Questions surrounding whether a decades-old fishing lodge on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake will be operational in time for opening season in June remain uncertain.
Trophy Lodge NWT, a long-established destination for open-water anglers at the former townsite of Fort Reliance, is currently awaiting the approval of a business licence, according to a notice on the lodge website.
Because the lodge operates within the Thaidene Nëné Park Reserve, it is required to obtain a business licence through the National Parks of Canada Business Regulations of the Canada National Parks Act.
“Bookings are on hold until Trophy Lodge receives a business licence for the Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve,” states the company website. “This is currently being worked on and our website will be updated when a business licence is issued. Until then we will not be accepting any bookings.”
Lodge owner Andrew Moore, who purchased it last year, told NNSL Media that he would not be commenting on the issue when reached by email on April 18. However, he admitted there were ‘difficulties’ he was facing in getting going this year.
“At the moment we would prefer not to openly (talk) about our difficulties as it is very sensitive in nature with some of the parties involved and we will be making further attempts to get it resolved,” he stated.
“When we feel the time is right to talk about it, we will be in touch and go from there.”
The lodge structure opened in 1927 as an RCMP detachment that monitored historic fur trapping. When the detachment closed in 1965, the property was purchased by the Finlayson family and converted into a fishing lodge. For decades the area has been a prime area for fish tourism due to its remote setting and access to Lake Trout, Arctic Grayling Northern Pike, Whitefish and Inconnu.
Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve was created in 2019 as part of the Thaidene Nene Indigenous Protected Area which also includes a territorial protected area and a territorial wildlife conservation.
The Thaidene Nëné Department of LKDFN referred all questions related to Trophy Lodge to Parks Canada as the federal body administers regulatory processes — including business licences — within the reserve portion of the broader IPA.
In addition to LKDFN, other Indigenous governments with cultural connection to the area include Yellowknives Dene First Nation and Deninu Kue First Nation.
Both Parks Canada and LKDFN Chief James Marlowe declined comment when reached last week.
Questions that NNSL Media posed to Parks Canada regarding whether a business licence had been denied by Parks Canada, when an application for a licence had been made, how the process differs for the lodge given that it is now located in the national park preserve, or whether the lodge would be operating this year went unanswered.
“Due to privacy concerns, Parks Canada cannot discuss the details of individual business license applications,” stated Sierra Stinson, Parks Canada spokesperson in an April 17 email.
She added that completing an application includes detailing “all proposed business activities and how their operation will limit impacts to the environment, cultural resources and the use and enjoyment of user groups, visitors, and other operators.”
Similarly, Marlowe said he wouldn’t be commenting until “the issue is resolved,” however what exactly that issue is remains unclear.
Spectacular NWT was still advertising the site as a destination for the summer of 2023 as of April 21 with a ‘7-day luxury lodge packages for $3699.’
Repeated attempts to reach Spectacular NWT to get clarity on the lodge’s status as a destination for tourists this summer have gone unanswered.