It was 1960 when Chummy Plummer first met a boy from Texas who had come up with his father to fish Great Bear Lake. That boy is now in his 70s. But this summer, just like in his childhood, he’ll be heading to the Northwest Territories to go fishing with his family.
“He’s now bringing his grandkids,” says Plummer, owner of Plummer’s Arctic Lodges. “First it was his son-in-law, and then his grandkids started coming when they were seven years old. They come every year. It’s just one of those things that gets in your blood, I guess.”
What is it about those days out on the water that draws grandparents, parents and children together?
Part of it, Plummer says, is the opportunity to spend time together without all of the outside distractions – except for fishing of course. “They’re focused on the environment. They’re away from the telephones and the rest of the hectic world,” he says.
A special kind of bonding ensues.
“We’ve had people bringing their grandfather and grandmother and bringing a couple of the grandkids, and then the grandfather passes away and the grandmother keeps bringing the kids,” Plummer says. “That’s how much they appreciate the area. We’ve had groups up there with four generations.”
