Best (or Worst?) Moments of 2014 in Ontario's Sunset Country

Here's a look at some of the top stories that made headlines in Ontario's Sunset Country in 2014:

January started with a bang! or a brrrrrrr!  There was a deep freeze throughout Northwest Ontario on New Year's Day which continued for months afterward. If you know don't know metric, that's a whopping -32.8F. The winter continued to be cold breaking records for the coldest and snowiest winters in a long time.

In March there was still at least 3 feet of snow on many of the lakes in Sunset Country! 

Jay Samsal using his auger with 3 feet of ice in mid-March 2014  Photo: Jeff Gustafson

This is no April Fool's joke! The deer were getting hungry after a harsh winter with lots of snow. This clever deer decided to get up onto Erin Cathcart Rose's roof in Kenora, Ontario to reach her food. Read the full story on CBC News Manitoba. 

The walleye fishing season opener (3rd Saturday in May) marks the start of the season for many resorts and lodges in Sunset Country. Due to the winter that just wouldn't leave, many were left speculating as to when the ice would go and more importantly, whether would it be open water for the walleye opener?  

It was a close call, but most of the operators were able to open up much to the relief of the many anglers that come up to Sunset Country each year. There were a few outposts in the far north that was maybe a week behind the opener. 

Here are two articles that document the ice conditions near the opening weekend in 2014:

• When will the ice go out? Part 1
• When will the ice go out? Part 2

When the ice did go out, the fishing was on fire! Here's a nice 27" walleye caught at Pine Sunset Lodge on Dinorwic Lake on opening day. The water temp on Dinorwic that day was a chilly 45 degrees. The walleye weren't done spawning due to the late Spring and ice out so it was imperative that the big walleye be released.

Once the snow was gone, the rains came. The ground was very saturated from all the snow and consequently, the lakes rose, and rose, and rose. They rose so much in fact that many lakes had beat 50-year-old high water records. The flooding started in the south first and the sandbagging began along the Rainy River and Rainy Lake. 

The flooding headed north as June progressed. On Sunday, June 29, Kenoronline posted flooding photos of the Minaki Marina in Minaki, Ontario.  

For more photos of the Flood of 2014 see: Heavy Flooding in Sunset Country Worst in Years: News, Updates, Pictures, Travel Information

At the end of July, Jeff Gustafson of Kenora, ON, and John Peterson of Bemidji, MN won the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship. They pulled in 57.18 pounds of bass over three days. The FFCBC is just one of the many fishing tournaments held in Sunset Country each year. 

In August Sunset Country returned back to normal and was just another day in paradise. :)

September is a month when the skies often light up as the Northern Lights dance above. Jakub Sisak of Jakub Sisak Photography shot this beautiful photo of the Northern Lights from Mackenzie Point in Thunder Bay.

An early winter storm took the guests at Thunderhook Fly-ins north of Armstrong by surprise.

In November, Mike Ranta of Atikokan ended his paddle across Canada. He wanted to inspire the youth in his hometown of Atikokan and raise money for the town's youth center. Mike started his canoe journey in British Columbia and then paddled for 7 months straight (about 7500 km) ending up near Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia at the end of October. He documented his trip on his Facebook page Mike Ranta's Paddle and hopes to write a book about his journey. Job well done Mike (and Spitzi his dog)!

A Christmas Eve tradition at the Lake of the Woods Cemetery in Kenora! Thousands of ice candles are lit in the cemetery every Christmas Eve bringing many locals to visit their loved one's graves. Thanks to Emily Poschner Photography for taking this wonderful photo. What a great way to end 2014!

2014 was an eventful year! May everyone's 2015 be prosperous, fun, and fulfilling!!

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