Lake Louise Expansion: A Dream Come True

You’ve heard it referred to as “Canada’s Diamond in the Wilderness,” the “Hiking Capital of Canada,” or the “Emerald of the Rockies” – each of these names describes the rare charm and beauty found at Lake Louise Ski Resort.

As the largest resort in the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise offers skiers 4,200+ acres of pristine terrain; 1 gondola; 5 chairs; 1 platter; 3 carpets – for a total of 10 lifts; hiking and horseback trails; glaciers and waterfalls; lots of restaurants; plenty of shopping; a host of lodging to choose from and the finest downhill ski areas in the Rockies. The resort also boasts a long ski season that extends through mid-May, giving skiers more time to enjoy their winter play.

With the capacity to serve 6,000 visitors a day, the resort has decided to take on a new project – the Lake Louise Expansion. The expansion would ultimately include an additional 1,150 acres of ski-able terrain on the upper mountain that would allow for almost double a number of visitors (11,500) in one day; a new reservoir so the mountain can use less water to make snow; additional lifts and parking lots; a new summer lodge at the top of the gondola to protect the wildlife on the lower mountain, and in addition to this, the resort would return 2,500+ acres of that land back to Parks Canada. Oh yes, we’re talking massive redevelopment folks, a real game changer in the making.

Sounds fantastically festive, and festively fantastic – right? Wrong. Because while this expansion would really up the game for Lake Louise, the deafening controversy over environment and wildlife has not yet been resolved.

According to a Parks Canada press release, Lake Louise was only given a blueprint for long-term growth. It was simply an approval in terms of how the resort would move forward on this project. As explained in the approval, every single project involved must have an environmental assessment done; a long-range development plan; and overall, a financial evaluation, which means development will not happen quickly.

Needless to say, you might want to hold on to your excitement about the expansion until more information is available — at least for the moment — because as it stands, it’s possible that these plans won’t get underway for quite a few years. Parks Canada is very concerned with visitor experience, and will consider every aspect of the project before allowing developers to begin building the resort.

So in the meantime, keep enjoying all the wonderful amenities the resort has to offer now, and before you know it, the dream will become a reality, and you’ll be skiing your way through new terrain, eating new food, and viewing new wildlife at the new and improved Lake Louise Resort.