Edmonton Ski Club says new temporary lodge a success

The Edmonton Ski Club has two new temporary buildings to replace the old lodge, which was demolished in October (Matt Marshall/CTV News Edmonton)

The Edmonton Ski Club said staff and visitors are enjoying the new indoor day lodge and on-site bathrooms at the hill, which will be in use until the new River Valley Outdoor Activity Centre is complete.

"The old lodge, or the old shack we like to call it, came down in late October and it's really been transformative for our hill and the community that we're building around outdoor winter sport," said Zoe Sloan, Edmonton Ski Club general manager.

In August, the City of Edmonton approved $800,000 for demolition of the old lodge and for the two new temporary buildings needed to open the hill this winter.

Sloan said the old lodge had reached the end of its life, with part of it being condemned in 2017. A new net-zero carbon neutral building will take its place.

"We hope to make it a world-class facility here in the heart of the city that welcomes Edmontonians to Edmonton Ski Club and to the Edmonton Folk Fest and really just create a centerpiece in the heart of our river valley."

The hill expects to use the temporary buildings for three years, with construction on the new structure set to begin in the next year or two and a tentative opening date set for 2026.

In the meantime, Sloan said the new lodge and bathrooms are an improvement and feedback has been positive.

"We've had people who haven't been here since the mid-90s saying, 'Oh, they finally took that building down. It needed to go in the 90s,'" she said. "So, here we are, we're finally doing it and it feels great."

"It's really nice to have a warm, clean environment where our staff can come to work and feel proud of where they work and what we represent as a ski area."

Concept renderings of the centre are available on the Edmonton Ski Club website.