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| James Masakeyash 1896 - 2000 |
As a young boy, James Masakeyash probably sat on the beach, listening to stories about the white traders from Osnaburgh house, as the flames from a campfire danced in his eyes. His people, the Ojibwa lived near the Northeastern shore of Lake St. Joseph, Ontario about a mile from the head of the Albany River and roughly 300 miles North of Thunder Bay. He probably heard of the Cree Indians who preceded his own people in the area and of the bountiful harvests of fish and game that both tribes freely shared with any in need. He might even have heard tales of John Best, who made his way up the Albany River and through the bush to the north end of a lake the Indians called “Mishkeegogamang” (Swampy Lake) to establish a post for trading furs and other commodities with the native peoples on behalf of the Hudson Bay Company. Sometime later French traders would rename the lake “Saint Joseph”.
It’s believed that Best probably named the post Osnaburgh House after the brand of cotton fabric that HBC imported from Europe in bulk to make among other things, the cotton shirts which many of the traders wore.
That was 110 years before James Masakeyash was born but in the late 1800s there was no such thing as “multi-media” and “data transfer” meant story-telling; the primary way of teaching the next generation their history and heritage. So James listened, spell-bound, to tales of his ancestors.
By the late 1780s Osnaburgh House faced a great deal of competition from both the new Northwest Company and many “Free Traders” who set up shop in tents near the post. Due to their excellent location (and possibly having been established first) the HBC prevailed as the primary post for almost 200 years. James was witness to 104 years of history at the old post from its’ heyday as a trading mecca to its’ abandonment by HBC in 1963, to its’ revival as a premier fishing lodge in 1987.
In 1976 James frequented the Hudson Bay Company’s store in New Osnaburgh where he met John Grace, a young Manager trainee there. They became life-long friends until James’ death in 2000 at the age of 104. In the forward to “A Place Called Osnaburgh” (by Rob Bundy, Copyright John Grace) Grace says, “Born and raised in Goderich, Ontario, I spent my summers at a family cottage on the Cape Croker Reserve on Georgian Bay. It was during these extended vacations that I first had contact with Native Peoples, their character, philosophy and accepting ways” . . . “the isolation allowed the development of many very special relationships with the people who call this area home. A unique and lasting bond was created, not only with the inhabitants but also with the land that has supported them for a thousand years.”
Recalling James Masakeyash Grace said, “I came to know this extraordinary man not only as a customer but also as a friend and a spokesman for his people . . . my respect for him grew. His wisdom and deep understanding of the land and its’ people knew no bounds. His honesty, integrity and insight were exceptional . . . as a symbol of his support it was James who first raised the flag at the property as we began redevelopment of Osnaburgh House in 1986.”
By 1982 John Grace had gone into the field of Social Work in the area of Pickle Lake when he met and married the love of his life, Wendy Dell. They were married in her home town, Red Lake. A year later they returned to Osnaburgh and purchased a store called the “Albany Free Traders” situated at the source of the Albany River. Business went exceedingly well for the old fashioned general store which offered “milk to lumber, mail delivery to taxi service and everything in between” according to Grace. They also purchased and processed the prized wild rice gathered by the local people. “Pelts of beaver, martin and fox were bought and sold to the HBC.” He continued, “Much to our delight, the store quickly became the community gathering place and we made many lasting friendships”.
John and Wendy’s first son Jonathan was born in the fall of 1984 and has grown into an excellent guide and truly nice person.
What happened next is, for me and a whole lot of fisherman a true watershed event. Once again, John expressed the moment best, “On a sunny Saturday morning in the spring of 1986, Wendy and I took a short boat ride . . . we set foot, for the first time on the property that once supported the Hudson’s Bay Trading Post known as Osnaburgh House. The site itself was breathtaking. Although in complete ruins, the old trading post was still there along with a dilapidated old church and a graveyard covered with weeds and lost in time. Our decision to acquire the property came quickly and so, after a meeting with the elders of the local reserve, we bought the small amount of free-hold land available and negotiated a long-term lease for the remainder.”
John and Wendy’s Vision for their family, “to grow a business that would utilize the extraordinary natural assets of Lake Ste. Joseph and its’ native community without exploitation; to develop a business that would be viable and a leader in the sport fishing industry while still maintaining the rich historical and cultural significance of the property. This delicate balance has always been very important to us and we endeavor to uphold it in everything we do at The Old Post.”
Gold was discovered just north of Osnaburgh near what is now the town of Pickle Lake in the early 1930s. Two mining operations, the Pickle Crow Gold Mine and the Central Patricia Mine pressured Hydro Ontario to provide them with electricity. To do so, the Crown Corporation moved unilaterally to install a dam at the north end of Lake Saint Joseph. The dam and Hydro-electric plant were complete by March, 1935 and water levels began to rise to where they are today. Some seasonal homes were lost as well as some beaches, gardens, gravesites and untold archaeological treasures. Despite this rush to provide power, the residential communities in the area didn’t receive hydro service until 1970. The Old Post, while much closer to the lakeshore, was still safe. As the lake swelled it spilled over into smaller lakes turning much of the land around them into islands.
According to Jonathan there are 4 lodges along the 96 mile stretch of Lake; one at the west end, another near the middle, The Old Post and one other at the north/east end. Fishing is strictly regulated by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario. Non-residents of Ontario must have (in addition to an outdoor card and fishing license) a special permit issued by MNR and distributed only through these lodges. There is a Walleye slot limit so that only fish from 16”-18” may be kept. Also one Pike over 27” may be kept.
This, believe it or not, is great news for fishermen. The opportunity to fish a limited-access, limited-harvest fishery the size of Lake Saint Joseph means an honest-to-goodness chance at landing numbers of trophy sized fish and maybe even the fish of a lifetime. I can personally attest to this as only a couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to visit The Old Post on Lake Saint Joseph, meet John and Wendy Grace as well as their eldest son, Jonathan.
John has indeed worked hard to see his vision of a business that ranks as a leader in the sport-fishing industry while not exploiting the local community or the environment. I believe he has maintained the rich historical and cultural significance of the property and made it a welcoming place that provides sport and relaxation for his guests.
We caught good numbers of fish every day out. However my best day was Tuesday, July 9th when I caught a 40.5” Pike on a large, gold colored Williams Wobbler spoon. On the following cast I landed a 23” Walleye and only a few casts later a 42” Pike, still on the same spoon. Since no nets are allowed on Lake Saint Joseph, our guide, Jonathan Grace landed the fish for us. When he scraped and bloodied his hand reaching under the Pike’s gill plate he shrugged it off saying, “That’s a badge of honor for guides; it proves we put our guests on big fish. We call it Gator Rash”. It rained that day so the guides found a MNR shack on one of the nearby islands where we could have our shore lunch inside. After lunch we caught so many fish I stopped counting; and I usually count. The following day was a crazy day with so many big fish caught that I actually lost count. One member of our group landed a 47.5” Pike and several others landed or had fish on that were in the high 30” to mid 40” range.
If that kind of action doesn’t get you excited I can only suggest that you find another sport to get passionate about. For most of us these experiences are what we live for.
As testimony to the quality accommodations, personal service and fun provided by the Grace family at the Old Post Lodge take notice that approximately 80% of their guests are return visitors! When you can find someone so completely committed to running a successful operation in such a perfect location, do what I did, go where the fish are.
For more information go to: www.oldpost.com
