Brian Whalley grew up spending summers at Browns’ Clearwater West Lodge, and it’s where he took his now-partner Aniela Hannaford on their first date. It’s a special place to them, so when the owners retired two years ago, Brian and Aniela took a leap of faith and bought the property. In this episode, the couple talks about the experience of taking over the lodge, how offering free accommodations to Ukrainian families was a win-win, and how every season is different and keeps them on their toes.

Aniela Hannaford and Brian Whalley are the Co-Owners of Browns’ Clearwater West Lodge. Check out their Facebook and Instagram accounts for photos, guest stories, packages, and availability.

Learn more about tourism investment opportunities in Northern Ontario at invest.destinationnorthernontario.ca. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

About the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast

If you came across a real estate listing for an affordable cottage resort deep in the boreal forest, would you be tempted to buy it?

If the answer is yes, then the Destination: Northern Ontario podcast is for you. By the end of this five-part series, you’ll learn everything you should know before buying or starting a tourism business in the north, and hear stories from people who’ve walked the path before and would do it all over again.

The podcast is hosted by Michelle Samson and produced for Destination Northern Ontario by Storied Places Media. Learn more about our podcast production services for economic development organizations at storiedplaces.ca.

It's a lot of hard work, you know, anybody interested in looking

at, a resort, it's a lifestyle.

You're gonna have your ups, you're gonna have your downs, but at the

end of the day, , it's all worth it

Hi, I'm Michelle Samson host of the destination Northern Ontario podcast.

This series is for the dreamers who want to start a new life somewhere

simpler, somewhere that for the price of a condo in downtown Toronto,

you could buy a cottage resort.

That would be your business and your home.

The trail to your new life isn't necessarily paved and easy, but it has

been walked before with great success.

In this episode, we meet another couple who changed their lives when they bought

a hunting lodge in Northwestern, Ontario.

My name's Aniela Hannaford and I'm co-owner of Browns Clearwater West Lodge.

I'm Brian Whalley and I'm also the co-owner with On

Browns Clearwater West Lodge.

Brown's is about three hours from thunder bay

and 45 minutes from Atikokan.

When they have cabins, 80 campsites and five outposts on area lakes.

Aniela and Brian bought this cottage resort two years ago.

They were rookies to the tourism industry, but had some experience

with the great outdoors and with this property in particular.

So I spent, uh, 24 years in the logging industry.

I was born in Atikokan born and raised, . So I spent.

, many, many summers at Clearwater and, and hunting and fishing,

you know, in surrounding areas.

I started working in the bush on weekends with my father when I was about 14, and,

uh, I grew up in the forest industry and in the trees, and enjoy it quite well.

I'm actually originally from Southern Ontario.

I was in Orillia.

my family, we spent a lot of time, , in the bush camping, fishing

and then at our extended family's farm in, in the Sunridge area.

So, , the outdoors was never far from my upbringing as well.

after college I moved around Canada.

A fair bit and then, uh, ended up here in Atikokan, , after I met Brian and, and we

settled down and, and started a family.

Prior to us purchasing Browns, I was in indigenous consultation

with the Met Nation of Ontario.

I worked with the LRC branch.

For a few years.

Um, and prior to that I was working at a mill in, Atikokan.

So my background is primarily environmental science and

I've , I've had one foot in environmental work my entire career.

and most of our, life outside of work was spent in the bush, either at a Bush

camp or , vacationing ourselves at Browns.

So this was a natural transition.

Six years ago, roughly, um, Aniela and I had had even looked into it.

Back then.

And, uh, I'm a firm believer that kind of everything happens for a

reason when it's ready to happen.

Brian says the timing wasn't right.

Six years ago, because their son had just been born and there were

still running a logging business.

But then Brian started seeing changes in the logging industry

that made him question.

If he still had a future in it.

At the same time, the previous owners of Browns are retiring and needed a buyer.

The stars had aligned.

To help them buy the property.

They reached out to the Atikokan economic development corporation.

We actually accessed support from our local, Economic Development

Corporation here in out Kogan.

they helped us get some initial funding and then from there we were able to work

with the vendor, to come to an agreement that worked well at the time for us.

And, we can't say enough about how much the, A A D C here in

outta Copen has supported us through, uh, the past two years.

they're only ever a.

Short phone call away and always there to, , provide suggestions, uh, be there

for us to bounce some ideas off of.

And, uh, always also there providing us extra information, um, about upcoming

grants and that type of thing as well.

So this was a property that you kind of had some experience with.

What was that transition like taking over?

I wanna say, because Brian had been in the area specifically

at Clearwater his entire life it, it was an easy transition.

It was the very first place that Brian took me, um, on quote unquote a date.

And we took snow machines up with his parents and um, and another

couple that are close friends of the family, um, up to White Otter Castle.

And then the next day we did a loop up to Ignace.

And from that moment on, we were always, with any spare time we had.

At the lodge, at the lake.

So for us, I wanna say it was a somewhat easy and natural transition in that we

already knew of the business extensively.

, there was some close family relationships between Barry Brown and,

his extended family and our family.

So, it was a really easy just step in and, and you're off to the races.

Um, there was a lot, but um, I think we were able to handle it a little bit better

in that we were already familiar with the operations overall of the resort.

And Yella and Brian didn't want to make a lot of changes.

They liked to the resort.

And so did a lot of its other longtime guests.

We're trying to keep it as much as browns as we can because that's,

what is known North America wide.

We've had guests all the way from Florida , know of Browns, so to go and

change the name on it, I think would be, would be a little bit hazardous.

Um, we are looking into the future to do a few things.

Upgrading some cabins and, infrastructure and, we built a new deck out

front and the, overhangs the bank.

Um, you know, eventually we're looking.

Extending it and making it bigger.

And, you know, it's a beautiful, beautiful deck to go and sit on in the

evenings and watch the sunset and listen to the kids playing down the beach.

And it's, it's actually quite a, quite a nice little place to sit at.

but it, it takes time we're going into our third season, so it'll take

a few years to really start noticing the big changes and, and upgrades.

Did you hold onto the pre-existing staff as well?

Some staff came on for the , first year, um, as many in the, resort industry

know staff turnover is, is substantial.

We had one staff come on for his first season, our first season, and he's coming

back for a third, so that's fantastic.

And what about the clients?

Are you getting a lot of the same clients as, , the previous owners?

Did?

I would say most of, , our guests are repeat.

Um, we have guests that are new last year and returning this year, we have

guests that were new in, 2021 and, and returning for their second season.

There's a natural ebb and flow of guests.

Some years it just doesn't work out , to come and visit us.

Other years, they're able to make it 10, 15, 20 years in a row.

So a lot of the guests are the same, but we have picked up

a lot of new guests as well.

, I think we're gonna see a lot more returning, um, American

friends come and visit us.

So there, there's a variety.

And, and yes, most of the guests have, have stuck with us.

And yellow and Brian bought the resort back in 2021.

When some pandemic restrictions were still in force, including

the Canada, us border closure.

As discussed in episode one, tourism businesses in the

Northwest region, like Browns.

I heavily rely on American tourists.

I asked whether they've bounced back now that the border is open again.

Our occupancy is, is strong, but it's,, not where we want it to be.

Speaking with other tourism operators, everyone's seeing the same thing.

A lot of the American guests that, aren't necessarily returning have found closer

resorts south of the border and are staying with those habits right now.

We're still significantly down in our American bookings and.

That I wanna say is across the board with, , most Tourism Outfitters.

We're all struggling to try to pull everyone back north of

the border, reassure everyone that the Covid rules have been

eliminated and it's travel as usual.

That's been the main question I've had and guests still think , that

there's restrictions and, different challenges in place to getting

up to their preferred resort.

Whereas, , as soon as we are, we're able to talk to them, we're able to explained

the travel process is, back to normal.

Hence your optimism about getting some of them back, eh.

Yes, it will take time.

Um, the, the drive will be to reengage those Americans and bring them back

And are you doing any, um, marketing or outreach to either

Americans or to Canadians to try and, um, fill up those vacancies?

we're members of a number of tourism, um, associations

throughout the northwest.

, superior country, sunset country.

, And we're trying to put all of our offerings out on Facebook as

much as possible and Instagram.

Um, and it's amazing how far that reach has spread over the past two years.

And how many bookings have come as a result of.

Before their occupancy started to recover.

Browns did have space.

At the same time, the news was full of stories about Ukrainian

families fleeing the war.

Brian and Anne Yella connected the dots.

It was just, uh, the human thing to do.

We have space, we have job opportunities.

, we were in a position where, We didn't have a full compliment

of staff going into last year.

So we, spoke as a family and we were in a position where we could

put some energy into fundraising.

For flights and other incidentals to be able to support as many,

uh, Ukrainian families as possible to come to the resort.

the first family arrived Easter last year.

they actually arrived in the biggest snowstorm of the year back in April when,

when we were shut down pretty much here from at Koen right through to Winnipeg.

Um, the roads were closed.

That's when they were to land, and then, actually two families arrived June

5th, and then we also supported another family with temporary accommodation and

, they since relocated, to Thunder Bay

With these work opportunities that , you offered them,

you've described it as a win-win.

I'd love to hear more about, the win on both sides.

Well, it's fairly obviously from a employer standpoint in that we

had, , staff for the season hardworking, reliable staff that wanted to stabilize

their family situation in a new country.

They were amazing team workers right from the start.

As for the wind side on them, because we did offer them free accommodations.

They were able to save for their first and last, they were able to start

their work history here in Canada.

We had volunteers set up too to help do things like bank accounts, social

insurance numbers doctor's appointments.

Shuttling them back and forth between Ada, Kogan and camp as

well as Thunder Bay and, and camp.

So they had an opportunity to slowly acclimatize themselves as well to

Canada, get an understanding of.

What documents and everything they needed to have \ , rather than just being thrown

in and having to figure it out themselves.

We kind of formed a, a bit of a family and even today, there was some

questions that they couldn't find answers to one of the families and, and

they're messaging me and, and we're in close contact on a daily basis still.

Um, generally speaking.

Once, twice a week , we're seeing one another and, and

trying to arrange a visit.

This winter's been a little bit busier than what we previously expected, and

we had hoped to be able to visit a lot more, but now we're getting back into

some, some more regular visits and our kids go over often and, and visit the

families and, and play with their kids.

And, um, it, now it's just extended family.

Oh, that's so beautiful.

, are any still with you on the resort or have they all moved on?

No, because we had to close the resort in the wintertime.

Everybody left in September, but at the same time, um, there was

employment opportunities that were coming up and available at Resolute

at the end of their term with Browns.

Are any of them coming back or are they, have they left the nest?

We have three of the four so far coming back to Browns

to work with us in the summer.

There'll be some different types of shift arrangements that we have to make in

order to coordinate their other schedule.

But, they're wanting to come back home as soon as they can, as well.

Did you notice how an yellow referred to Browns as home?

For their first year Aniela and Brian moved into the resort and live

there through the summer and winter.

But there was a complicating factor.

The kids went to school in Atikokan, a 45 minute drive away.

It made more sense to keep the kids in town during the school year.

So one week Aniela would be an Atikokan with the kids and the

next week it would be Brian.

I asked them if that was difficult to manage.

It was a lot, it was a lot for Anele and I to do, uh, physically and

just mentally, because when you're in town, you're thinking of everything that

needs to be done at the lake So it was , it was nice to be able to just, uh, up

the camp , and be home , with the kids.

And, and I know it was hard on the kids.

Our, our middle daughter, she had mentioned it a few times.

She She didn't wanna drive, you know, into Marin and,

this winter was a little bit different.

We closed and shut down , the end of October, I shut the generator off.

Everything was winterized.

I threw a lock across the, the doorway and you know, we had all

moved into town by the then and it was just the final closeup.

And, uh, we're just running the three outposts on the lake this winter.

And then from there, May 15th, we will be looking at starting the

power backup and getting everything back online to proceed with the.

Next summer.

Closing up the resort for the winter didn't mean Brian

kicked up his feet all season.

As many self-employed people do, he used the downtime to dabble in other work.

Ultimately logging industry sucked me back in and, I spent the

winter working in the logging industry.

What I've been doing is, I've worked in the bush for so many years.

, a lot of it with my father.

We knew a logging contractor that had a, a, a logging camp just across

the highway from Brown's Resort . So we brought my dad's big Bush trailer

over and that's where him and I have been working out of all winter.

I was only working till four o'clock, so that gave me lots of opportunities

that at the end of the day I could come back, throw my snowsuit on, go, just

hop over to the lodge, and I could grab a snow machine and I could go and check

on the outpost and make sure they're clean for the next group of guests

coming in and, and take some firewood over and, and just, just maintain 'em.

And, you know, solar panels, keeping them swept off and floor

swept and, you know, just present.

So Are you guys planning to grow the business?

What are your plans for the next few years?

We have a bit of a five year plan that Brian and

I have tossed back and forth.

, of course, the first few years we're still trying to get our footing.

Our first season.

The first time we were on the other side of the counter, um, and we warmed

up a little bit more last season.

You that many more experiences to, to draw upon.

This will be the first season that we have with no pandemic restrictions.

This, again, will be a new to us season.

I'm sure there's going to be some surprises and, some

excitement, just because of that.

For long-term plans, I think for the next couple years it's, it's

still, focus on some small changes that the guests will, appreciate.

Continue to get our footing and our heads wrapped around resort ownership.

And then from there, uh, probably at the five year mark, we'll be able to

start making some concrete plans for, for the future, for the business.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Are you taking advantage of any programs to help you get there?

We have some staff onboarding with us now, and actually to the

Economic Development Center in Atikokan.

Um, there's a, there's a wage subsidy program that we can

get some of the youth on.

So that's something that, uh, we've accessed.

But, but the awesome thing about that is that the youth also get, 20

hours of pre-employment training.

Um, so they're building their resumes so that they have, so, With them beyond

working at Browns and we are getting, financial support with being able to

employ local students for the season.

Over the course of their two year journey thus far and Yella and

Brian have had their share of ups and downs with owning a cottage resort.

Two years after buying the property, how are they feeling about their investment?

I personally wouldn't change it for the world.

Barry bought the place in 1978 and I believe the story goes as

my dad was out there in 1979 and has been there every year since.

And I was, you know, I was born in 82 and I, I've heard stories of driving the

old road before the 622 was even put in place and it was just a, an old bush trail

up to Browns that's as far as the road.

went You know, I've got so many memories remembering the changes that I've seen

go through that place, before the cabins were put in and, just the atmosphere

and, and everything like that.

So, to me, it's in me.

It's a lot of hard work, you know, anybody interested in looking

at, a resort, it's a lifestyle.

You're gonna have your ups, you're gonna have your downs, but at the end of the

day, , it's all worth it, you know, to, to see the smile on everybody's face and.

I think it was this first summer that we were there, the kids come there

and they got out of their trucks.

And the first round of campers, the kids just went running, yelling,

yelling and screaming and playing.

And I thought to myself, yeah, that is what it's about right there.

Big, thank you to Aniela Hannaford and Brian

Whalley for sharing your story.

For more information on their business.

Check out their website at brownsclearwaterlodge.com.

Next time on the destination, Northern Ontario podcast.

We'll share our third and final case study.

It's about a family of newcomers who had never even been to a cottage when

they bought their cottage resort.

Want to hear how that went follow us on apple or spotify to make sure you

don't miss it If you're enjoying this podcast consider leaving us a rating or

review we'd love to hear what you think

The destination northern ontario podcast is produced by storied

places media and hosted by me michelle samson thanks for listening