Despite holding the opening ceremony in 2023, the lodge’s history in Waterton Park dates back almost 100 years. The Kilmorey Lodge was first opened in 1926 and served as a rooming house.
A fire destroyed the building in 1933, but it was rebuilt two years later.
The lodge was expanded in 1940 and served guests up until a second fire devastated the building in January of 2009. By the time Parks Canada staff arrived, half of the building was already gone, resulting in its demolition.
Lockey Craig said the roughly decade-long process to rebuild the lodge included many back-and-forth discussions between Waymarker Hospitality and Parks Canada, in order to decide on a building and site plan both the federal agency and Craig, as a developer, were able to agree on.
Construction as part of the physical rebuild of the Kilmorey Lodge began in 2019.
Craig noted that progress was slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but the new site was able to re-open in 2022, setting the stage for the May 2 grand opening event.
Craig said it took a lot of dedication and teamwork to get to where they are today.
He remarked that, “It was difficult, you know, [with] conflicting interests between Parks Canada and ourselves on what should be built.”
“We came up with what I think we’re happy with and Parks Canada is happy with,” Craig added.
Rebuilding the Kilmorey Lodge came with a few conditions from Parks Canada, including the need for staff accommodations. Craig explained that those accommodations are in the basement of the lodge.
“The bottom four feet of that accommodation is really under the [Emerald Bay] lake, and so, we basically had to build a reverse swimming pool to make sure the water did not get in it,” he said,
Craig added, “The pressure from the water made the structure a very hard structure to build, and it’s like a bunker. We’ve got a 24-inch slab under this building to try and keep the slab down from the water pressure trying to push it up, so that was hugely complicating.”
Additionally, Parks Canada would not allow for height extensions to the building. Craig said this resulted in the rooms being “built into the roof line.”
The revamped Kilmorey Lodge boasts 18 rooms for guests, with the majority on the second floor of the building. Accessible rooms are available on the main floor.
The lodge also features a restaurant and pub, as well as custom woodwork throughout the building, in an effort to replicate and honour the look of the previous facility.
Craig explained that the new lodge is on the same property as the previous building, with a few differences. The rebuilt site was built closer to Emerald Bay and parking was moved to the south side of the structure. The restaurant, which Craig said aims to provide guests with a fine dining experience, is larger and is on the north side of the lodge, with an outdoor patio facing the bay.
The Kilmorey Lodge is open to guests year-round.
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