HAY RIVER - Jean Carter and her late husband Merlyn, who founded Carter Air Services in Hay River and nearby Nonacho Lake Fishing Camp, were inducted into the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame in a ceremony held Thursday night in Ottawa.

Jean Carter, co-founder of Carter Air Service and Nonacho Lake Fishing Camp, was inducted into the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame along with her late husband, Merlyn, Thursday night. - photo courtesy of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada

Accompanied by her daughter Kandee and sons Myles and Dean, plus several other members of the Carter family, Jean represented one of five businesses from across Canada that were honoured with a National Award for Tourism Excellence by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), the national private-sector advocate for tourism.

The Carters are the first business owners in the NWT to receive an award from TIAC.

"My husband would be overwhelmed," said Jean, speaking by phone hours before the banquet.

"I think it would be hard for him to contain his feelings."

Merlyn travelled to Hay River from Meadow Lake, Sask., in 1952, starting the air service in 1952.

"We would get a lot of visitors driving up mainly from the United States wanting to go fishing," said Jean.

"My husband, being familiar with the lakes around Great Slave Lake, knew all the good spots to go to. So he would say, 'Yes, I can take you.'

"Of course, we didn't have any facilities, so he would just take a tent. We built our first cabin in 1967."

The site on Nonacho Lake grew to include five additional cabins, a storage shed, living quarters and a fishing store, with all of the building material flown in.

Jean, who continues to run the camp with her sons, is known to take people out on trips herself.

"A lot of guys will come up with their wives, but the wives often don't know how to fish, so they'll say, 'Jean, do you mind taking them out?'," Jean recalled.

"They're not only customers; we've become friends."

Kevin Desjardins, director of communication for TIAC, said nominees have to have served a minimum of 30 years in the tourism business plus a territorial or provincial award under their belts already.

Several months after Merlyn's death, the Carters were given the Mike Stillwell Lifetime Achievement Award by NWT Tourism.

"All people in the tourism industry, they really recognized that they were pioneers in seeing the North as a tourist destination," said Desjardins.

The Carters' induction drew similar praise from the legislative assembly last Monday.

"The Carters pioneered our fishing industry and Merlyn was mentor to many bush pilots who have gone on to great success," said Bob McLeod, minister of industry, tourism and investment.

"Exceptional service, leadership and integrity will always be associated with the Carter name here in the North."