Your Hosts - Tim & Val Matheson

Kississing Lake

Tim and Val Matheson, both born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, have been year round residents in the Cold Lake/Sherridon area since 1991. They personally built Kenanow Lodge with much help from their friends and neighbors.

Tim guided for "the main competition", Kississing Lake Lodge, from 1991 to 1996, and previously part time in other parts of Manitoba for over twenty years. He left the employment of Kississing Lake Lodge in 1996, opting to go it on his own, feeling he could provide a higher quality, more personal service to visiting fishermen.

The Mathesons are deeply rooted in the community. Tim is chairperson of the Kississing Lake Management Committee, which regulates use of the lake. He has been a Northern Manitoba School Trustee for twelve years, a member of Sherridon Community Council for eight years, and on the board of directors of Northern Neighbors Foundation, which raises money for non-profit organizations in the community. Val has been the Community Administrator for Sherridon for twelve years, and is on the Northern Regional Health Board.

Accomodations
We can handle a pretty good crowd at Kenanow Lodge, up to 16 or 18 people, although usually we don't have a great many visitors at a time. Aside from the Main Lodge, where we live and meals are served we have:

The Bunkhouse, adjacent to Main Lodge, has seven bedrooms, two large common bathrooms, and a sitting area with a tv/vcr/dvd available. It can accomodate seven or more guests.

The Big Cabin, 30 yards from the Main Lodge, has three bedrooms, and two sleeping loft areas, two bathrooms, a large sitting area with a tv/vcr. It can accomodates up to twelve people.

The Small Cabin, also near the Main Lodge, currently under construction, is a four-man cabin with full bathroom and a small sitting area.

We also own a five room hotel on a smaller lake, a five minute drive away. Each room has its own bathroom. While not currently in use it is slated for renovation, and we plan for it to be operating by the end of summer in 2005.

Meals
Generally we will ask you the evening before what your group will want for breakfast. The normal choices are cold cereal, hot cereal, eggs, toast, pancakes, french toast, meats (ham, bacon, sausage), fruit, juices, coffee & tea.

Most guests choose an afternoon meal of Shore Lunch, but if you prefer we can make a brown bag lunch of sandwiches and whatever to bring out fishing with you.

In the evening you can count on a tasty meal with plenty to eat and drink. A typical dinner includes a well prepared meat dish (beef, chicken, pork) accompanied by vegetable side dishes (salads, soups, cooked vegetables, potatoes, rice, noodles, etc.), followed by dessert. Normally there will be iced tea and lemonade on the table, and coffee to follow. There generally won't be fish in an evening meal, unless specifically requested.

We will try hard to accomodate your group's dietary preferences and needs. If one or more of your group prefers or requires a vegetarian, low fat, low carb, low sugar, no pork, or whatever type of diet, let us know (preferably in advance of your coming) and we'll do everything we can to prepare your meals to what you want. We will do this on a group basis, and also do what we can within reason to accomodate individuals within the group with special needs.

General Policy
All of our plans include fishing, lodging & meals.

Fishing is based on at least two fishermen to a boat, with a guide. Depending on the specific number of people fishing, we have boats large enough to accomodate three fishermen plus their guide. If you have members of your party who don't wish to fish, or only want to fish on some days and not others, or other special requirements, please call us so we can consider your request and try to accomodate your needs to our mutual satisfaction.

We don't accomodate pets, so be sure to leave them at home.

When we quote you rates for fishing, meals and accomodations, aside from discretionary tips to the guides, we want those rates to be all inclusive. Unlike some lodges, we don't "nickle and dime" you with extra charges. Beverages included for free in our plans are coffee, iced tea, juices and lemonade at the lodge, and up to three canned/bottled sodas or beverages per day per guest. If you like to drink more canned and bottled beverages than that, we only charge you at our cost.

When we pick you up at the airport, we will ask you if you want to drink beer or wine at the lodge. If so we stop by a store on our way back, and you can purchase them in the brands and quantities you want. In this way we're not turning these beverages into a big money maker for the lodge, and you can get exactly what you want.

Some fishermen like to fish with frozen minnows, which can be effective bait jigging for walleye, and often attract northern pike. On your request we will include one tub of frozen minnows in each boat. If you want more than one tub brought along, let us know, and we will charge you only our cost in obtaining them.

The Kenanow Difference
We feel there is a significant difference between the experience we offer at Kenanow Lodge, compared with what other large lodges offer.

Some people prefer the larger, less personal, anonomous experience offered at large lodges. But the guests who come to us year after year do so because they've come to know us, and like us, and look forward to the close contact and friendliness of our place.

While we're certainly not as fancy as a big "five star" lodge, what we are is small and very personal. At a large lodge, you will generally see the owners or managers a little each day. Here you see us at every meal. If you want to socialize with us before or after dinner, you can, or if you prefer you can just hang out with your group back at your cabin.

We are far more flexible in accomodating your wishes and special needs than a large lodge generally can be. Because we usually have a smaller number of guests at any time than a large lodge, we can more easily adapt to what our guests want, in terms of wake up, fishing and meal times, and special dietary preferences.

Lastly, while most of our guests would rather stay with us even if costs were the same, our prices are generally lower than those paid at larger lodges, and include things that other lodges charge "extra" for.