History
Alec and Louise Collette were the founders of Bluffy Lake Camp. Alec was raised in Quibell, Ontario just north of Vermilion Bay and Louise in Kenora/Dryden area. Before Alec had married Louise, he had visited Red Lake in 1936. He dreamed about the large fish and wanted to start a commercial fishing business. Alec served with the Canadian Army in Italy as a tank driver during WWII. After the war, he returned to start the business. All the lake contracts were taken except for Bluffy Lake. On March 22, 1946, Alec Collette and Hughie Allen set out for Bluffy Lake. They had to get an ice storage building built before the ice broke up and store ice for the coming year. Alec and Hughie slept in a tent until they could get a log cabin built. They set up their commercial fishing camp with a dock and fishnet drying wheel.
Alec married Louise sometime after 1946. Hughie Allen went back to Newfoundland the first year. Alec and Louise lived permanently at Bluffy lake for the first three years. Alec’s brother, Danny, also joined them. Twice a week the mail plane would pick up their commercial fish. The following winter, they borrowed a dog team to put up ice and use as a portage across Bluffy Lake and Wenasaga. The dogs’ food consisted of fish, cornmeal and oatmeal. In February 1947, they bought a half-ton truck and two boats. The truck was stored at Wenasaga landing. In the fall and winter, they trapped beaver and mink with Louise skinning the animals.
In 1948, they build more cabins at Bluffy Lake and turned their fish camp into a tourist resort (Bluffy Lake Camp). Their guests would arrive by road to the Wenasaga landing just north of Camp Wenasaga. From there, the guests would portage to Bluffy Lake. In later years, the guests would either fly in or drive up Wenasaga Road (east side of Wenasaga lake) to travel across Bluffy Lake. The road to Bluffy is still there but no longer passable by vehicle. Alec ran the Gold Pines Camp and Louise would run the Bluffy Lake Camp. They made Gold Pines their winter residence. Louise loved Bluffy and the guests were always willing to lend a helping hand.
In 1971, Bill Collette (Alec's nephew) came to the camp and helped for three summers. Bill was 13 and spent his first day pounding nails to prevent bears from entering the cabins. Bill helped build the #5 (Skunk Hollow) and #4 (Loon Inn – owners present cabin). Alec was busy running Gold Pines. Bill was only supposed to work for Alec but really enjoyed working for Louise. Alec and Louise would also work at the Ear Falls Recreation Center in the winters. According to Bill Collette (nephew) Louise died late 1986 or early 1987 in her sleep from a heart attack at approximately 60 years old. Alec died around 1995 at the age of 80. His nephew and family brought a motor for the boat that was stored at South Bay and spread Alec’s ashes in front of Cabin #1 (Moose Lodge). Bill doesn’t recollect where Louise was buried or if she was cremated also.
The Collette’s did have a couple neighbors. Fred (Frederick) and Lil Carroll (Native American) lived on Whitemud by the falls and Sam and Mary Cooper lived on Paponga. Fred, an Irish WWI pilot, ended up in Red Lake with news of prospecting and mining. Fred was also a trapper and made a tractor road on Lac Suel. A few years after Fred left, the cabin burned down. There are a few remnants of the cabin. Fred died in 1966 and is buried in Red Lake. Bluffy Lake guests remember Fred and Lil and visited them at Whitemud.
In April 1985, Bluffy Lake Camp was sold to Bob and Brenda Kahoot. In fall of 1991, Bluffy Lake Camp was sold to Keith Ammerman. Keith tore down the log cabin (#2) and replaced it with a new 24’x24’ cabin (Bear Den). Later, Bluffy Lake Camp became Bluffy Lake Lodge, Inc. A logging road was built to a parking lot near Bluffy Lake Lodge in 1995. Guests park in the parking lot as Bluffy Lake Lodge is still considered a remote camp/lodge. Guests are picked up by four-wheeler and trailer. It is an easy, gentle walk to camp (350 yards) if you want to escape to do some shopping. This limited access gives you fly-in quality fishing at affordable drive-in rates, with some of the best walleye and northern fishing in the area. The package plans have been designed to give you a great vacation with the best opportunities for successful fishing and hunting.
December 2016, Keith Ammerman sold the camp to us, Dean and Donna de Neui. We have been making improvements every year except for 2020. Because of no central sewer system, Bluffy Lake Lodge can only have 28 guests at the camp. We try to keep up to 18-20 guests just for the great quiet, camp feel. There are new outhouses with urinals with two cabins with urinals. Cabin #5 (Skunk Hollow) cabin and #4 (Loon Inn) have been updated with #3 (Walleye Shack) new updates in 2023. Three other storage buildings were built and a couple buildings torn down. Our plans for 2024 update the Northern Outback starting in July and the Eagle Nest in 2025. We love Bluffy Lake Lodge. There have been a few trying years, especially 2020 through 2022. It is a great place. Thank you to everyone that stood by us as we continue to learn every day. We have enjoyed your visits and plan on being here for years to come.