Big things are brewing for the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre.
Now a part of the global travel brand Pursuit, Brewster Travel has been busy updating their base of operations at the toe of the Athabasca Glacier midway between Jasper and Lake Louise.
They’ve hired Forrec, a company with a reputation for designing marquee attractions such as LegoLand and other theme parks around the globe, to create a master plan for the centre.
Forrec’s senior director of visitor attractions, Matt Dawson, has a new recipe for the future and doesn’t mince words about what will soon be the Discovery Centre’s past.
“The building is crowded and underwhelming,” Dawson said. “It’s a missed opportunity - Brewster ranks high (on online travel sites and apps) but the building gets poor or non-existent reviews. People are just blanking it out of their minds. So we want to have complementary experiences inside that enhance what they have outside.”
The next big thing for the Icefield centre is still coming into focus, but in the meantime the building is a flurry of activity as crews put the finishing touches on its two re-envisioned restaurants, the starkly contrasting Altitude and Chalet.
Both spaces emulate the practical function of the eateries they are replacing, with buffet-style and cafeteria service to handle the 600,000 or so visitors that pass through the centre in a normal year.
But they’ve been upgraded to meet the standard Brewster has set with the centre’s anchor attractions, the glacier adventure tour and the glacier skywalk.
“Altitude is a 450-square-metre buffet style servery,” Dawson explained. “It takes inspiration from the natural environment. So the colour palette is inspired by glaciers, lots of icy blues and whites, harder surfaces - it’s cool and contemporary, and would not be out of place in downtown Vancouver.”
He said it would serve dishes true to their Canadian and Albertan origins to help provide the mostly international visitorship with an experience that feels “rooted in place.”
Chalet, by contrast, is smaller at 330 sq. m. and is kitted out to create more of a rustic lodge on the verge of a mountain adventure sort of vibe.
“It will be cafeteria-style where you order first, but the food will be kind of higher-end, with limited menu offerings to increase the quality of the food,” Dawson continued.
He said Chalet’s theme should evoke the feeling of stocking up on provisions before hitting the trail, with lots of grab-and-go items available too. Wood and textured metal in the material palette allow the cafeteria to appear as much like a cabin as could be expected, with a massive synthetic fireplace setting the tone.
“It’s the best fake fireplace I’ve ever seen,” he said.
The floorplan will allow for high throughput but with nooks and crannies built in so patrons feel like they’re in a cozy venue.
The restaurants are expected to be ready for the Glacier Adventure season’s April 14 opening.
“We’re really excited,” said Rusty Noble, the Icefield Centre’s general manager. “It brings the food experience up to the 21st century, and it’s part of the ongoing upgrades we’re making to our visitor experiences. Last year we did some great work to the gondola in Banff and now it’s our turn to get some upgrades.”
Craig Gilbert
