Folklorama, which celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2009, won in the Event of the Year category and was also a finalist in the category of Business of the Year (single unit). As the longest running multicultural festival in the world, Folklorama provides local cultural communities with the opportunity to showcase aspects of their culture to tourists from all over the world, while benefiting from the festival’s unique revenue sharing model.

Offering full-service non-consumptive wilderness adventures to see polar bears and their cubs in Wapusk National Park, Wat’Chee Lodge won in the Business of the Year (single unit) category. The experience at Wat’Chee Lodge, which is Aboriginal-owned and operated, is closely connected to the cultural traditions and values of the Hudson Bay Cree.

The other Manitoba finalist was the Clear Lake Golf Course, which was nominated in the Sustainable Tourism category. The Clear Lake Golf Course has been successful in shifting from a conventional waste-stream generating course to a model of sustainability, innovation and recycling. The public course located in Riding Mountain National Park is now over 85% organic and has adopted ecologically friendly maintenance and operations practices.

“High-caliber events and attractions like Folklorama, Wat’Chee Lodge and Clear Lake Golf Course reflect the importance of the cultures and environments that make Manitoba such a unique tourist destination,” said Hubert Mesman, Travel Manitoba’s President and CEO. “Taking top honours in a national competition demonstrates that Manitoba’s tourism attractions are nationally and internationally competitive when it comes to drawing visitors and exceeding their expectations. Congratulations to Folklorama and Wat’Chee Lodge.”

TIAC has been the national voice for those involved in the business of tourism since 1930. The organization identifies, promotes and supports policies and programs designed to benefit the industry’s growth and development. TIAC also lobbies legislators and regulators to support actions that enhance profitability, while removing barriers to growth.

The TIAC National Tourism Awards were developed in 2003 and are presented by The Globe and Mail. The awards were developed to recognize and foster Canadian tourism excellence and were presented during Canada’s Tourism Leadership Summit.

Travel Manitoba is a Crown Corporation under provincial legislation that leads and stimulates sustainable tourism growth in Manitoba’s $1.2 billion tourism industry.  In partnership with the tourism industry, the agency is responsible for tourism marketing, visitor information services, product development, research and public information.

Wat’Chee Lodge was recognized by Travel Manitoba and awarded the Aboriginal Tourism Award at the Manitoba Tourism Awards. Wat’Chee lodge was named a finalist in the Business of the Year category (single unit) in the Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s (TIAC) National Tourism Awards program.

Wat’Chee Lodge has long been a coveted secret of naturalists and wildlife photographers. Images and video taken at Wat’Chee Lodge have been seen around the world resulting in international exposure for Manitoba. Many pictures of polar bear cubs and mothers have been taken at Wat’Chee Lodge and are commonly seen in magazines, books, calendars, et cetera.

The Challenge

For Wat’Chee Lodge, with its operating permit from Parks Canada providing access to the polar bears denning area, the issue was how to grow from an operation that relied on one visitor at a time (mostly photographers) to an full-service non-consumptive operation that delivers not only dramatic, virtually guaranteed views of polar bears as well as opportunities to see aurora borealis, but an authentic northern experience based on aboriginal culture and traditions.

The Response and the Result

Wat’Chee Lodge provides a true northern experience, including immersion into the Aboriginal culture and virtually guaranteed exposure to polar bears. By limiting the time the lodge accepts guests to a timeframe that coincides with the highest probability of viewing polar bears, Wat’Chee Lodge can be confident it can deliver the experience the visitor is expecting. Taking into account the comfort and safety of their guests, Wat’Chee Lodge has made upgrades to its communications and transportation systems; old winter track vehicles have been replaced with 15-passenger 4×4 vans on tracks.

The development of Wat’Chee Lodge and its operating principles have been based on intensive and ongoing consultations with polar bear biologists and wildlife land managers with many years experience in the area. As well, the lodge was established after consultation with the Spence brothers’ father.

Wat’Chee Lodge respects the land and wildlife that surround it, in the tradition of the Aboriginal people. Land operations are conducted only in winter when the tundra is frozen and the vehicles used are designed to leave no tracks. Impact on wildlife is minimized by implementing a minimum viewing distance of 100 metres, ensuring the safety of both the guests and the animals.

Preservation of and learning about the Cree culture of Hudson Bay is engrained into the experience at Wat’Chee Lodge. Guests learn about the way of life of past generations on the ancestral trapline of the Spence family. Stories are shared so guests can see the land through the eyes of the storyteller. Guests are treated to northern cuisine of tea and bannock, caribou and arctic char.

Wat’Chee Lodge demonstrates the importance of valuing and respecting the resource on which the experience relies, the polar bears and their natural habitat, as integral to the lodge’s ongoing economic viability. The owners and staff at Wat’Chee Lodge are committed to their cultural traditions and to their community, helping to demonstrate and promote tourism as a viable economic opportunity for other members of their community.