Gunflint Lodge celebrates 100 years and opening of Northern Lights Lodge building

In late December, Gunflint Lodge and Outfitters, owned by John & Mindy Fredrikson, welcomed the addition of a new lodging and event space on their property. 

The new building, called Northern Lights Lodge, overlooks Gunflint Lake. It includes a handful of rooms for lodging, a small bar, and space for approximately 60 people to gather for weddings, reunions, or community events.

John Fredrikson and Northern Lights Lodge | Photo by Kalli Hawkins

“It was just a type of accommodation we didn’t have here, and we sensed that there was a demand,” John Fredrikson said. 

To celebrate the new building and the expanded capability to host events, Gunflint Lodge is hosting a grand opening event on Friday, Jan. 31, at 4 p.m. The event will include appetizers, a champagne toast, and an opportunity for attendees to share memories of Gunflint Lodge and honor Justine Kerfoot, as the location of the Northern Lights Lodge sits atop Justine’s cabin, which burned down in May 2022.  

Incorporated into the new building are elements that pay tribute to Justine Kerfoot. “We did save a couple of things from Justine’s cabin,” Fredrikson said. 

The inset of the building’s fireplace is made of stones from Justine’s cabin, and the mantle includes a quote from her book, Woman of the Boundary Waters. Fredrickson said that including components that are “a nod to Justine and the history of the place was important to us.”

Inset is from Justine Kerfoot’s cabin | Photo by Kalli Hawkins

Justine Kerfoot quote engraved in mantle | Photo by Kalli Hawkins

The grand opening event on Jan. 31 is the first of a handful of Gunflint Lodge celebrations this year as the business celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025. 

Gunflint Lodge was founded by Russell and Dora Blankenburg as a seasonal fishing camp in 1925, then run by Mae and George Spunner and the Kerfoot family beginning in 1927. It remained in the Kerfoot family, with Bill and Justine Kerfoot operating the resort for several decades. Their son, Bruce Kerfoot, and his wife, Sue, then purchased the resort and retained ownership until selling it to John and Mindy Fredrikson in 2016. 

Justine’s Cabin | Photo by Gunflint Lodge

Given the extensive history of Gunflint Lodge and the 100-year milestone, Fredrikson said, “It kind of feels a lot more like a caretaker sometimes than someone who just owns a piece of property.”

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with John Fredrikson at the new Northern Lights Lodge building. The audio from the interview is below.

Kalli Hawkins January 29, 2025