Quaaout Lodge and Talking Rock Golf

“Water was vital for our migratory ancestors’ transportation and for supplying salmon,” says Tanner Quanstrom, a member of the Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band (LSLIB) and a guide at the band’s waterfront Quaaout Lodge & Spa at Talking Rock Golf Course in B.C.’s interior. Over 25 years ago, Quaaout Lodge was the dream of the local LSLIB chief who saw a resort as a way for band members to learn trades and crafts and introduce guests to their Culture. The lodge now offers interpretive tours of a kekuli (traditional underground accommodations) and berry-picking excursions. Now, for the first time in almost four decades, the band is handcrafting a wooden canoe in one of the resort’s public spaces so local youth can learn traditional carving techniques. The Lodge’s long, sandy beach is lively with families; some guests tee off at the property’s scenic golf course, its greens subtly etched into the wilderness. Dip your paddle into clear waters and canoe across Little Shuswap Lake, then head ashore for a delicious bannock and salmon picnic. The Lodge’s ‘Jack Sam’s Restaurant’ features First Nations fusion cuisine with a signature dish of clay-baked local salmon that pays tribute to an ancient regional cooking style. “Quaaout is about sustainability, sharing traditional heritage, supporting the community economically and keeping the Culture alive,” says manager Jesse Ziercke. “And, of course, good old-fashioned relaxation!”