Local Information

Each flight to our camps departs from the NDK Air base, located on Mackenzie Lake Road in the town of Armstrong Station, Ontario. Armstrong Station is a small community located approximately 250 km (about 3 hours’ driving time) north of Thunder Bay. It is also part of the Whitesands First Nation's Armstrong Settlement.

There are two gas stations in the local area, as well as one grocery store which stocks a small selection of food, alcohol and other items. Keep in mind that there is a very limited selection of items here, and prices are generally higher than in larger cities such as Thunder Bay. Because of this, we recommend picking up all essentials before your arrival in Armstrong.

You can see a list of the items we recommend bringing with you, plus a sample meal plan in our packing guide.

Grocery Stores

Thunder Bay has a variety of grocery stores, making it an ideal spot to pick up everything you need before your drive north. Each of the following stores are located on the way to Armstrong Station from Thunder Bay.

Real Canadian Superstore: 971 Carrick St, Thunder Bay, +1 (807) 343-4500. *This store offers curbside pickup.

Walmart Supercentre: 1020 Dawson Road, Thunder Bay, +1 (807) 345-8490. *This store offers curbside pickup.

Safeway: 1015 Dawson Road, Thunder Bay, +1 (807) 473-5993.

Shawn's No Frills: 1020 Dawson Road, Thunder Bay, +1 (866) 987-6453.

Liquor Stores

LCBO is the main chain of liquor stores in Ontario, and the best place in Thunder Bay to stock up on wine and spirits. For beer, we recommend the aptly-named The Beer Store, where you can pick up everything from Coors Light to local craft favourites like the Sleeping Giant Brewing Company's "Northern Logger".

To make your trip even easier, we are happy to arrange an order of beer to be waiting for you upon arrival. Please contact us in advance for more information.

Bait

Superior Baits, located 465 Marion St, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 1E2 https://www.facebook.com/superiorbaitstbay/

Silver Minnow Bait Shop, located at 270 Mitchell Road, Shuniah, Ontario. You can call ahead with your order (+1 807 683 3778) and pick it up on the way to our base.

If you're travelling from the US, remember that live bait is not permitted to bring across the border.

Hotels

We are happy to organize local accommodation for you here in Armstrong Station so you can relax before your flight to our camps. We have partnered with some local businesses to offer the following options for you:

Wabakimi Wilderness Bed & Breakfast is a B&B-style lodge near the NDK Air base. A night at Wabakimi Wilderness includes free breakfast with an optional home-cooked dinner add-on.

Mattice Lake Outfitters offer self-contained guest cabins just up the road from our base. These comfortable cabins feature small kitchens and have lovely lake views.

The McKenzie Lake Inn is just a couple minutes' drive away and has single and double rooms. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk and each guest room has a microwave and mini fridge.

If you would prefer to stay in Thunder Bay before or after your drive to Armstrong, there are options for every budget. Feel free to contact us for our recommendations!