Terry & Tami Kaliska   

            Two young kids moved into the Canadian wilderness with a dream.......it became Wawang Lake Resort

     Sometimes it's even hard for me to comprehend what we were thinking of as  we decided to follow our dream to build........Wawang Lake Resort back in 1985.  We had already enjoyed Wawang Lake and everything the area had to offer since 1969, but now decided to enter into a venture,  that for us, would last a lifetime.   

     I came from the city, bright lights and modern conveniences and Terry came from the wilderness, a "do the best with what you got" kind of person. The very fact that Terry and I had such different upbringings gave us the ingredients to create a place that would be enjoyable for all types of people.  Terry's rugged and backwoods ways, and, my understanding the need for modern conveniences made the perfect blend in the outcome.

Today, I chuckle when I think about how our friends and family must have  thought we had gone completely out of our minds.  To literally establish a business in the middle of nowhere was almost unheard of and to be quite frank if I saw anyone attempting this today I would feel the same.  However, we were in God's Country as many have called it,  and we wanted to share this wonderful place with others.  I just hoped that God would look in on us from time to time, and as it turned out He did!

 
                    
            We actually carved our resort out of the bush.  Blood, sweat, tears, frustration and absolutely no money.  Trees felled, land cleared and back then it was all done by hand.  I can't even begin to count the logs and limbs we had to pile, and, the piles of brush were as big as houses.  After that is was a matter of what do we build first.  Like I said we had very little money, and, financial institutions didn't  want to back our crazy idea.  So instead, Terry went to work for the local logging company.  He worked 18 hour days, while  I would be clearing more land, or, prepare one thing or another for when he got back home.  Day by day we worked towards our dream.  I remember several years later while working at a sports show a gentleman approached me and said he stopped in at our place one day.  "I knew you guys would do it", he said excitedly.  He told his friend that was standing beside him that he had stopped by our place one day many years ago.  I was peeling logs and Terry was felling and hauling trees.  He said to his traveling companion:  "See those two there, they're going to make it.   

We first started a little bait shop store with the idea that it would fund our venture, and soon found that many fishermen came from all around to purchase our commodities:  live bait, tackle and ice.  There were times when we would run out of bait and I would tell people to just let me know were they would be camping and we would bring the bait to them.  We became quite popular delivering bait in the woods and many of those customers still visit us today.

 The next project was the campground and we developed 30 sites.  However this proved to be very challenging.  Trees in a forest rely on each other for support, and when strong  winds began blowing some trees started falling.  For years each spring we'd be picking up more logs and limbs and pied more brush.  It was a little set back but eventually the trees that remained rooted themselves firmly until we had very little cleanup when spring would come around.  

The next building that was a must was a shower house.  People came from all over to shower.  It was the door that encouraged more woman to visit this wonderful area.  Because we're remote we have so many people that ask if we have indoor plumbing.  My answer  is:  "We're female friendly!"  Meaning:  indoor plumbing and flush toilets.  

            After a few year we then decided the store was just  too small and began working on the lodge.  The lodge consists of:  a store; dining room; kitchen; office; bait room and various other storage rooms.  It's 104' long and 24' wide and after a few outbuildings were erected such as fish cleaning station, shower house, outhouses, ice-house, generator building and various other storage buildings, then came the cabins and dock.  Roofs, windows, electrical and plumbing; it was all done by us.  I've seen Terry scratch his head a few times wondering how to improvise while fixing something.  He always made it work.....somehow.  A Jack-of-all-trades that's what Terry is, but more importantly he's a McGyver and can solve almost any problem.  Terry not only worked for the logging company, but is also a bush pilot, fur trapper, hunter and all round seasoned outdoorsman. 

            We dug water lines, power lines, and propane line trenches.  We made picnic tables and stained and painted.  I dug the well house and as well "witched for water" and as Terry says:  "I knew I was living with a witch!".  As our clientele grew so did our friendships with guests that helped make Wawang Lake Resort what she is today .....and our dream a reality. 

     So, now we both look back on the years and years of hard work and realize nothing comes easy.  Our challenges were met and difficult times were overcome.  We are here today and blessed with many guests, friends and family that visit us annually, and, we're reminded of just how fortunate we really are when each year they come to visit!  

So come join our family and become          
           part of the dream…..Tami  &  Terry