Chute Lake Lodge in Naramata has been around for about a century and was starting to show its age.
But, thanks to some new owners and a lot of work, the historic lodge stands proud again.
”I grew up in Penticton and I spent a lot of time up here camping as a kid,” said Lyndie Hill, one of the new owners of Chute Lake Lodge.
Along with her husband Mike Hill, the two entrepreneurs run an excursion company in Penticton called Hoodoo Adventures.
“We were bringing cyclists up here all the time and we were seeing it slowly fall down, just with the age of the previous owners,” Hill said. “It just had so much potential, so we wanted to do something and not see the community lose such a huge asset.”
The history of the property dates back to the early 1900s.
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“There was originally a sawmill here. This is the halfway point on the Kettle Valley Railway between Kelowna and Penticton,” Hill said. “So this was the mainstay for the workers building the railway.”
After the purchase went through in October of 2018, the couple had a lot to do, including hiring a husband-and-wife team to manage the property.
“We took a power sander to every bit of wood you can see,” said lodge manager Darcie Johnson. “There were four layers of carpet. We ripped those out and brought in some new furniture.”
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A new bar was installed in the main lodge, as well as a brand new commercial kitchen.
“We’re going to have a seasonal rotating menu,” Johnson said. “Lots of hardy food that fills you up and sticks to your ribs.”
There are eight cabins on the property. Six of them have been renovated so far.
“We have put in new beds, cozy duvets, new windows, new doors,” Johnson said. “A lot of these cabins have over a 100 years of history.
“So we tried to keep that history while also refurbishing and cleaning them up.”
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Another big project: the old museum, which was severely damaged in a snowstorm two seasons ago.
“A lot of people who come here have a history, a connection to Chute Lake,” Johnson said. “And they really like to come and look at those old antiques.”
The lodge is already up and running for the spring and summer tourist season, although there is still plenty of work to be completed.
“We want to have people to be able to come back and use it and have wonderful rustic experiences,” Hill said. “This is Canadiana. This is what it is to be in Canada in a log cabin. There’s nothing else like this around.”
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There are lots of events planned for the summer at Chute Lake Lodge including live music concerts, children’s camps and plenty of outdoor fun.
“I think it’s an asset to our community and I think it’s an asset to our region,” Hill said. “It’s about healthy living, it’s about people getting outside and reconnecting.
“It has a whole history behind it and those are all very special pieces that I’m so excited to be a part of.”
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