2024 was such an amazing and exciting year for us despite that fact that it was full of speed bumps and barriers. Now that the holidays have passed we are taking some time for ourselves and have been reflecting on the past year and the journey we have been on. Our hope for 2024 was to make it through a year of lodge ownership and then sit down and figure out how to move forward with the wealth of knowledge we accumulated.
Although we did have some grand plans in mind for 2024 we were humbled quickly as we realized the non visible things were the things that needed updating the most. Which actually just meant ALOT of plumbing work. So much plumbing work. I have never been so thankful to have a husband with an expertise in plumbing. We replaced 7 toilets this year and some of the toilets had to have been 40 plus years old-crazy!
This summer we also updated some of the furniture and added 3 brand new BBQ's to the round up. We spent a large amount of time just clearing brush/debris from the island and creating better sight lines to the lake. We cut down all the dead trees and a few of the trees that seemed too risky to keep standing. The sheer volume of scrap metal, obsolete technology and garbage we removed from the island was properly astounding. The wifi network also got a big update which allowed people to have high speed internet from any corner of the island!
But lets go back to the beginning of the year! 2024 started off with a lack of good ice which was a scary place for us to be. We were heavily relying on winter bookings so it was extremely disheartening to push our bookings back until the end of January. To add salt to the wounds we ended with a short season because the ice just wasn't safe to continue operating. It was a nerve wracking few months as we made our way into the spring.
As we began our open water season we realized the boat we had been planning on using to pick up guests up was not working properly and not safe to be using. This created some logistical concerns that we were able to manage but it was certainly frustrating. Next year Rielly will be providing transportation to and from the island in his covered boat and we are so happy to have that option moving forward-no more wet luggage and supplies!
Again we have learned SO MUCH. We have learned that adaptability is key and that it is vital to be flexible with planning and operations. Many times we were left scrambling to fix problems or to find solutions. Without the ability to work so well together Rielly and I would have struggled in a major way. We are so thankful that we can communicate and function so well as a unit-teamwork makes the dreamwork!
In 2025 we hope to expand/update and offer some fun new activities. We are in discussions with some lovely folks about offering retreats, educational opportunities and hopefully some food offerings. Let us know if there is anything you would like to see happen over here on island 336! Womens fishing weekend? Wilderness first aid training? Campfire cooking lessons? Make sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.
We will also be adding more fishing charter options and water taxi's to the line up to diversify our offerings! Boat tours are also on our radar and would be a great opportunity for us to showcase the beauty and history of Temagami. It seems ambitous we know, but we are so passionate about the area and the lodge! In order to make all these ambitions come true we are looking for a couple of staff members for the 2025 open water season. In addition to helping out around the lodge we are looking for someone to help with property management work including landscaping/gardening, cleaning, handyman work and much more! This is a great opportunity to see the lake and gain a ton of valuable experience. Staff accommodations are available in case you are wondering.
If you have made it this far thank you! If you were a guest of ours we are so thankful for your patronage and support. The next blog post will be out at the end of January and we will be talking everything ice fishing so stay tuned. In the meantime make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and if you know anyone looking for some seasonal employment send them our way!
Thank you for choosing us to host your Temagami adventures,
Dom and Rielly
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