50 Years, 50 Legacies: Betty Berger Lessard

#16: Betty Berger Lessard: Namakan’s Woman of the Lakes

In 1915, at barely a month old, Betty Berger and her family moved to a remote island on Namakan Lake nestled near the Namakan River with the dream of building a life rooted in fishing, trapping, and guiding. Her childhood home on the lakeshore was her world until she briefly left to attend boarding school in Fort Frances. After two terms, she knew it wasn’t for her and she returned to Namakan, where she would spend the rest of her life. For Betty, this island would become more than just a place to grow up – it would become her entire world, shaping her identity and offering the stage for one of the most remarkable lives ever lived along those northern shores.

From a young age, she displayed a level of self-reliance and toughness that is uncommon among girls her age, but essential for life on the island. Her chores included driving a boat to Crane Lake and back all by herself, and as an 11-year-old, the 18-mile solo journey certainly didn’t go unnoticed by the public. At age 14, she decided to train the family dogs to become a sled team for the winter months. Her unshakable determination resulted in providing a practical, necessary transportation method for her family. 

She developed skills which allowed her to remain independent from the outside world, often joining her father on his guiding trips to become familiar with the lake and good fishing spots. In 1955, she received an offer of marriage from Leon Lessard and was married shortly thereafter. Less than a year later, she was widowed when her husband tragically fell off a barge on Crane Lake. She never remarried, instead choosing to dedicate her life to her beloved dogs and the seasonal rhythms of lake life..

As a pilot, trapper, dog musher, and hunting and fishing guide, Betty became known as “The Guide of Namakan.” Her resilience and deep connection to these wild places were established early on in her life and only deepened over time.While the ebb and flow of the seasons were often taxing, she stayed constant; fishermen could motor up to the island knowing that she’d be there. 

Even up until her final years living on the island, Betty entertained children and adults alike with stories and sweets, a testament to her enduring love for her Namakan home and community.