At Your Service

This all started with a complete infatuation with fishing and hunting. Growing up around Lake Superior there were many opportunities to chase trout and salmon which led me into the guiding world. I attended the University of Waterloo, graduating with an MS in Biology, specializing in polar bears. This led to an amazing job as a biologist in Canada’s high arctic, tagging walrus, whales and doing some pretty wild fieldwork. But the outfitting world pulled me back, I took a guiding job at Scott, and quickly moved into the office: this will be my 9th year as GM and I love every minute of it. Most importantly, the people I get to spend my summers with, the guests and staff, are simply amazing. In between seasons I live in White Fox, SK with my wife and lab, fishing, waterfowling and adventuring around the world.

This is Dani’s 11th season at the lodge. Dani works alongside Jason in the (new!) office as the Assistant Manager. She will be overseeing the kitchen and hospitality staff and will be handling some of the behind-the-scenes planning and organizing. Coming from Southern Ontario, she attended the University of Guelph and has continued to take courses related to her interests: wine, yoga and nutrition. Dani has travelled often, exploring places like Indonesia, Central America and Alaska. It has also taken her to work and volunteer in places like Nicaragua, Peru and New Zealand. She has now landed herself in White Fox, SK, alongside some of the other SLL staff. You can find her there teaching yoga, cross country skiing, hiking with the dog, or keeping up with the hospitality industry. She is looking forward to seeing both returning guests and meeting new ones. Her decade at SLL has made it feel just like home.

In her fourth season at Scott, Rachael knows her way around kitchens. Her culinary training began with a two-year program at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario, her hometown. From there, she worked at a classy golf resort in Muskoka, Ontario in that province’s storied lake country. She has travelled throughout Central and South America in the last few years, improving her Spanish and taste for a variety of food. She now lives off-season in Victoria, British Columbia where she takes classes at an art school there. Landscape oil painting is her current artistic interest and there is lots of opportunity to find subject matter around Scott Lake. Since she has never lived far from water, she enjoys life on an island where water is never more than a hundred yards away.

We will be welcoming Danielle to the lodge as the Registered Massage Therapist this summer. Danielle grew up in the farm/ranch world and is no stranger to the outdoor lifestyle. Her family having owned a hunting camp in rural Manitoba, she brings a lot of her own experience to Scott Lake. Danielle took her education for massage in Winnipeg, where she has recently moved back to with her partner and two cats. She will be offering deep tissue and relaxation massage in our Stone Haven Spa. Her experience working in other resorts and having her own practice has given her the opportunity to expand her knowledge and techniques. She has a love for hiking, crafting and the occasional cold plunge! When asked about what she is most excited for, it’s the peacefulness that comes so deep in nature. She’s got that right. 

A Whitby, ON, transport now living in Kelowna, BC, Benjamin transitioned from marketing to following a passion for cooking. He brings attention to visual detail and client experience from his time at Ryerson University in Toronto. As a landscape artist, stargazer and nature enthusiast, the answer was an absolute yes when presented with the opportunity to travel up north. He spends his free time creating art, listening to heavy metal and playing guitar in the company of his cat. Benjamin hopes to catch a fish that rivals Ogopogo of the Okanagan. Oh, we think he will.

You’ll recognize this happy face this year as Nikita joins the team once again. When reflecting on one of her highlights in 2022, it was catching a big Northern Pike with Ledoux and Nigel. It was one of many moments like this that hooked Nikita on the Canadian North. She fell in love with fishing over the last couple of years as she moved to B.C and spent time on the lake learning the basics. Her Greek heritage has significant influence over her life having grown up in her family’s Greek restaurant in Edmonton. Hospitality comes second nature to her. She has a love for spanakopita, karaoke, hula hooping, and meditation. She loves the outdoors and is always up for a spontaneous adventure. She is heading back to her second home this fall; Nelson, British Columbia to start the Massage Therapy program. One place you’ll see Nikita will be making her favourite drink, an old fashioned, at both of our bars this summer. Be sure to say hello and order one of these specials! 

Another Whitby, Ontario native, Brenna and Dani Grunberg were childhood friends. So, it’s not surprising that Dani recruited Brenna to join the Scott Lake Hospitality Team in 2015. Making the transition last year, you can now find her with that same bright smile working with the Maintenance Crew. Her well-versed skills comes from the variety of courses she has taken in Ontario and British Columbia. She gained a diploma in Recreation and Leisure Services as well as attending Art School, where she discovered her love for oil painting. When asked what her favourite fishing memory has been, it was catching Coho Salmon that was perfect enough to be called “sushi grade”. Brenna has joined the White Fox crew in Saskatchewan where she has been enjoying the frosty winters and focusing on her painting career. 

You may recognize the last name of Maintenance member Jesse Sawchuk. He joined his brother Dawson in 2022 and is coming back for his second year to continue his hard work around the island. Growing up in the Canadian prairies, he is no stranger to the outdoors. Currently living around Yorkton (Saskatchewan), he is spending his off-season going on camping and hiking trips in Western Canada. Jesse is an avid outdoorsman and has been hunting and fishing from the time that he could pull his boots on. Focusing on being a true tradesman, he has experience in the fields of commercial construction, civil engineering and occupational health and safety. With everything Jesse has to offer, it’s made him the right choice for a team that has such an array of responsibilities that makes this island community run smoothly. From cabin upkeep to making sure the planes are filled with fuel, you may not necessarily see Jesse, but you can be certain he is working to ensure all of the lodge facilities are tip top.

Another member of the hospitality team coming from the beautiful British Columbia, Olivia is excited to meet all of the wonderful guests and to explore this part of Canada. She might just fall in love, just as we all have. Olivia is from a small town in northern BC where the name of the game was hiking, skiing and fishing. She grew up on a farm next to the Bulkley river, which is where she has some of her favourite memories of fishing and the outdoors. Olivia moved to Vancouver Island 9 years ago and has come to appreciate how much exploring there is to do. One of her favourite pastimes is to pack up the Truck with a rooftop tent and go get lost on the back roads. Not being a stranger to the end of the road and remote areas, Olivia will be right at home in this small village we call Scott Lake Lodge. 

Chris, like many of our staff, was born somewhere that sparked his love for the outdoors. Originally from Williams Lake, BC, his family moved to Kelowna when he was young. If you haven’t checked out this area before, you should! True to his Canadian roots, Chris has always played and refereed ice hockey in the winter. In the summers, he took up sailing, where he also coached others in the sport. Aside from these, he is passionate about history and aviation. He’s looking forward to those float planes at our docks. Chris entered the cooking world at the age of 20 at Earls restaurant where he has gained a vast amount of knowledge in the industry. From breakfasts to main meals, he is ready for the SLL cuisine!