Pascoe's at Baril Bay

08/28/2026

It feels SO good to be back.🎣

There’s something extra special about having camp full again and seeing our guests back out fishing the lakes.

Mark has been coming to Baril Bay for years and makes an annual trip with some of his employees. We are so happy to have his group back at camp and even happier to get everyone out for a day of fishing followed by a traditional shore lunch. Fresh-caught fish, cooked right on the lakeshore with a portable cook stove.

Getting camp back up and running after weeks away was a lot of work. There was plenty of cleanup, mowing, hauling, scrubbing and putting things back where they belonged. But every bit of it came with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Baril Bay is still here. Our camp is still standing. And we get to welcome our guests back. We will never take that for granted.

We also continue to think about our friends and neighbors who weren’t as fortunate during the fires. This summer will be one none of us will soon forget.

For now, I’m incredibly thankful to have camp full again, our guests fishing the lakes, shore lunches being made, stories being told and more Baril Bay memories being added to generations of them.

08/13/2026

We’re back, and we’re reopening!

After weeks of waiting, wondering, hoping, and praying, we are so incredibly grateful to share that Pascoe’s at Baril Bay will reopen this Saturday!

When we finally arrived back at camp, the best sight in the world was seeing everything still standing. The surrounding waters are calm, and as you can see in this video, there are no burned areas immediately around camp. What we came home to was mostly an overgrown landscape, ash, and plenty of things left exactly where they were during our hasty evacuation. But every bit of that can be cleaned, repaired, and put back in order. It just takes a little time and hard work, and we are very happy to be doing it.

To help accommodate as many of the groups affected by the evacuation as possible, we plan to remain open through September 20. We are working our way through contacting everyone with upcoming and displaced reservations. If you haven’t heard from us yet, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We cannot thank all of you enough for your patience throughout these past several weeks. More than anything, thank you for the countless prayers, messages, phone calls, positive thoughts, and words of encouragement. We felt every bit of it.

We weathered this storm, but we are very aware that many of our friends, neighbors, fellow lodges and resorts, and others throughout the region were not as fortunate. As we celebrate being able to return, our hearts remain with everyone who has experienced tremendous loss.

For generations, people have come to this little corner of Lac des Mille Lacs to fish, laugh, relax, make memories, and spend time with the people they love. After everything that has happened this summer, we are incredibly grateful that tradition can continue.

We’re back. We’re close to being open. And we cannot wait to welcome you back to Baril Bay.

08/11/2026

It’s official, we can go back. ❤️

The Ministry has announced that the access restrictions around Fort Frances 14 will be revoked at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12.

Our first priority will be getting back to Baril Bay, assessing the condition of the camp, checking the cabins, boats, equipment, and surrounding property, and determining what needs immediate attention.

Once we have a clear picture of where things stand, we will begin contacting all affected and upcoming guests as quickly as we can. We know so many of you have been patiently waiting for answers, and we are incredibly grateful for that patience.

This has been a long five weeks, and while we know there may still be challenges ahead, we are beyond thankful to finally have the opportunity to see everything with our own eyes.

To the Ministry, firefighters, pilots, emergency personnel, and everyone who has worked tirelessly throughout this fire, thank you. And to all of you who have called, messaged, prayed, checked in, and supported us through every update, thank you more than we can say.

Tomorrow, we’re going home. ❤️

08/11/2026

A hopeful update from Baril Bay...

Today we received advance notice from the Ministry that changes are coming to the access restrictions surrounding Fort Frances 14.

We still don’t have the exact date yet, but for the first time in weeks, we know that returning to the area is officially on the horizon. The Ministry is preparing residents and property owners for re-entry and has begun sharing safety information for when access resumes.

Fort Frances 14 is still an active wildfire, and crews are continuing suppression work, so there will still be hazards and precautions in place. We’ll continue to follow all Ministry guidance and wait for the official word before heading back.

But today, we finally have something more than hope. We have a sign that we are getting very, very close.

Thank you, as always, to the Ministry, firefighters, pilots, emergency personnel, and everyone who has worked so hard throughout this fire. And thank you to all of you who have continued to check in, send messages, and cheer us on.

We’ll share the next update as soon as we receive the official notice. ❤️

08/03/2026

We've received the latest wildfire update from the Ministry of Natural Resources, and while there still isn't an update specific to our camp, there are a few encouraging developments.

Fort Frances 14 continues to be listed as not under control, but the Ministry reports that the fire has been exhibiting relatively low fire behavior and has not grown or moved toward major travel corridors in recent weeks. Fire crews continue working in the Baril Lake area, extinguishing hotspots within the fire perimeter with support from helicopters.

One encouraging sign is that the Ministry has begun easing access restrictions in some areas as conditions allow. While those changes don't yet include our route into Baril Bay, we're hopeful it's another step in the right direction and that our opportunity to return may not be too far away.

Like many of you, we're anxious to get back to camp and see everything with our own eyes. Until then, we'll continue to respect the restrictions in place and wait for the all-clear.

Our sincere thanks go out to the firefighters, pilots, emergency personnel, Ministry staff, and everyone working tirelessly to protect the people, communities, and forests of Northwestern Ontario. We know this has been an enormous effort, and we are deeply grateful for all that you continue to do.

One thing we've been reminded of throughout all of this is to appreciate the unexpected gifts. Normally, Jim spends nearly the entire summer at camp, but this year we've had the chance to enjoy far more time than usual with our kids and grandkids. While we certainly wish the circumstances were different, those moments together have been a blessing in the middle of an otherwise difficult season.

And as always, thank you to everyone who continues to check in, send messages, and keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Your kindness has carried us through these past few weeks, and we look forward to the day we can finally share an update from the dock at Baril Bay.

❤️ Jim & Krista

07/26/2026

No updates other than Cedar is missing the waters of Lac des Mille Lacs at Baril Bay. The shores of Lake Superior will have to do in the meantime. Counting down the days, hours, and minutes until we can return!

07/25/2026

A quick update from Baril Bay...

The Ministry's latest newsletter didn't include any new information specific to our camp, but there are a few encouraging updates regarding Fort Frances 14.

Fire crews have begun using infrared scanning technology to locate hidden hotspots beneath the surface, allowing them to target areas of lingering heat that can't be seen with the naked eye.

Additional firefighters have also arrived from Alberta and Northeastern Ontario, and crews continue working around Lac des Mille Lacs, the northern perimeter of the fire, and the Baril Lake area. Helicopters remain active in supporting those efforts.

While Fort Frances 14 is still classified as not under control, it's encouraging to see the continued progress and resources being dedicated to the fire.

Like many of you, we're anxious to get back to camp and see everything with our own eyes. Until the evacuation order and access restrictions are lifted, we'll continue to wait patiently and respect the decisions being made to keep everyone safe.

Our sincere thanks go out to the firefighters, pilots, emergency personnel, and all of the agencies working around the clock to protect the people, communities, and beautiful forests of Northwestern Ontario. We know this has been an enormous undertaking, and we are incredibly grateful for everything they're doing.

And as always, thank you to everyone who continues to check in on us, send encouraging messages, and keep us in your thoughts. We can't wait for the day we can share a firsthand update from Baril Bay.

❤️ Jim & Krista

07/22/2026

It's been a few days since our last update, and the reason is pretty simple...there really hasn't been one.

The Ministry continues to report that there are still fires in the area that are not under control. Based on the latest maps, the active fires now appear to be a considerable distance from camp, but the mandatory evacuation order and access restrictions remain in place for both routes into Baril Bay. We've also been advised that exemption permits are still not being issued.

We've seen several neighboring resort owners sharing photos and updates from their properties, and we'd be lying if we said we weren't anxious to do the same. More than anything, we just want to get back to camp and see everything with our own eyes.

As difficult as the waiting has been, we respect the restrictions that remain in place. We know the people making these decisions are balancing many factors, and we appreciate the difficult work they're doing to keep everyone safe. We have no intention of trying to bypass those restrictions or put ourselves, or others, at unnecessary risk.

In the meantime, we're hopeful that the recent days of rain and cooler temperatures are helping firefighters continue making progress. Like all of you, we're looking forward to the day we can finally head north and share a firsthand update.

Until then, thank you for continuing to check in, send messages, and keep us in your thoughts. Your support has meant the world to us, and we're grateful to have such an incredible community behind Pascoe's at Baril Bay.

We'll continue to share updates as soon as we have new information.
❤️ Jim & Krista

07/19/2026

A quick update from Baril Bay (along with a picture of one of our last nights of fishing where we watched intense heat lightening that just may have been the start of this whole thing)…

We finally received a call from the Ministry this morning regarding access to camp. We have applied for an exemption permit to cross the fire lines, but at this time, those permits are not being issued. We are ready to leave on a moments notice…

The good news is that, as of today, we’ve been told the camp is still standing. While that is an incredible relief, we know we’re not in the clear just yet. The fire remains active in the area, and conditions continue to evolve.

The forecast is calling for much-needed rain beginning this afternoon, continuing through the night and into tomorrow. We’re hopeful it will help crews continue making progress.

We are incredibly grateful to the firefighters, pilots, emergency personnel, and everyone working tirelessly, both in the air and on the ground, to protect the area so many people love. Your dedication has given us hope during an incredibly difficult time.

We also want to thank everyone for the kind messages following our interview with CBC. Speaking publicly about our family’s history and what we’ve been experiencing was certainly outside our comfort zone, but we were grateful for the opportunity to share our story.

As always, we’ll continue to post updates here as we receive new information.

Thank you all for continuing to keep Pascoe’s, our neighbors, and everyone affected by these fires in your thoughts and prayers. ❤️

07/18/2026

Last night, we had the opportunity to speak with CBC News (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) which is one of Canada's national stations (similar to CBS or NBC) during their evening news about the impact the fires have had on us. We spoke about the wildfires, our camp, and the emotional roller coaster of the past several days. Like so many others in the area, we've experienced the uncertainty of waiting, hoping, and relying on the kindness of others for information while remaining under evacuation.

We'll continue to share updates as we receive them, and we look forward to the day we can return to Baril Bay and welcome everyone back to the place we all love.

Get the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis.