Brewster Travel Canada has officially reopened its gondola terminal at the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff after a 13-month, $26 million redevelopment project.
Brewster has been operating the Banff Gondola since 1980, including the terminal on top of the mountain peak and it is that mountaintop experience that has seen a major injection of capital with the completion of the project.
Brewster Travel Canada President Dave McKenna said four years ago when the company began to examine the facility for upgrades, it was realized that a tremendous opportunity to provide a mountaintop four-season interpretive experience was in front of them.
“What we started out doing was to renovate an aging building that had some water leaking in it at the top of a mountain,” McKenna said. “As we got into it, we said ‘we have an amazing opportunity here to build something nobody has ever seen before’ and we could do it in an amazingly environmentally sensitive and responsible way and we could draft in education that is going to turn it into an amazing visitor experience.”
The terminal was constructed entirely on the old facility footprint and includes four storeys available to the public to visit as an attraction and space to rent out for private functions – a first for the gondola.
On the top level is a citizenship pavilion area, where in future McKenna hopes new Canadians will be able to take the oath of citizenship, and an outdoor terrace. The third level includes a fine dining experience with Sky Bistro and Northern Lights Café offering convenient food prepared fresh at the gondola each day. The second level includes a gift shop featuring Canadian-made souvenirs, the Above Banff theatre and interpretive centre. The entire floor is focused on delivering natural and cultural history of the Rocky Mountains, which was developed in partnership with Parks Canada.
The federal agency provided photographs, video footage and information to help develop the interpretive displays.
The interpretive elements are immersive for those who are young and young at heart to enjoy, including tactile elements, a passport for children to stamp as they go through the displays and, finally, the Above Banff Theatre.
In the 40-seat theatre, guests can enjoy a bird’s eye view of Banff National Park as high definition footage high over mountain peaks, through river valleys and around the town site offers a perspective not available to the public.
Brewster partnered with the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity on the musical score to accompany the film and, of course, seats in the theatre rumble with the drums and bass as the movie soars through mountain peaks.
“The outcome is that we have transformed the Banff Gondola, which was a ride up to the top of a mountain, into a four-season experience,” McKenna said.
McKenna said Brewster had ambitious timelines in order to see the project come to fruition.
“When we first studied this we were told it would be a 22- to 24-month project to get it constructed,” he said. “We said, ‘that’s great, but we want to do that in nine months at the top of a mountain.’ ”
PCL was the general contractor brought on board for the $26 million redevelopment of the gondola terminal.
Gondola general manager Luke Sunderland said most of the construction materials were transported up the mountain on the gondola and in addition to being environmentally conscious about construction, operationally the terminal also boasts a strong stewardship aspect.
All garbage at the gondola terminal is separated to divert organics and recyclable products from the landfill. Grey water in the facility is recycled, it has solar panels to heat the water used and features energy efficient fixtures like LED lighting and low flow toilets.
“Any business operating in a national park needs to be a steward of the environment,” Sunderland said. “In this case, I think we have taken it to another level because when you build a new facility you have the opportunity to change your footprint or impact.”
Where Magazine publisher Jack Newton presented McKenna with the magazine’s annual best new attraction award for the work done to improve the gondola experience at the top of Sulphur Mountain.
Newton said of the 10 Where Magazines across the country to nominate local attractions for the distinction, it was the Rocky Mountain Where Magazine’s choice of the terminal at the top of the gondola that won.
He said Brewster should be celebrated for continuing to invest money into tourism infrastructure.
“This is one of the very few companies in the Canadian Rockies that takes tens of millions of dollars at a time and invests it in tourism infrastructure and it is incredibly important for the mountain communities they work within,” Newton said. “If you are looking for an example of diversification in the Alberta economy, look no further.”
Banff Lake Louise Tourism CEO Leslie Bruce lauded Brewster for making the experience at the top of a mountain accessible to all Canadians and international visitors.
Bruce said accessibility is a core tenet of the Banff brand, so that no matter what ability level you have, there is something to experience to take your breath away.
“These are things that stick with you forever and change you when you go home and it doesn’t matter if you are a hard core backcountry person or your comfort level is to take the gondola … to have an experience regardless of physical ability and feel what it is like to stand over the valley is amazing,” she said.
The 360-degree observation deck at the top of the mountain offers a view of six mountain ranges, Bow River and Banff townsite and, along with the terminal inside, it is wheelchair accessible.
Locals wanting to check out the new terminal can do so on Locals Day on Saturday (Oct. 22) with admission being a donation to the Bow Valley Food Bank.
