“Everyone knows each other. Everyone helps each other. It’s an amazing place”….

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On Friday, June 22nd, 2018, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kenny Humphrey and Bob Dacko, two retired police officers from Toronto who have been travelling with their friends to Old Mission Resort for 19 years. They come for the excellent fishing, great meals with their lifelong friends and for the calm of the lake. 

What would you say, in 19 years, would be some of your best memories here? 

Kenny: The buddies.  

Bob: The friendship. The neighbors. 

Kenny: We’ve known each other for over 30 years. 

Bob: A lot of the older people have moved away or passed on, but the old crew, beside us here, they’ve been here for… 40 years. It’s just a party. We book the same week as everyone else and you can’t beat that, it’s like a neighbourhood get together once a year. And you don’t want to miss that. 

What’s the biggest pickerel you’ve caught here? 

Bob: There’s a couple. On sunday, went out and one was 5.7 lbs, one was 5.4 lbs. Kenny got a 3.2 lbs.  

Kenny: Pulled a lot of fish out of this lake. And that’s not including the ones that got away. They really did get away, they really did! […] the pike, there’s big pike here, there’s some good size pike.  

When interviewing the duo, you can tell how calm they felt as we sat outside, looking out on the lake. Here are a few things they had to say about why they’ve come back every year since 1999. 

Bob: As soon as I get North of Barrie, all the stress level just comes down because the highway gets less travelled, less busy. And the further North you get, it’s almost like you’re in tranquillity, it’s such a peaceful way to be in. […] Everyone knows each other. Everyone helps each other. It’s an amazing place. I think it’s far superior than it is to a city. The people are so different here. They’re so kind.  

Kenny: We all worked together for years and we all retired together. We get away from the noise, from everything. 

Bob: The traffic. There are sometimes where you don’t want to go home. You do got responsibilities, but sometimes you want to spend a couple more days. But times up and you gotta go… We’re ready for next year.

BOB & KENNY, RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS

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“Pat and Don who run the resort treated me and the crew like gold from the start till the end of our shoot”.

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I had the pleasure of staying at Old Mission Resort in 2018 and had a fantastic fishing trip. We were shooting a Walleye episode for the Fish’n Canada Show and Temiskaming didn’t disappoint. From directly in front of the resort and all the way to New Liskeard (Temiskaming Shores), we caught fish at all stops. Pat and Don who run the resort treated me and the crew like gold from start till the end of our shoot. We ended the trip off with a fantastic Walleye fish fry on the waterfront side of our cottage… great finishing touch.

If you are looking for lots of fish catching moments and want to be treated fantastic, head to Old Mission Resort on Lake Temiskaming.

PETE BOWMAN, FISH’N CANADA SHOW

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“Old Mission Resort(…) is a little gem nestled in a beautiful natural  historic settlement,  on the shores of Lake Temiskaming”…

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Old Mission Resort:  I would say ….is a little gem nestled in a beautiful natural  historic settlement,  on the shores of lake Temiskaming, in North East Ontario. It welcomes a variety of groups of tourists .In the summer of 2018 they ventured into accommodating family groups.

My family and I had the privilege of being the first family to be gracefully hosted by a very special couple Pat and Don. One might ask: Why the Old Mission Resort?

After searching many other resorts in the area The Old Mission Resort was the one best suited for my family. I contacted  Patricia  to discuss the possibilities of organizing a reunion with 30 persons of all ages and coming from all over the country. I was searching for a rustic yet contemporary setting , where one can relax and enjoy the tranquility of the nature, be able to swim, canoe,  walk,  kayak, and cycle safely. Other priorities of the family were to be together in a natural  setting , and still have access to basic amenities:  a beach close by, with cottages camping sites and spaces for RV.

These hosts worked incessantly to  accommodate  us and organize every thing from  the sleeping logistic to the firepit! They converted a big chalet into a meeting lodge with extra tables and seating arrangements in the kitchen and living room where  people would meet, and share meals .The whole  living area  was carefully set up to entice us to a very cozy relaxing place to enjoy each other company.

For the people who wished to be outside most of the time to enjoy the fresh air breathtaking views and listen to  the murmurs of lake and the wild birds we benefited from a gazebo or the big covered tent Don had set up. 

Our last night at the resort was the most memorable one as we were honoured to have our host with us for dinner and we sat around the first camp fire of the summer

Our sincere thanks Patricia and Don  for this very fun filled holiday. Your devotion and great efforts into to making this reunion a great success were greatly appreciated!

LISE LAPOINTE, LAPOINTE FAMILY

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