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Doreen
Pendgracs |
Business / Entrepreneurship Samples: TEAMWORK BUILT NETWORK
OF THRIVING FAMILY BUSINESSES© Helen Webber was born more than a half century ago in the remote northern community of Churchill, population 1,000 human residents and more than 1,200 polar bears! "Over the years, I've seen the town's focus shift from that of naval port and centre for trapping and trading, to a truly cosmopolitan centre," she said. It was in 1963 that Helen met young Doug Webber from Alberta, stationed at the Churchill naval base with the Royal Canadian Navy. “We fell in love and fooled each other,” says Helen. “I thought that by marrying a navy man, I’d get to see the world. And Doug thought I had a lot of money, and wanted to get involved with the family business and remain in Churchill.” Helen's grandfather, Sigurmunder Sigurdson, had headed north from his home community of Arborg, back in the 1930's to open a general store in Churchill. Helen’s mother, Sigrun Martin, followed in her father’s entrepreneurial footsteps and is honoured on the Women Business of Manitoba’s Hall of Fame for her achievements and leadership as a woman business owner. The family has continued to make a great contribution to the community over the years. Doug Webber served as mayor of Churchill for two terms and Helen has been active with the local Chamber of Commerce and many other community initiatives.
The Webber family has been astute in capitalizing on the opportunities that this unique northern community has to offer, running four distinct lodges in northern Manitoba, each with a very different focus. In 1968, Helen and Doug started running a goose hunting camp at Dymond Lake, a remote location only accessible by air. By 1976, the enterprising couple had built Dymond Lake Lodge, the first of their family of lodges.
North Knife Lake Lodge near Thompson is a fly‑in luxury fishing lodge and the Webber’s signature facility, built over a four-year period between 1984 and 1988. The fishing season generally runs from June through July and by late August, Helen begins readying the main hunting lodge for guests. The Webber clan also operates a bush camp that services caribou hunters at Smook Lake each September. Seal River Wilderness Lodge, situated about 30 kilometres north of Churchill, is a newer facility run by the Reimers and focusing on eco‑tourism and beluga whale excursions during July and August. There are plans to launch a new eco-tourism program focusing on wolves and aboriginal culture at the North Knife Lake location in September under the auspice of Churchill Wild, the family’s new marketing company with the Webber’s daughter, Toni, as director of business development and marketing. “Toni is also working on putting together a women’s retreat at North Knife in 2005,” said Helen page 2.
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Dymond Lake Lodge originated as a fly-in hunting lodge, operating
only for a short season in the early fall. But over the past few years,
the season has extended by evolving into an eco-tourism polar bear
watching facility operated by daughter and son‑in‑law Jeanne
and Mike Reimer from October through November. Reimer is originally from
the southern Manitoba town of Landmark. “I made my way north in 1981
to seek my fame and fortune as a guide,” says Reimer. “And I ended
up falling in love with my boss’s daughter and staying to help build
the business and a new life for myself.”