Chummy Plummer, a familiar presence in northern tourism and a member of a family that opened one of the Northwest Territories’ first fishing lodges, has died at 83. He passed away on July 4, leaving behind a legacy that stretches from airstrips to decades of guiding on remote lakes.
Early start, long career
Plummer was the third generation in his family to work in the lodge business. His grandfather and father established the region’s early fishing operations at the Taltheilei Narrows on Great Slave Lake in the 1940s. He started guiding visitors when he was about 13 and earned his pilot’s licence at 15 — years before he was old enough to drive a vehicle — beginning a lifetime of travel across the North.
Building access to remote places
Over the years he expanded Plummer’s Arctic Lodges to operate camps on Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake and the Tree River. One of his enduring contributions was developing the airstrips that bring guests into those remote locations each summer. The runways were built to handle a wide range of aircraft, and can accommodate large commercial models including the Boeing 737, a notable feat for such isolated sites.
Remembered by family and friends
Those who worked with and stayed at the lodges remember Plummer as a trailblazer in sports fishing and a person with an abiding commitment to the North. Friends and relatives highlight his practical skills, humour and generosity.
“Sometimes I would feel like I was living with the rock star,” said Lori Poersch, Plummer’s wife of 50 years. “He had so many qualities mixed in together, and achievements mixed in together, that people just felt he was a legend.”
Poersch described him as down-to-earth, inventive and hardworking — someone who could fix engines and manage the many demands of running remote tourism operations.
What he leaves behind
Plummer’s work shaped how visitors access and experience the North’s fishing and hunting opportunities. A website preserving the story of Plummer’s Arctic Lodges includes video recordings of him recounting the early days of the business and memories from a long career. This year marked his 70th season working in the North.
- Third generation of the Plummer family in northern lodge operations
- Guiding guests since age 13; pilot’s licence at 15
- Expanded lodges on Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake and Tree River
- Responsible for building airstrips capable of handling large aircraft, including Boeing 737s
- Marked his 70th season in northern operations this year
| Site | Significance |
|---|---|
| Taltheilei Narrows, Great Slave Lake | Location of the family’s first lodge; origins in 1940s |
| Great Bear Lake | Long-standing Plummer lodge destination |
| Tree River | Part of the company’s remote fishing operations |
For many who came north to fish, hunt or simply take in the landscape, Plummer was more than an operator — he was part of the story of northern tourism itself. His family, guests and colleagues will carry forward the practical infrastructure and the quieter memories of a man who spent his life working in the North.
