Bigger, better, bolder Baldface

Baldface Lodge is building a $2.5-million expansion

Baldface Lodge guests this winter will be staying in brand new accommodations. — Photo courtesy Baldface Lodge

It all came down, literally, on Mother’s Day 2011.  With a heavy snowpack this year, the large steel-framed roof collapsed, crushing all seven trailers. The clock started ticking for Baldface Lodge, as it rushed towards a new season that had already been sold out—and next season was only seven months away.

The pressure was on to have places to accommodate the upcoming season’s guests. While the main timber-frame lodge went unscathed, there was still a need to have places for people to sleep.

“It was hammer time," said Jeff Pensiero, president of Baldface Lodge. "I called the engineer, I called our contractor and our insurance company and had everyone up there in two days.” 

There had always been a plan to remove the Atco trailers sometime in the future, but that plan suddenly went into high gear. The Cat-ski operation will have invested approximately $2.5 million once the expansion is complete; it will be a two-storey, 9,000-square-foot dorm-style building and will be completely off the grid.

Baldface is using as many local companies and crews as possible and Pensiero has put some of the project's aspects out to tender, reaching out as far as Kelowna, B.C.

Maglio Installations, architect Steven Kaup and engineer Don Willems are locals that have joined the Baldface team on this project.

The new building will be able to accommodate more off-season traffic and will eventually be wheelchair accessible.