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Our Lodge has been locally owned and operated since 1981. Since the construction of the first cabin many years prior, the lodge has been a family business and has remained that way since. As residents of the north, we find it important to keep working with local vendors as much as we can. Even through the construction of our main Lodge in 2000, we used local spruce groves from our site and worked with local architects and trades.
With our location in the centre of Tli Cho land, we strive to hire local and aboriginal staff to maintain and enhance our Dene cultural program. To maintain and enhance that program, we hire local and aboriginal staff. In our interpretive program included in every package, we also offer tours highlighting aspects of our Northern culture, with geological, historical and environmental information. This training is given to all our staff and presented to all guests who have the interest. We also take Northern issues at heart and for that reason we keep a full and eclectic northern library and have a daily interpretive program to inform our guests on our environment.
We also sponsor local charities by contributing gift certificates for their fundraisers. To bring Canadian and International culture to the North, for the last 18 years, we have been co-sponsoring the Banff Film Festival with a local sports outfitting store.
Our lodge is recognized as an environmentally friendly operation of northern Canada and our environmental program is a great pride for us. Since 1981, we have worked to conserve our land, water and natural resources. Our program includes the use of composting toilets to handle waste without any water, recycling and composting of all possible waste, use of phosphate-free and biodegradable products, and conservation of our energy, produced with a mix of solar panel energy, a large battery bank and highly efficient generators.
Our “catch and release” fishing program has also been our trademark for years and it is what has kept us operating for so long. Our lodge’s design is also made to remain in harmony with our environment. We have limited constructions and only use dead, fallen trees for heating. We strive to keep our site as close to its natural state and keep the local wildlife wild.
We try to use phosphate free products, to prevent growth of algae in our waterways. We maintain a greenhouse that produces fresh vegetables for our guests. We provide recycling bins in all cabins and Lodge rooms to encourage our guests to recycle. We encourage our guests to conserve energy and water by turning off the tap when washing, brushing their teeth and shaving. We encourage short showers.
We use high-efficiency appliances. Light bulbs are fluorescent, low wattage. We turn off lights and other electrical equipment when not in use. A hybrid power system, combining a large battery bank and efficient diesel generator, together with solar panels provides electricity.
We only serve fair-trade coffee to our guests. Also, our trading post sells 100% organic cotton apparel. Our menus are built to use as many local fish, meats and berries as possible. We purchase these products from small local operators. 95% of our purchasing of non-food supplies is done with local northern vendors. As part of the tourism community, we recommend locally operated B&B’s and hotels for in-town accommodation and local privately owned establishments for dining on nights prior or following their stay at the Lodge.
We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!
