By Paula Dobbyn, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska
Jan. 21--Ouzinkie Native Corp. is moving deeper into the tourism business with the purchase of Katmai Wilderness
Lodge.
The Native corporation, headquartered in the village of Ouzinkie on Spruce Island near Kodiak, has become the new
majority owner of the 5-year-old lodge.
Ouzinkie now owns 80 percent of the business. One of the lodge's former owners, Thomas D. Walters of Kodiak, owns
20 percent, said Ouzinkie chief executive Michael O'Connor.
Katmai Wilderness Lodge can house up to 12 adults. Located on a 3.2 acre inholding at Kukak Bay, flanked by Katmai
National Park, the lodge features bear viewing, sportfishing and bird-watching.
"It's got excellent potential. The number of clients has been growing about 20 percent a year. And it's got
the world's most spectacular bear viewing," O'Connor said. During the height of salmon season, up to 30 bears
have been seen fishing, clam digging and cavorting on the tidal flats, a short boat ride from the lodge, O'Connor
said.
The purchase of the lodge marks the second major tourism investment by Ouzinkie, which is attempting to diversify.
Logging on nearby Afognak Island has been the corporation's main cash generator, besides its portfolio of stocks
and bonds. Ouzinkie is a partner of Koncor Forest Products, a joint venture that logs primarily on Afognak.
Ouzinkie is also a 10 percent investor in a new Marriott suite-style hotel being built in Fairbanks, O'Connor said.
Two Anchorage developers and a consortium of Native corporations are also investors in the $16 million project,
he said. The other Native companies are NANA Regional Corp., Koniag Inc., Kuskowim Corp., MTNT Ltd. of McGrath
and Galena-based Gana-A'Yoo Ltd. The hotel is in the engineering and architectural design phase, O'Connor said.
A subsidiary of NANA will operate the six-story, 140-room hotel.
Ouzinkie is also a majority owner of the Tesoro Sports Center behind The Alaska Club off O'Malley Road in Anchorage,
O'Connor said. The hockey rink, which includes a restaurant, bar and pro shop, opened in November, he said.
Ouzinkie serves some 340 shareholders who live primarily in Ouzinkie, Kodiak, Anchorage and outside Alaska. The
shareholders are mostly of Alutiiq origin.
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