Maria Canton
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 09/99) - Surrounded by water on three sides, Blachford Lake Lodge is a multi-season, fly-in retreat about 95 kilometres (60 air miles) from Yellowknife.

Owned and operated by Mike Freeland since 1981, the retreat has recently acquired a new main lodge, which opened in June.

The lodge, built solely of spruce logs floated in from the area around the lake, adds to the existing five cabins by offering conference rooms, bathrooms with showers, five bedrooms, an outside jacuzzi, open decks and an aurora lounge for viewing the northern lights.

"We've already had more than six group meetings since June," says Freeland.

"Traditionally, we have between six and eight a year."

The new lodge is also attracting a greater southern clientele and will be a destination for the Japanese tourists in the winter.

"We've been working on the lodge for years now. About five years ago we started collecting the logs and cutting, peeling, stacking and drying them," he said.

About 90 per cent complete, the lodge was two years in the making, with the foundation laid in the fall and the majority of construction done over the following two springs.

Blachford has also changed their fishing policies this year to catch and release of all species -- except one or two small ones that may be kept for a shore lunch.

"We've changed to zero possession to conserve the fish stocks," says Freeland.

"The fishing is nowhere near where it was 15 years ago and this is one way that we can keep the fish and hopefully replenish them."

Bought in 1981 when only a trapper's cabin was on the land, Freeland now offers educational programs, through which high school students are eligible to receive credit, adventure programs and naturalist/cultural programs.

A full-time staff of a chef, lodge manager, housekeeper, mechanical person and guide are on-site.