Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge: a century reimagined.
This was one of Alberta's most storied commercial demolition projects — a century-old Rockies landmark, taken carefully apart. For more than a hundred years, this glacier-side property has reinvented itself while honouring everything that came before, and when it was time to begin its latest transformation, the first step was ours.
From ten tents to a Rockies icon
It began in 1915 as "Tent City" — ten canvas tents pitched along glacier-fed Lac Beauvert. When the Canadian National Railway reimagined the camp, the official Jasper Park Lodge opened in 1922: not a single tower, but a village of hand-hewn log cabins and a grand main lodge set into the Athabasca Valley. Over a century it hosted royalty and Hollywood alike, earned a place on the Historic Hotels Worldwide register, and became one of the most recognizable retreats in the Canadian Rockies — all inside Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A place this beloved is never truly finished. From a 1952 fire to the 2024 wildfire and the community's steady rebuild since, the lodge has endured by doing one thing exceptionally well: reinventing itself while honouring everything that came before. Today, it is being reimagined once more.
A century apart
The same spirit, a new century. Downright Demolition cleared the way between the two — carefully removing the old so the reimagined lodge could take shape.
This large-scale commercial demolition in Alberta demanded real range. Across the lodge's public and back-of-house spaces, our crew delivered the full selective demolition and asbestos abatement scope, working to detailed demolition drawings. In short: structural and concrete removals, full-containment asbestos and ACM mastic abatement, interior strip-outs of finishes, millwork and tile, and fixture and site work — all completed under Alberta regulations, with materials diverted for recycling wherever possible.
What a heritage landmark demands
Working inside a century-old, still-beloved property deep in the Rockies brings challenges you won't find on a typical job site. Here's what this project asked of our crew.
A living landmark
Guest-facing spaces and protected heritage features meant removing only what the drawings called for — and safeguarding everything that stays.
Regulated hazards
An older building meant asbestos, ACM mastic and lead-bearing materials that had to be tested, contained and removed to Alberta standards before other work could begin.
A remote setting
Jasper's location deep in the Rockies — inside a national park — adds access, logistics and compliance considerations most urban sites never face.
A tight timeline
Every trade downstream depended on a clean, on-schedule handoff, so careful sequencing and coordination were critical from day one.
Hand-selective demolition
For a landmark like this, we relied on a hand-selective method — materials removed carefully by hand or with small, precise tools instead of heavy machinery. It's slower on paper, but far safer and cleaner in a sensitive, high-value space.
Remove only targeted elements without disturbing nearby systems, structures or heritage finishes.
Reduce risk in sensitive, occupied environments with strict protocols and full containments.
Limit dust and debris so the surrounding property stays protected and presentable.
Preserve structural integrity and existing utilities, right down to the last finish.
The work, up close
A hand-selective strip-out inside a live, century-old landmark — from lowering heritage chandeliers to clearing the great hall floor, every element removed with care.
Even in demolition, waste matters
Taking a building apart doesn't have to mean filling a landfill. On this project — as on every job — our crew worked to keep as much material as possible in use and out of the waste stream:
- Separating recyclables like metal, wood and cardboard on site.
- Salvaging reusable components wherever they could be safely recovered.
- Removing only what's necessary — selective demolition means less waste by design.
- Diverting materials from landfill, in line with our roughly 90% recycling rate across projects.
We worked in close coordination with the general contractor, engineers and asbestos consultants throughout the job. Daily communication, aligned schedules and shared safety standards kept every phase — from hazmat containment to final clean handoff — moving cleanly and on time. On a property this visible, that seamless teamwork is what protects both the building and the guest experience.
Keeping a Rockies icon ready for its next century
This was more than a renovation. Jasper draws visitors from around the world, and its landmark lodge sits at the heart of that story — and of a community that has shown remarkable resilience through recent years. Preparing these spaces carefully, safely and on schedule helps keep a beloved icon ready to welcome guests for generations to come.
For our team, being trusted with a property of this significance is exactly the kind of work we exist for: high-stakes, detail-driven, and deeply rewarding when it's done right.
Project highlights
Commercial demolition in Alberta, done right.
From a downtown tower to a Rockies landmark, every job is handled with the same care, safety and precision. We were proud to play a part in the next chapter of Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge — and we bring that same standard to commercial demolition across Alberta, plus selective, residential, industrial, interior and exterior demolition, asbestos abatement and excavation — now including Calgary.
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