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An aerial photo provides a clear view of the natural beauty that draws anglers and other guests to the lodge on Lake Nipigon.2 of 3
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Olga Jalkanen, right, and her husband, Art, along with Snoopy, in a photo from 1975 at their Royal Windsor Lodge.3 of 3
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An early 1970s postcard shows an aerial view of the resort on a bay of Lake Nipigon.You know the spots, the small mom-and-pop resorts with cabins near the water with lots of heart but not a lot of fancy stuff. The owner is a hands-on sort of person who treats you and other guests like you’re old friends.
These places provide the getaway basics many people pine for: solitude, breathtaking scenery and the intoxicating sound of waves licking at the shoreline, lulling you to sleep.
We talked with the owners of four of these comfortable-fit resorts that hug Lake Superior – or in one case, its biggest tributary – to find out what keeps their customers coming back and what might be the future for such welcoming and longtime icons of lakeshore vacations.
Within our region, we’ve chosen one spot from each state and the province to sample what’s happening around the Big Lake: Anderson’s North Shore Resort, just northeast of Grand Marais, Minnesota; Peterson’s Cottages and Vacation Homes, a little more than a mile west of Ontonagon, Michigan; Royal Windsor Lodge on Lake Nipigon, north of Nipigon, Ontario; and Superior Rentals, 2 miles south of Bayfield, Wisconsin. Read what each has to say about their resorts, past, present and future.
Royal Windsor Lodge, Nipigon, Ontario
Royal Windsor Lodge has old-fashioned housekeeping cabins and RV sites on big Lake Nipigon, about 75 miles (121 kilometres) northeast of Thunder Bay. The property holds a lot of history.
The original lodge and cabins were built by the Canadian National Railway as luxury accommodations for famous visitors. Back then, it was called Nipigon Lodge, says current resort owner Olga Jalkanen.
Under private ownership in the 1920s, it was renamed Royal Windsor Lodge to commemorate visits from Prince Arthur and Prince Edward (later the Duke of Windsor) in 1916 and 1919. A frequent guest was Dr. J.W. Cook, who in 1915 caught the then world-record 14.5-pound brook trout (called speckled trout in Canada) in the Nipigon River.
The lodge building burned around 1973, leaving only the stone chimney and the original cabins. In 1975, Art and Olga Jalkanen, local outfitters and expert anglers, bought it.
Since Art’s passing, Olga has continued to run the business.
Her job includes advice on how and where to catch the best fish.
In the summer, her guests are mostly American fishermen with some Canadian visitors. In the fall, groups of hunters come to Royal Windsor Lodge.
“It’s a beautiful location,” says Olga. “I’m on a point of land all by myself.”
Lake Nipigon is known for its great fishing – brook trout, walleye, perch, lake trout and northern pike – as well as its towering cliffs.
Many of the same people return to the resort year after year.
“It’s the location,” explains Olga. “You’ve got the highway behind you. … In front of you is Shadow Creek and the mountains. It’s nice and quiet. They come here to get away.”
Some are nostalgic to return. Recently Olga got a call from some folks in the States who were coming up for the first time in 25 years.
There’s no Internet service at Royal Windsor, but Olga notes, “I have TV in the rec center” where the men play cards when they’re not fishing.
Olga, who is 84, is “not in any hurry” to retire. “It’s too nice … all you have is the bay and the mountains.” And sometimes moose and eagles.
Royal Windsor Lodge, 30 miles north of Nipigon, Ontario, on Highway 11 at Orient Bay. 807-885-5291.