BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO - Marilyn Croizier said her years spent as a nurse helped with turning Behchoko's Winter Hawk Bed and Breakfast into a comfortable place to stay.

James Wah-Shee and Marilyn Croizier are the owners of the recently-opened Winter Hawk Bed and Breakfast in Edzo. Croizier said her years as a nurse have helped her make the place comfortable for people who choose to stay there. - photo courtesy of George Bailey

"Making people comfortable and they have a good rest at night has been my thing," Croizier said. "Our beds are really comfortable here."

Along with her husband James Wha-Shee, the couple got a business licence last June and has put together a three bedroom bed and breakfast on the first floor of their newly-built home.

"We built a new house in Edzo and we thought finishing the first floor would be a good idea," she said. "We just thought there was a need for it. We thought there would be people looking for a peaceful place to stay.

"We thought it would be a probably be an intelligent way to make some money while providing a service."

Croizier said the goal was making guests feel like they're at home. She said there are a lot of people coming to town to work for a week at a time and because it's tough on them to travel Winter Hawk is the perfect place for those looking for a home away from home.

"It's a convenience for people being able to stay here," she said.

Croizier said they've got an open room that includes the living room and dining room, as well as a completely serviceable kitchen. the living room also has a glass door wood stove giving a natural heat and feel to the bed and breakfast.

"It's completely stocked, we've got a fridge, stove and microwave and full pots and pans," she said, adding she wants to add more to the kitchen since being surprised by how much some of the men staying there cook. "This way you can bring your food from Yellowknife or some from the Northern Store in Rae," she said.

Because there is only one restaurant located in Behchoko, some 15 minutes down the road from Edzo in Rae, offering a full service kitchen was the best option, said Croizier. A full range of breakfast goods and a variety of snacks are supplied for all guests.

Grammy-winning producer Randall Prescott, a veteran professional who has worked on albums for Susan Aglukark, Tom Jackson, Charlie Major and other big names in the industry, has spent a couple nights in Winter Hawk, making it his recording studio away from home.

"He says it's his Northern recording studio," she said. "He's been recording Tlicho music here and staying with us." Croizier said while things have been a bit slow going, she said one recent booking is a positive sign that the word is getting out.

"I got a call about a booking and they told me they were from Nova Scotia and I asked how they knew about us and they said we had been recommended," she said. "That's a great sign the word is getting out there."