The longtime owners of Stokely Creek Lodge say a proposed deal to sell the popular resort announced last year has since fallen through.
Susan Byker — who owns the Goulais River resort alongside husband Gaylen, daughter Tanya Byker Phair and son-in-law Ian Phair — confirmed the buzz around the nixed sale in an email to SooToday Monday.
“The proposed sale was not concluded because the financial obligations were not met,” Byker said.
The Bykers, who live near Grand Rapids, Mich., initially announced a proposed sale of Stokely Creek Lodge to Bruce and Treena Clement on the resort’s website in December 2022.
In that announcement, the Bykers said they felt “it was time to pass the lodge on to a new generation” despite having “mixed feelings” about the sale.
A planned makeover and further improvements to the trail network were also teased as part of the announcement.
Byker declined to provide further details on the scrapped business deal.
"We are not commenting on any of the details surrounding the failed purchase of Stokely," Byker told SooToday via email. "Nothing has changed at Stokely with our staff going forward."
Stokely Creek Lodge includes a main lodge, restaurant, guest cabins and more than 100 kilometres of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails. It is also open for biking, hiking and cross-country running in the spring, summer and fall months.
The lodge was named one of the top North American cross country ski resorts in the USA Today Readers’ Choice Travel Awards for 2021.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this article included a photo of Norm's Cabin, which is located on the Stokely Creek trail system, but is owned and operated by the Algoma Highlands Conservancy.