Engadine wins award for sustainable tourism

Craig Douce

Chris Williams

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A local hotelier has been recognized for going above and beyond in making its operation one of the most sustainable in the province.

Mount Engadine Lodge recently received the Alberta Tourism award for sustainable tourism at an industry conference at the end of October.

In an interview recently with the Outlook, innkeeper Chris Williams said for him, sustainable tourism means a variety of different things.

“Everybody assumes sustainable tourism is about ‘green’, which is a portion, but it is about the bigger picture – are you talking the talk and walking the walk?” he said.

Williams, who, along with his wife Shari-Lynn has been managing Engadine Lodge over the past four years, said their focus has been to do everything they can to lessen the operation’s footprint.

For example, the lodge is completely off the electrical grid and uses a microbiotic septic system.

“We make all our own power,” Williams said, adding they use a diesel generator and a 24-battery bank to store power as well as propane for cooking. “In quieter times, we can shut off the diesel and that means we have inexpensive energy and it is great for the environment, especially in a provincial park.”

The septic system breaks down effluent through a series of tanks with the end product being 99.7 per cent pure, like a form of compost, which leaches out into a nearby septic bed.

Canmore Economic Development Authority executive director Teresa Mullen said the award is important for the area because sustainability is a key value in the community.

“It is the idea of stewardship and the importance of maintaining our environment and it is a key component of our tourism product,” Mullen said. “It is important we have operators like Engadine Lodge that actually act on it.”

She pointed towards the recently-accepted economic development and tourism strategy by the Town of Canmore.

The strategy sets out sustainable tourism as a core value. Mullen said as a value along with authenticity it becomes a key component of our identity and differentiates the tourism product in a world marketplace.

Williams has paid attention to the small details of the lodge in the name of sustainability.

From a 10 bin recycling system to cloth napkins to obtaining as much as possible from local suppliers like Mountain Blends, Rocky Mountain Soap, Valbella and Le Chocolatier, he said all efforts are taken.

“Every chance we get, it is always local,” he said. “I would rather spend an extra few dollars in town to support local businesses.

“To see so many independently-owned and operated businesses is a treat in a mountain town.”

Williams said he is a firm believer in buying local products, adding if small businesses are supported by other businesses and are successful, it attracts even more business interests to a community.

Williams said the lodge, located in Spray Valley Provincial Park, is the only commercial operation of its kind in a provincial park in Alberta.

“We consider ourselves stewards,” he said. “We are in Spray Valley Provincial Park and because we are the only building on that road it is important everything we do is indicative of that.”

While the park was formed in 2000, the lodge was built in 1987 and opened a year later and was grandfathered in when the park was established.

Up until three years ago, the operation was typical of backcountry lodges featuring small, shared rooms and shared bathrooms.

Williams and his wife were brought in by the lodge’s owner, Andrew Kyle, to turn it around.

It is the eighth property in North America the couple has revamped. They have worked in places like Vermont, New Mexico, Cape Cod, P.E.I., the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino and Jade Mountain resort in St. Lucia, where they were before coming to the Bow Valley.

“We are known as clean-up, fix-up and start-up specialists,” he joked, also referring to themselves as gypsy innkeepers. “We wanted to make it one of the top three properties in Alberta and we have done that.”

Mount Engadine Lodge has been the top-rated property in the Rockies for the last two years on TripAdvisor and was featured in National Geographic Travel Magazine two years ago as one of the top 150 properties in the Americas for sense of place.

Williams has also spearheaded the Music in the Meadow series each summer, which was named by the Canadian Tourism Commission as one of the top five coolest spots in Canada to see live music.

This year included performances by Carla Anderson, Kat Dancer and Matthew Barber. Williams said he had to choose four acts out of 45 to apply, 15 of which were Juno award winners.

“People are already booking rooms not knowing who the music act is (for next year), they just know it is a good experience,” he said.

And, of course, there is the six-and-a-half minute spot on Jack Hanna’s nature program that has become one of the program’s top 10 viewer rated shows.

Williams and Shari-Lynn intended on leaving the valley this past April to travel and take time off, something not always possible in the service industry.

But, like they say in the movies, they were given an offer they could not refuse and will stay on to manage the lodge while taking two extended holidays over the next year.

“At the end of the day, we have worked a lot of great properties, but when you have an owner who supports you unequivocally it is amazing to work in that environment,” he said, adding staff and guests of the lodge are also big believers in what they do, creating a record year in 2010. “There are not too many properties that could boast that.”

While he has been here, though, Williams has also become heavily involved in local hotel and tourism groups.

He has been a member of Tourism Canmore Kananaskis, part of the Canmore Hotel and Lodging Association and a founding member of the Destination Marketing Fund.

The DMF is a group of local hotels that have voluntarily put a three per cent levy on all rooms to support tourism marketing of the area and local events.

He said he sees the community maturing and realizing how important tourism is and how critical it is to keep the product being offered to visitors authentic.

“I think Canmore is coming together as a community, more so in the last couple of years than in a long time, we are all realizing we are in this together,” he said.