Sustainable tourism has become a catchphrase - and selling point in fact - for many of the world’s large lodging corporations. But for a lesson in what it really means to be concerned for your surroundings, look no further than Mike Wasuita, who, with an unassuming style - some humour - and an unapologetic earth-first disposition, is working to make Pine Bungalows a leader in the green tourism industry.

Recipient of numerous awards and accolades, Wasuita’s Pine Bungalows has for the second time, taken the municipality of Jasper’s environmental stewardship award - along with Friends of Jasper National Park - for green design. “I didn’t set out to win awards,” said Wasuita, “it’s just been a result of what I’ve been doing.”

Having spent nearly fifty years at the 10.5 acre site, Wasuita takes a lead by example philosophy to his business endeavours. “I’m not telling anybody what they should do,” he emphasized, “I’m just offering them options. I’m not comparing myself to anybody. I’m just doing what I do. I’m just doing my thing.” 

Being part of the “green rush,” as Wasuita explained, comes down to attitude. “Previous generations, they’d have used oil from a piece of equipment and just pour it on the ground. I’m a lot more conscious of that and I’m hoping that the next generation after me is even more conscious,” he said.  

Taking over the business from his late father in 1997, Wasuita’s push for sustainability has been both financially costly and educational. “Have you seen my wardrobe? Have you seen the vehicle I drive?” he joked. Wasuita has taken out hefty loans, but has no problem spending a bit more money to build sustainably the first time as opposed to just saving a few dollars, he said. 

Pine Bungalows also makes the effort to repair objects, such as old propane heaters in the cabins, instead of immediately replacing them when they fail, which reduces waste, said Wasuita. 

Where both savings and the environment most visibly intersect is in Wasuita’s no-mow policy. “I’ve stopped mowing lawns out here... I don’t have spilled gasoline. I don’t have clippings to get rid of. I have no noise,” he exclaimed. “I have meadows now... My year-round visitors are the elk, the deer, the birds, the bats, the bugs, that whole lifecycle of nature,” he said. 

In terms of increased costs, Wasuita is always on the lookout for innovative products and solutions, such as coconut shell barbecue briquets. It is also his intention to LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certify his buildings, which cumulatively improve the impact that Pine Bungalows has on the environment. “So many small things add up to one big thing,” said Wasuita. 

As the guinea pig for the municipality’s solar hot water program, Wasuita estimates that his $7,000 dollar investment on his home has saved him $110 in the past two months since installation.

As far as the educational component of business operations, Parks Canada has greatly assisted Pine Bungalows, said Wasuita. “We don’t poison, we don’t abuse. We are doing a lot of best practices for the land,” said Wasuita. 

“My father had a real tenuous relationship with Parks Canada,” explained Wasuita, but “special places need special rules” and “Parks Canada has a lot of really good information and guidelines,” he added. 

In developing the master plan for the site, Wasuita went back to the information parks had supplied his father since 1974 and began educating himself. 

“My father used to ask for forgiveness, not permission,” said Wasuita, to illustrate his approach, while bluntly adding - somewhat facetiously - that Parks Canada is “my landlord. If you anger your landlord, you’ll get evicted.”

Additionally, Wasuita and his staff do not use fertilizer that can runoff into the Athabasca River and create algae blooms downstream, he stressed. 

You’ll also see very few street lights out at Pine Bungalows, which complies with Parks Canada’s dark sky policy. Wasuita also purchases ‘outrageously expensive’ native grass seed in order to keep the land natural. 

Not only has Wasuita educated himself, he educates both his customers and staff. “It’s a digital detox out here,” said Wasuita. There are no TVs, no wireless internet, no microwaves and no phones in the bungalows, he explained. “I’m forcing them [his customers] to relax. It’s built for romance. There’s a lot of love happening out here,” he said wryly.

The staff of Pine Bungalows essentially receive a crash course in sustainability over the duration of their employment. Plastic grocery bags get a second life as the refuse bins in the washrooms, everything that can be recycled is recycled, there are blue boxes in every bungalow and Wasuita’s “dream” is to start separating out garbage bags from the waste as well, he said. Staff can also bring all of their garbage out to the property and make use of Wasuita’s recycling program. 

Wasuita’s staff are also encouraged to volunteer in the community. They recently participated in the Highway 16 cleanup during environment week. There is also an incentive to recycle, as all the money from recycling goes into the staff tip jar, said Wasuita. 

As for inspiration, Wasuita looks to people such as David Suzuki, Thomas Freedman and Al Gore, but most importantly, his mother (and business partner), whom he calls his platonic “soul mate... She’s so proud of what we’re accomplishing out here,” said Wasuita.

Wasuita takes a magnanimous keep-on-keeping-on approach to winning future awards. “I don’t mind that people catch up. If I’m not the leader anymore, that’s fine with me,” he said. “I think this is win-win for everybody,” said Wasuita.