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Cabin owners reflect on first year Word of mouth gets message out about Captain's Cabins and Bridge-Less Lodging
Jeanne Gagnon
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, September 19, 2013
DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
The first year of operation of Captain's Cabins and Bridge-Less Lodging, a retirement project, was plenty of fun, although they did not make a large amount of money, according to one of the owners.
John Mikula, along with his wife Gina, own and operate the Captain's Cabins and Bridge-Less Lodging on the south shore of the Mackenzie River at the Deh Cho Bridge. - photo courtesy of Gina Mikula
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Gina and John Mikula opened the small business this past April, with three cabins and three rooms in a lodge house. The cabins' back doors open onto the Mackenzie River, where the Deh Cho Bridge can be seen through the trees.
Gina said they had fun operating the business while trying to save money.
"We didn't want to spend a lot of money because we couldn't really afford it, so we were more depending on word of mouth, " she said.
"So we weren't that busy,"
"It's really not to make a lot of money on the place, more to invite people from other places to come and see how beautiful it is up here."
The lodging was full one week in June because the hotel in Fort Providence could not accept any more guests, she added.
The business is located on the south side of the Deh Cho Bridge spanning the Mackenzie River.
The couple originally rented two houses when John was captain of the ferry across the river and she was the deckhand. They moved into the newer house, the bridge was built, and they cleared the land to build the cabins.
They wanted to stay in the area after they retired from the ferry, said Gina.
"We love the place," she said.
"We didn't want to leave, so we thought to have this little business to supplement our income so we would be able to stay here."
Named after time as captain of ferry
Part of the business name is to mark John's role as the captain of the Merv Hardie ferry, when the river was without a bridge, she added.
Captain's Cabins and Bridge-Less Lodging will be open next year, said Gina, and they expect more business as word spreads. Guests told them more shelving, hooks and a microwave oven in the cabins would be nice, she said.
"Everybody who came this summer really enjoyed the place," said Gina.
"I've got business from friends, people who stayed, and then they told their friends and their friends came to stay.
"It's word of mouth. It's more than making a lot of money at it."
Chief Lloyd Chicot of the Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation said they are encouraging small businesses in the region.
"There is a lot of people in the summer that come out, a lot of tourists ... so we encourage the members to participate in small business activities that would enhance that sort of activity," he said.
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