By MARIE CLARKE
A small island in the Far North is the proud owner a national tourism excellence award.
The Cree Village Ecolodge on Moose Factory Island won the Air Canada Business of the Year Award at the TIAC National Awards for Tourism Excellence on Oct. 24 of last year.
Moose Factory Island is made up of 1,300 acres of land and is located on the Moose River.
The lodge, which has been open since 2000, is a major tourist attraction on the island and is the only Aboriginal developed, owned and operated ecolodge in the Northern hemisphere.
Even with the building’s modern design and structure, it is a top Eco-tourism facility. It is operated by members of the community according to the traditional values of the James Bay Cree culture who have kept its harmony with nature and ecological concerns.
The Ecolodge houses 20 guest rooms that offer comfort amidst the local natural resources while still feeling like a hotel. The lodge has natural wool carpeting, natural wool blankets and offers organic mattresses for guests to sleep on.
The great hall is known as Shabatwon, which translates to “long teepee with doors at each end.” This building is designed from a traditional Cree establishment and is held up by a pure pine and cedar structure. Pictures of the elders are displayed on a wall near the lounge and the dining area overlooks the Moose River.
Before the awards ceremony took place last year, the lodge’s manager, Greg Williams, told his staff how proud he was and reminded them that whether or not they won they were still at least third in the country and that made them winners (there were three nominees for the award).
“We were very excited about the award, excited to be in the running,” said Williams.
The award ceremony has been acknowledged by both tourists and return guests. They receive many congratulations from the guests who heard about the award.
Business has picked up a noticeable amount and as of March 31, this has been a good year for the lodge.
“This is our best year ever and we’re expecting bigger and better things to come,” said Williams.
The lodge suffered after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States but things picked up and now things are better than ever.
MacLeod Farley and Associates worked alongside of the MoCreebec Council to develop the Cree Village Ecolodge.
The MoCreebec Council of the Cree Nation does not qualify for funding for personal projects so all of the money invested into this project came from the council.
The time and investment that the Cree community put into the lodge shows the importance of keeping its heritage alive hundreds of years later.
The lodge offers tourists and people familiar with the island a friendly place to stay and take in nature and all it has to offer, while contributing to and learning to appreciate the Cree culture, its values and beliefs.
