where you would like to see any improvements made.
If you would take some time to respond to info@sabourinlake.com we would greatly appreciate it!
From all of us at Sabourin Lake Lodge, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a peaceful and healthy New Year!
Hope to see you in 2018!
Fred and Susan Penner & the Williams Family