Businesses in Waterton say they’re hoping for a hot and profitable summer ahead as they finally put the pandemic and the 2017 Kenow wildfire behind them.
The May long weekend usually marks the start of tourism season in the townsite, located in Waterton Lakes National Park, just north of the Canada-U.S. border.
Visitors come for the mountain views, hiking, waterfalls, scenic drives and a pristine lake that stretches across the border into Montana.
“Last year was a big year for us,” said Shameer Suleman, president of the Waterton Park Chamber of Commerce and owner of the Bayshore Inn Resort & Spa.
“Albertans really got to know Waterton during COVID and I think they fell in love, because our repeat business from Albertans has been huge,” he said.
Suleman, who has been a business owner for 35 years, says it’s an exciting time for Waterton.
“It’s a bit of a rebirth. The U.S. borders are all reopened, the pandemic is behind us, the fire is behind us. It’s a renewed time,” he said.
One thing that sets Waterton apart from other Alberta destinations is that it traditionally shuts down for the winter season. That means owning a business there can feel like starting from scratch every spring, having to find and train staff.
“It definitely has its challenges,” said Suleman. “But we’ve been doing this for a long time.”
There are only 325 hotel rooms and two campgrounds in the town and little to no new development, which has helped maintain Waterton’s quiet, small town feel.
Business owners say that also makes it an attractive proposition for visitors who want a different experience than they’d find in busier towns like Banff and Jasper.
“Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a steady increase in visitors,” said Keith Robinson, who runs Dark Sky Guides. The company gives visitors the chance to enjoy stars and northern lights from inside the park, including night hikes and snowshoe trips.
“Last year was great because we started to see U.S. travellers and international visitors return to the park. And for my business, I’ve already had advanced bookings for this season,” he said. “At a guess, I’d say 35 per cent of visitors are U.S. travellers, another 15 per cent might be international and the rest are Canadians.”
“I’m really optimistic that this year will take us back to where we were before the pandemic and beyond.”
Mike Christou, owner of the Waterton Park Cafe, is also optimistic about visitor numbers.
“People like coming here when it’s hot. There’s a nice lake to swim in and heat is good for summer business,” said Christou.
The main issue for the park this season is a new ban on non-motorized watercraft, including paddleboards and kayaks, from outside of the park due to invasive mussels and whirling disease. But visitors can still rent watercraft from local businesses.
Parks Canada says Waterton had over 500,000 visitors in 2023.
“Anecdotally, we’re busiest on weekends with regional visitors from southern Alberta — Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Calgary areas — people coming down for the day or an overnight,” said Christy Gustavison, visitor experience manager with Waterton Lakes National Park.
Gustavison says the variety and diversity of landscapes and its proximity to Glacier National Park in the United States are two big reasons for the town’s popularity.
She says people planning a summer visit this year should take into account the busy peak weekends in July and August.
Businesses in the small tourist town of Waterton, which sits near the border with the U.S. in Waterton Lakes National Park, say they’re looking forward to visitor numbers getting back to pre-pandemic levels and beyond this summer. It’s been a roller-coaster ride for shops and hotels since the 2017 Kenow wildfire, followed by the pandemic and the closure of the Canada-U.S. border, which cut off a significant customer base.