The Reason Why We Call Buck Lake Home

John Curran | Jul 15, 2020

When my wife Jugjit More-Curran and I packed up in 2003 and moved away from everyone and everything we’d known to work in the Northwest Territories, we said let’s try it for a year and see what happens.

Good paying jobs around Kingston were scarce and we both loved the idea of having wilderness lodge-class fishing right at our backdoor. Needless to say, we thrived professionally given the opportunities living in Yellowknife presents – in fact Jug still rotates back there for work, she’s the vice-president of the largest Northern-owned helicopter company, Acasta HeliFlight. It is a city of about 19,000, but with average incomes far exceeding the national average and an almost unquenchable thirst for more workers of every sort.

In 2012 we acquired a piece of leased land and built one of our dearest memories while there – an off-grid cabin on a four-kilometre body of water called Pickerel Lake. With connections through the logistics field, we sourced all the materials and tools we needed in advance before my father Dave Curran flew into town for a week. He and I needed to put in 12-hour days, but managed to build the initial cabin together within the narrow window of his visit. More importantly he taught us how to do the work ourselves going forward.

In the years that followed, my wife and I added on to the cabin occasionally with the help of friends and loved ones, and my parents made several trips North to help us enjoy our magical little spot. And yes, the fishing was phenomenal. We were just off the Ingraham Trail, which is the year-round, overland portion of the winter highway to the diamond mines. It’s cabin country as far as the North is concerned.

During our time there I rediscovered the joy of peace and tranquility I knew from the Buck Lake of my youth. As great as it was, however, something was missing. My parents. They are getting up in years now although still in remarkable shape for their age. We wanted to get back to a place where we could see them more often than just once or twice a year and not be dependent on seat sales. Especially while they’re still so mobile, mom is in her 70s and frequently rides the Seadoo. Dad’s not far behind her and could still strap on the slalom ski and teach a lot of youngsters around the lake what cutting and jumping really looks like.

When we moved back to the area, Buck Lake was the place we knew we wanted to be. We already owned a cottage here and are now in the early stages of working to have it winterized. It is directly across the bay from my parents’ cottage and on the same access road.

Of course no one could have predicted COVID-19 a year ago, but now as we slowly re-expand our social bubbles the opportunity to spend time together with Mom and Dad is back.

The other night we had them over for a traditional lodge-style shore lunch – a menu that’s worked for every successful tourist camp for decades: fish, beans, corn, homefries and fried onions. We followed that up the next morning with a brunch consisting of eggs benedict as well as homemade waffles with fresh berries and whipped cream, breakfast sausages and another round of homefries. (I like to cook and Jug is a world-class sous chef.)

While the adventures of the North were lifechanging, getting a chance to share those two random meals in person with Mom and Dad at a time when living in isolation has become the new normal was phenomenal.

These times we’re facing are practically unprecedented and have many people down. Take the opportunity to reconnect with your loved ones as this veil is slowly lifted from society, we are all social creatures at heart and it’s amazing how a little human contact can lift even the darkest spirits.