Pemiska Tourism

Pêmiska Tourism is a wonderfully peaceful, Indigenous-owned stay set within Fort Carlton Provincial Historic Park, less than an hour north of Saskatoon. With the lodges looking out over a quiet northern landscape and the boreal edge not far away, it’s a great option if you want somewhere calm and scenic, but with a strong sense of story and connection to the land rather than a standard lodge experience.

Accommodation is in a small collection of five contemporary, wood-crafted lodges, each air-conditioned and thoughtfully designed with a tipi-inspired shape that still feels warm and comfortable inside. Every lodge includes a queen bed, TV, fridge, microwave and coffee maker, plus an electric fireplace, barbecue and a private deck, which is where you’ll really feel the setting, especially in the evenings when the skies open up. Each lodge has its own private washroom, while showering is done in a separate shared facility that’s still private in use and located just steps away, so it’s convenient, but worth knowing it isn’t en suite.

The experience here is about more than just the accommodation. Pêmiska sits in Treaty 6 Territory on the land where Treaty 6 was negotiated and signed in 1876, close to a historic Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading fort, and the whole operation is shaped around celebrating Willow Cree heritage. Guests can tap into cultural experiences and interpretive programming throughout the year, with options to learn through Cree storytelling, language and land-based teachings (these are available at an additional cost). There are also on-site trails and easy access into the historic park, and fat bikes are available if you’d like to explore a bit further.

Practicalities are straightforward, with WiFi and parking included, and there’s also an accessibility-friendly lodge with mobility bars, a wheelchair ramp onto the deck, and an accessible shower set-up with a transfer chair and additional grab bars. One final highlight is the night sky. The lodges sit far enough north, and far enough from city lights, that you’ve got excellent dark-sky conditions, with frequent chances of seeing the aurora in the colder months, which makes it a really special place to stay if you’re travelling outside summer.