At Your Service
As a Scott Lake guest you are outnumbered: not including our guest service staff based in Rhinelander and Saskatoon, the staff/customer ratio on the island is better than 1:1. You will not be unattended. Every member of the shore staff team share the same goal, to ensure that your visit to Scott is the trip of a lifetime.
Each day, long before most guests wake up, the Scott Lake shore staff have been hard at work, readying the dining room for breakfast, squeezing fresh juices and prepping coffee pots for cabin delivery.The housekeeping team springs into action as the boats depart the docks, scrubbing, tidying and folding until late afternoon. The bartender, given some necessary provisions for beauty rest after a late bar shutdown, begins the day with a thorough lodge cleaning, setting dining room tables for dinner and, of course, restocking the bar. Maintenance crew are tending generators, satellite dishes and plumbing chores all before the first lure hits the water and well after the nightly photo gallery goes dark.
Congratulations on one of the finest staffs in the hospitality business. If you improve anything else nobody will ever leave.

Jason Hamilton
General Manager
Read More
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.

Danielle Grunberg
Assistant Manager
Read More
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.

Amelia Gunn
Hospitality Team
Read More
The things Amelia loves most in the world are people, food, and travel. That curiosity has led her across the world, from the Serengeti desert to Machu Picchu, meeting great people and learning about different cultures. Hospitality has always been the industry for her. It has allowed her to embrace the adventurous lifestyle and learning about her interests as a bonus. Growing up in Ontario, she received a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph in Hospitality and Tourism Management and from there she’s had the opportunity to work at some of the highest rated hotels and restaurants in the country. Currently, Amelia lives near White Fox, SK with her little family whom you may recognize around the island (both the tallest member of our team and the smallest), where we enjoy the Canadian wilderness and the occasional escape from winter. Amelia’s experience is showcased in the coordinating and training of the hospitality team.

Rachael Basler
Sous Chef
Read More
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.

Danielle Johnson Lazuruk
Massage Therapist
Read More
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.

Kailee Meakin
Hospitality
Read More
Kailee is joining the SLL team from Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she was born and raised. She is continuing her education with a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Manitoba. Her studies have taken her to Paris and London, and over to her favourite, The Netherlands. Kailee loves the outdoors and has been enjoying the lodge life for years. Her experiences have included working in Atikaki Provincial Park and Churchill, both in Manitoba and known for their breathtaking Canadian wilderness. Loving being immersed in nature, the island in the middle of Scott Lake is the perfect fit. Apart from school and the outdoors, you can find her beading, reading and surrounding herself with friends. She is no stranger to appreciating the sunsets and will be found on the Laker Lodge doing just that.

Benjamin Nagy
Cook
Read More
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.

Nikita Panousis
Hospitality
Read More
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!

Nigel Rivera
Head Chef
Read More
Nigel is a veteran of nearly 10 years and continues to showcase his creativity and consistency in the Scott kitchen. Nigel will have the grill and the smoker fired up, serving good ol’ traditional fishing lodge fare, meats to perfection and adding an Asian flair. Born in a small town in the Philippines, Nigel came to Toronto to join his parents there when he was twenty. After completing culinary training at George Brown College for Culinary Arts, one of the most distinguished culinary programs in Canada, he began plying his trade in Toronto restaurants, including the well-respected Gilead Café and Momofuku. He has recently moved to the West Coast to explore Vancouver Island’s cuisine style. Working right near the ocean, he has grown his talent with seafood. Besides cooking, Nigel loves music—he’s generally in charge of the kitchen ambience—and travel. He, to no surprise, has enjoyed the different foods of Southeast Asia, Japan and Australia. If you hear some big laughs coming from the kitchen door, it’s probably Nigel and the kitchen gang back together again.

Brenna Savery
Maintenance Team
Read More
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.

Jesse Sawchuk
Maintenance Team
Read More
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.

Kacie Taylor
Hospitality
Read More
Kacie Taylor, a local to Cedar, British Columbia (just south of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island), is joining our hospitality team. Kacie has worked on or around the West Coast of Canada, where she gained experience in tagging fish and working at an ocean fishing lodge. She has used her off-seasons to travel and has explored Iceland and Vietnam but has landed back on Vancouver Island where she is now calling Victoria home. Kacie’s positivity is infectious and her calling to nature will be sure to show. She has a love for hiking, being near the water and going for boat rides. She’s excited to see what the fishing is like in fresh water and is looking forward to sharing her stories of her big saltwater chinook!

Olivia Then
Hospitality
Read More
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 Turner
Cook
Read More
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!

Steve Yanish
Maintenance Team
Read More
In 2007, his first season guiding at Scott, the other guides noticed how careful Steve was around the rocky areas of the lake. Someone, probably Biff, said “it looked like he was driving through a school zone”. The nickname stuck, but Steve now knows the lake cold and keeps things moving. He always delivers in the fish department. Like most Scott guides, Steve’s outdoor life began early around his Crescent Lake, Saskatchewan home. As he recalls he was “constantly hunting and fishing”. Going into guiding was as natural to him as setting a hook. For six years he did the tough kind of guiding—extremely remote trips for sheep, caribou, grizzly, all the big stuff in the northern edge on the Yukon. Steve now runs a hunting outfitting business in a vast watershed in a remote corner of British Columbia. When the going gets tough, Steve is just getting started.