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Teacher Education Haveyouconsideredbecomingahighschooltechnicalteacher? Ifyou'reinterestedinteachingbusiness/technology, industrialarts/technology,ortechnicalvocational educationinManitobapublicschools,RedRiver Collegecanprovideyouwiththeskillsandtrainingto makeanimpactonfuturegenerationsoflearners. ContactRRC'sTeacherEducationDepartmentat 204.632.2300tolearnmoreaboutourprograms, aswellasthemanybursariesandstudentawards currentlyavailable. WFP SCAN TOWATCHA VIDEOSHOWCASINGOUR TEACHEREDPROGRAM CheckoutRRC'sTeacherEducationblogatblogs.rrc.ca/teachered. S teve and Thitiworada Grandbois bought the business last September and reopened after a month of renovations, ending a dec- ade-long closure by the previous owner. Together, the husband-and-wife duo operate the 10-room motel, complete with a bustling lounge and restaurant that's earning attention for its Thai and Canadian cuisine. They also accept short- and long-term rentals for a three- bedroom cabin located 10 minutes away. "It's been busy with people coming from Thompson quite a bit for the Thai food and the regular Canadian food too. The spring rolls are one of the major attractions. Thiti makes them herself," Grandbois says. "Thiti is the overall manager. She cooks all the great food that we're getting famous for. She'll go out and talk to customers to get a gauge of how hot to make it. Some guy might say that he likes it hot, and Thiti will go about half or three- quarters of what she thinks is hot. Even then, it might still be too hot for him." Thitiworada moved to Canada four years ago from her home country of Thailand, where she ran her own restaurant and bar. At that time, Grandbois was already eyeing the lodge as a possible business venture. When he met his future wife, he knew her Thai cooking would be a big seller. So when the couple had an opportunity to buy the business, they jumped at the chance. Besides basic room rental, the lodge also offers a meeting room, concession and rentals of snowmobiles and boats. "We get a lot of snowmobilers. There's a groomed trail that comes right out into the driveway. They'll snowmobile out for Thai food right from town and they'll drive out for the evening as well," says Grandbois, who also co- owns a Thompson-based business that sells snowmobiles and four-wheelers. "We've got a lot of people phone for reservations from Thompson, Wabowden, Setting Lake. There's also a big provincial park between Thompson and the lodge. People come from there as well, so we pretty well get them from all over." In addition to the snowmobilers, other groups are interested in the lodge, which is located along Highway 6 between Setting and Bostrom lakes. It's mere minutes away from Sasagiu Rapids, the largest rapids in the province, and Pisew Falls, the second-highest waterfall in the province. "Right from your room, you can walk about two minutes and you're at the falls. You can fish there and catch pickerel and jack. In all the rooms on the side where the falls are, you can hear the rapids if you have the screen open on your door. It's really s o o t h i n g , " Grandbois says. "In winter and summer, there's road access to the second- largest falls. You can go to see them and they're just beautiful year-round." Nestled in the tranquil setting, business has been booming thanks to several large projects underway in the area, including Manitoba Hydro's Bipole III transmission project. "The government is also doing a bunch of highways work up here. The motel itself has been fairly busy, mainly with contractors and some transients," Grandbois says. "But we've got to watch that we leave room for the snowmobilers because once the work for Bipole III and the highways is done, we're going to need to rely on the snowmobilers. We're sort of juggling." On top of that, a bird-watching group from Chicago visits the area twice per year and is interested in the accommodations. "They asked just a couple months ago if we had rooms, but we were full at that point. They wanted to book 15 people," Grandbois says. "They said we've got a beautiful place here and they want to use us. That's the kind of business we'll get." After a busy first year, the couple are already planning for rapid expansion. A new 10-room building is scheduled to open in January with a focus on environmentally friendly construction. As well, a new 40-lot campsite is in the works on the 10-acre property. "We've already started on the road," Grandbois says. "We're aiming to be ready next summer, barring any unexpected delays." ❙ 6 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY DECEMBER 6, 2014 S A S A G I U R A P I D S Some like it hot while others do not. No matter the preference of your palate, you can find an authentic Thai dish to tempt your taste buds at Sasagiu Rapids Lodge, located a 40-minute drive south of Thompson. taste of tHaiLand Couple spices up Sasagiu restaurant By Jennifer McFee For the Free Press thItIworada moved to canada four years ago from her home country of thaIland, where she ran her own restaurant and Bar. at that tIme, grandBoIs was already eyeIng the lodge as a possIBle BusIness venture. The Granbois' bought the lodge last fall. Photo courtesy of Sasagiu Rapids Lodge Thai spring rolls. Stock photo

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