Sturgeon Lake Heritage

Raised by Hand on Granite

Constructing Fishtaylz Camp was evolutionary, encompassing quite a few years of hard work. I was still working at the time we started construction and used most of my vacation in the ensuing years to finish it up.

Years in the Making

The Evolution of the Camp

YEARS 01-03 2007 thru 2009

YEAR 04 - 2010

YEAR 05 - 2011

Clearing the Beast

Getting 'er Up

Utilities and Parking Spaces

Clearing the land was certainly a chore. Son JR and buddies Larry, and Dennis were instrumental in getting
the property ready for the build. A worker from Mousseau's camp helped a bit, but it was mostly the three of us...and several chainsaws!

Every foundational beam, bag of concrete, tool and piece of lumber was barged across open water, hauled up the rock bluff, and notched into place by the builders, whose only job was to construct the shell of the cabin...and that they did in just under 4 weeks! The rest would be finished by me, my family and buddies. Cabin shell finished in July, first trip up in August to get the exterior stained and prepped for winter.

The cabin is up and it survived the winter! Now the work begins to finish it up. In the spring, Dick Mansfield barged over the new docks and put them together, Dennis oversaw installation of handrails and balusters on the deck, we brought the living room furniture in, and Larry and I wired the cabin for power...which worked perfectly. The fall trip saw JR and I open with some of the family coming up, we installed the propane system and built a temporary outdoor shower fueled by a 5 gallon pail of warm water! Kitchen cabinets were also brought up, but install had to wait until next year.

YEAR 06 - 2012

YEAR 07 - 2013

YEAR 08 - 2014

This spring, Larry, Dennis and I installed the kitchen & bath cabinets we brough up last fall - inside starting to look complete. Also brought beds to camp, installed the shower & water heater, and Dennis single-handedly installed the insulation in the main living area. Fall saw JR, Pat, Jen and Janalee up the first week to fish around. JR, Larry, Dennis and I then built the storage building and the dock crib, finished the interior siding, and installed the marine base station.

Cabinets, Communications & Cribs

Dents, Decks, Floors & Fire

Spring saw Janalee and I come up first to find our new storage building door with a dozen or so dents in it. Someone did their best, but failed, to get in. Discouraging. Anyway, the kids came up for week two and much fun as had. They were followed by Dennis and Larry - we built the deck connecting cabin to the storage bidg., built the ramp from the crib to the dock, got the hardwood floor and bedroom carpeting installed and began work on the stairs up from the dock. But what was to come when we went home was nothing less than heart-stopping with Janalee's cancer diagnosis. Larry and Dennis came up in the fall and torched the cutting pile (glad I wasn't there!), replaced the incinerating toilet, cut up a tree that had fallen, and closed camp for the year.

After major surgery and 6 months of chemo, Janalee was declared cancer-free! Off to the cabin. And yes, yet another storage building break n attempt! A few tables and lamps came up with us. Pat & Jen came for week two of fishing, and Dennis and Larry came for week three. Spring project was primarily building the staircase up from the dock to the deck. New dining table/chairs/bedroom furniture was on store for the fall, and Dennis was up with me to finish the staircase. I believe JR was up with us in the fall and he built the propane shed. A good friend from the church made a hat rack for me from deer antlers. Thanks Gordon!

Warm interior view of a hand-crafted off-grid log cabin living room showing exposed cedar rafters, a cast iron wood stove, and large windows looking onto pine trees

Off-Grid Resilience

Built to Weather Northern Winters

Every joint in the camp was engineered to endure heavy freeze cycles and northern gales. We chose local timber and heavy structural posts so the lodge would sit firmly against the shoreline for generations.

The cabin is entirely self-sufficient today. Power flows quietly from rooftop solar cells, while fresh lake water feeds filtered taps, preserving the pure silence of the Canadian woods.

Get in Touch

A Haven Carved from the Woods

The cabin stands as a testament to patience, hard work, and good company on Sturgeon Lake.