Grandpa Hugh, Rhian and the Deer

Rhian takes some ownership along with Hugh for the deer, bunny rabbits, squirrels and birds who visit regularly.  She brings her best freind Victoria over to show her all the "work" that needs to be done.

It is so easy to entertain kids when we live in this part of the world.

Then lay down the law and force them to come back inside!

Hello Enid......                         We all are looking forward to being with you good people. I have been so excited since we first called you ...that I tried to fly in to Douglas Lake with my Flight Simulator from Red Lake. I really don't know if I picked the right lake having no charts etc. I have attached a few pics of my flight.....did I fly to the right lake???? Thank you again and in the meantime remain terrific........Leon

I have 2 suggestions.  As you near Viking Island, you flew over dry land, when you could have followed the water just to the north.  Always have a landing strip in sight.  Also you didn’t overfly the lake to check for rocks.  Haha  Enid

Good Morning Enid and thank you for sharing your flying experience!!!!! I wish I could do the "rock" fly over. Maybe the Sim System will be that good in the future. I am so pleased that my "charting" worked out.  Yes.... I am always looking for a spot to land in case of failures. The sim can be programmed to unexpected failures with a simple click check. This time I was so focused on my speed and flight time ....and direction to be sure I landed on the right lake. I finished Amelia's Flight around the world a few months ago and flew her last two legs for "her" as well. That was a real living experience for me and we can chat about that over coffee when we see you. Look forward to being there and can't wait to feel the tug on the line again. In the meantime remain your terrific self......hello to Hugh too......Leon

Woodland Caribou
2012 Information Guide

Do I hear laughter

by Claire

I’m amused by Mother Nature’s sense of humour when I enter her backcountry. Be it the twig that grabs my boot resulting in an ungraceful landing or catching a whiskey jack’s curious glance while I’m using the open-air “jon”, these moments bring a smile to my face. My heart skipped several beats once when I thought I heard a bear growl in a raspberry thicket when all along it was the sound of a hummingbird’s rapid wing beats as it hovered by my ear.  An otter ran off with my corn on the cob once and the one night when I thought I could retire without the tent fly, I woke up to pouring rain in the middle of the night. I wish I could see the humour in other areas of my life but such is not always the case.  Somehow, I am not so readily amused by line ups at the coffee shop, hick ups at the office, or misplaced house keys.

Until I learn to lighten up in our man-made artificial world, I will continue to retire to the woods for my fix of comic relief.

Claire Quewezence

Assist. Park Superintendent

(807) 727-1388

P. S. Viking Island, Telescope, Optic and Domain Lakes are within Woodland Caribou Park, just west of Red Lake.  I love my friend Claire's attitude to life and the people around her.  Like myself, she finds herself and restores her energy when venturing out into our bush. Enid

Hugh at the show in St. Charles

Hugh at the St. Charles Show

All Canada Show, Chicago,  January 12 -15, 2012



Pheasant Run Resort Mega Center

4051 E Main St St Charles, IL 60185- (630) 584-6300

Need Directions? Google Maps

Hours: Thurs 5 - 9 pm Fri 3 - 9 pm Sat 10 am - 6 pm Sun 10 am - 4 pm I tried out a new design for his backdrop.  It was quite a challenge, learning photoshop, but now I know.  Let me know what you think if you drop by and see Hugh.  Enid

A Good Christmas Holiday

Harriet ready for a ride

A little time outdoors checking out Harriet's favourite site.

A few Walleye for supper. (Florence's favourite meal)

Happy Holidays from Viking Outposts!

The excitement of Christmas is settling down. It is -28 and we spent the afternoon exploring the lake on four-wheelers and snowmobiles. Then we were lucky enough to have fresh walleye for dinner, care of our friend Billy. We hope all our friends elsewhere are enjoying the holidays, nice weather, good food, and time with their loved ones.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE CARLSONS!

Story and photos by Robert S. Grant – first published summer 2002

For the Whole Article and a photo gallery of Norseman, Click here.

Two thousand feet below the Beech King Air 350, a break in the dull gray undercast revealed Northwestern Ontario’s evergreen woodlands. Moments later, the sleek corporate aircraft overflew a tiny flotilla of canoes plunging across a white-capped bay. Soon the aircraft settled smoothly onto Red Lake’s Runway 08 as a Chevrolet Suburban stood by to drive a group of Chicago-based executives and their pilot into the tourist community.

Their destination–a pine-walled complex on the north side of Howey Bay–was the headquarters for Viking Outpost Cabins Ltd., a fishing- and hunting-oriented enterprise established in 1948 by Swedish-born Arthur Carlson and wife, Florence. Impressed with the hospitality shown by Suburban driver and general manager Enid Carlson, the camp-bound turkeys (tourists) crossed the office floor and peered down at several seaplanes rocking gently against a tire-sided dock. A pristine Noorduyn Norseman Mk V caught the King Air pilot’s eye. Having learned to fly on metal-clad Piper PA-28 Cherokees and moving on to his club-seated, $5-million Beech, he had never encountered a commercial airplane covered with “canvas.”

Hugh Carlson, a 6-foot, 7-inch, 287-pound son of Red Lake pioneers Arthur and Florence, understood that visitors from regions south of the Canadian border knew little about seaplanes and northcountry flying. Co-owner of Viking with his brother Craig, he politely explained that CF-FQI’s covering consisted of doped Ceconite fabric. He added that AMEs, pilots and tourist operators alike considered the “wooden wonder,” a nickname bestowed upon the prototype soon after its first flight from Montreal on November 14, 1935, as the most “overbuilt” aerial freighter to carry Canadian registration.

As the turkeys snickered at the mention of sitka spruce ribs and walnut fittings in airplane wings, Craig’s wife, Roseanne, pointed out that the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-powered aircraft suited their wilderness-oriented business perfectly. This caught the group’s interest since some slaved as bean counters for a midwest American newspaper. They listened, distracted momentarily as a Red Lake Airways’ Beech 18 on Edo 7850s rumbled eastbound into Howey Bay for a passenger pickup and beer run. Ensconced in Viking’s office–more of a living room than a place of business–they began to understand Roseanne’s justification of an airplane designed specifically for bush pilots.

Too Tired To Swim

Too Tired To Swim, a photo by Morgan Swant on Flickr.

Morgan takes the most amazing pictures. He is a bush pilot who enjoys what he does and sees beauty in our north country.

Red Lake Seaplane at Work

Of course there is more to aviation then just flying.  We are lucky to have the best mechanics we know working on our planes.  Winter is the time to go through the planes top to bottom.  Of course, preventative maintenance is the only way to go.  Our beaver is being outfitted with a new boat rack which will accommodate 22 foot canoes.  New government regulations are getting all air operators in Canada to reevaluate how they carry external loads.  Our Cessna 185 is getting a good inspection. 

C-FHXA, our Cessna 185, and C-GEZW, our Beaver, at Red Lake Seaplane Service

John Blaszczyk is working on Dave Robertson's old J3.
From bare naked to fully dressed, it will be a beauty.
Left: Bill Ivaniski, owner of Red Lake Seaplane Service
RIght:  John Blaszczyk

 John Blaszczyk worked at Red Lake Seaplane for about 25 years before coming to fly our Norseman.  Now our Norseman is gone and he is back working on small planes.  This is a talent of his.  He is meticulous and loves to see a plane rise from the ashes to fly again.  He has his own beloved SuperCub CF-ZRL and knows this plane well.

Good Solid Blue Ice, Great for Travelling

Bobby Green



These pictures were taken by Morgan Swant.

For many years Viking Outposts and Island flew with Green Airways.  Jack and Bobby were always helping out their younger competitors, the Carlson Boys.  When Hugh and Craig started out, Green Airways backed them up.  When airplanes broke down they lent parts.  When Hugh and Arthur didn't return from a fishing trip on time, they went looking.  And on and on, they are the best neighbours, good boys working hard for a living.

Last week after watching his grandson, Ryan, play hockey, Bobby lay on the couch for a break ..... he didn't wake up.  The family have had a private service at the Lutheran church and next summer they will have a memorial for Bobby when people can come from out of town to celebrate his life.

Bobby we will miss you.  

The ice has frozen smooth and deep

The lake has frozen well.  The best freeze happens when there is very little snow on the new ice.  It freezes deep and smooth.  This Sunday, Howey Bay was full of people skating across the smooth ice wherever they chose.  This is a rare event for Red Lake.

Cathy and Lindsey live on the edge of Howey and Bay and get a great view of freeze-up,
 break-up and all that happens out on the bay

These deer hang out below my office window.

This fox comes by in the morning
 to check out my yard.

These grouse hang out by the apple trees.

Florence enjoys a visit with grandson Arthur at his new house.

Florence Loves Red Lake

Florence November 29, 2011
at the Red Lake Senior's Supper

At 97, Florence still lives at home and enjoys life. Here she is attending her 39th annual senior's Christmas Supper. Many, many people came to talk to her during the evening and she remembers them all, their families and funny stories too.

Life is great

 in

this small town

Merry Christmas Everyone

On the shores of Red Lake, Harriet has made herself a little hide-out (or party cabin, depending on her mood) For now she is gone and the place sits quiet an...

A November Day

The deer watch as my granddaughter and I make Xmas decorations.

When our son, Arthur started work as a heavy duty mechanic underground at the Gold Corp Mine here in Red Lake, Hugh was full of advice and stories of the years that he mined. Arthur asked Dick Toffanello to show Hugh around and show him the big changes downunder. Gwyneth and I got to go along. At one point, we are 1 mile under ground and Dick asks us to turn out our lamps! I have great respect for the men up here that work so hard down deep... they are proud of what they do and deserve the wages they get.

Music is by Stomping Tom Connors, our  iconic Canadian singer who "has been everywhere, man" at least in Canada.

Freeze up Begins

It's very quiet and the lake is quickly freezing. 

 I just love to watch the lake change each season.
Oh HERE's my shovel!

My Back Yard

That water IS cold.

The sun is coming up, the frost is on the trees and it is 5'F  (or -18'C in Canadian)  The sky is the beautiful blue of our Canadian winter. 

Artur Hjlmar Carlson founded Viking Island

Arthur hunting, 1936.

Our museum in Red Lake has just completed the huge project of documenting and publishing on the internet the stories of many of our pioneers.  Hugh and Craig's father is there!

Artur Hjalmar Ludvig Carlson

For lots more information go to Artur's page , Carlson Family photos or to a story of Artur's life.


Arthur Carlson (Facing Camera) did assessment
 and trenching work on numerous mining claims
 including those of Lorne B. Howey,
one of the founders of Howey Gold Mines.

Arthur Carlson's home on
Telescope Lake near Red Lake,
nicknamed Trappers' Hotel, 1936.

Artur Carlson hunted and supplied the Howey Gold Mines
 with five tons of de-boned moose meat, 1930-31.

Arthur Carlson and his dog team out at west end, 1935

King McInnes and Glory celebrate

Dear Viking Outpost Family,

 Our time up at McInnes was fantastic!  Sunshine, Rain, Hail, Snow: we had all four seasons in one week.  None of it kept the King and ueen of McInnes off the water.  (Well, maybe one afternoon when there were huge winds blowing, but, then, we had fun in the cabin)  Hiking, Fishing, Shore Lunch, Sitting on the Deck eating just caught walleye and drinking a cold one, watching the eagles and gulls having a fracas over fresh scraps on Gull Island.  For one week, we were in paradise.  The best 25th anniversary we could have ever hoped for.

Lee and I both want you to know how special a home we think you have up there in Red Lake and how special a place you have in our hearts as well.
Thank you for everything.
Lee and Glory