STONEY NAKODA - By the end of summer, drivers travelling along the Trans-Canada Highway between Calgary and Canmore will have a new gas station and travel centre to stop at.
STONEY NAKODA - By the end of summer, drivers travelling along the Trans-Canada Highway between Calgary and Canmore will have a new gas station and travel centre to stop at.
The Bearspaw - Kananaskis Travel Centre, located beside the Stoney Nakoda Casino and Resort, is slated to open in late August or early September. The 6,000 square foot building is expected to become a hub for travellers looking to stretch their legs, grab a bite to eat or fill up their gas tank.
Tim Hortons and an ESSO gas station will anchor the new site and there will also be a 1,200 square foot mezzanine on the second floor, a gift shop and a private lounge area for truckers, with change rooms and showers.
The travel centre will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"I don't know if there may be another Tim Hortons on a First Nations in Alberta, but if we are the first one I'm pretty proud of that," said Bearspaw Chief Darcy Dixon, who signed a lease with the new Tim Hortons franchise owners at the casino on May 14.
He said it was a big learning curve for the tribe doing business with outside groups, but said he is proud of the partnerships they have formed with Tim Hortons and ESSO as well as Subway, which is located in Morley.
Heather Carnahan, CEO for Stoney Nakoda Holdings, said it made sense to build the travel centre because of its location along the Trans-Canada Highway.
"When we looked at this site after the Stoney Nakoda Casino and Resort was opened we looked at the master plan and this always came up as a complimentary development," said Carnahan.
According to Rob Shotclose, CEO for the Bearspaw administration, the travel centre is designed to celebrate local Indigenous culture.
"We wanted it to stand out," said Shotclose, explaining the front entrance is designed after a teepee and there will also be a mural done by a local Bearspaw artist.
"We want people to know who owns it, who's running it."
He said the travel centre is also expected to create 30 to 35 new jobs and help generate revenue for the entire nation.
"Whatever revenues we have here we want to reinvest that for the next phase."
Cody and Kari Gosling, co-owners of the Tim Horton's, said they were excited about opening the franchise.
"This is a partnership we've never experienced personally and I don't know if there are very many across the country," said Cody. "I know it's been drawn out, but it's been a good process. We're excited about the site, the building is beautiful and we can't wait to get going and start creating a team."
Once the new store is open it will be the Gosling's ninth franchise, after taking ownership of the Tim Hortons in both Canmore and Banff earlier in the week.
Construction of the travel centre is on land that was designated in a 2002 referendum, which set aside 238 acres for new development. There is still about 150 acres available for development.
"This is just the kickoff," said Shotclose. "I think there's a lot more that can happen here. This is not the end at all. I think this is just the start for this site."
To help with the project, Shotclose said the provincial government provided $625,000 in grant funding, while the federal government kicked in another $700,000.
In addition to the new travel centre, Alpine Helicopters recently signed a lease agreement to set up its third sightseeing operation beside the casino. The sightseeing tour has been specifically designed with the local Indigenous culture in mind and takes people on scenic tours of the lakes, rivers and mountains Indigenous people have called home for centuries.
"They have worked very closely with a committee of representatives from the nation to develop their product," said Caranhan. "It's very much an Indigenous tour."
