Slow (Incentive) Travel in Western Canada

by Pádraic Gilligan, Co-founder, SoolNua & Research and Consultancy, SITE

Recently Jenn Attersall of Destination Canada and I spent a week in Western Canada with eight corporate buyers of incentive travel. Starting in Calgary, we wound our way west to Vancouver, the bulk of our journey aboard the legendary Rocky Mountaineer, in the gentle hands of our esteemed partner, Inna Cramer, Senior Group Sales Manager at The Armstrong Collective, owners of one of the world’s great rail experiences.

It was the very essence of “slow travel”, the majestic high mountains of Lake Louise gradually giving way to the equally majestic high-rises of Vancouver. The last vestiges of winter in Alberta—ice, frost, snow—melting into the first whispers of spring in British Columbia: cherry blossoms, sun-kissed harbour views, patio chatter. We went from minus-something mornings at the lake to plus-something afternoons by the sea.

Lake Louise

Getting to Château Lake Louise involves a commitment. After you touch down in Calgary, there’s a two-hour drive into Banff National Park, where this spectacular Fairmont property sits perched, confidently astride the lake, but still dwarfed by the hulking peaks that surround it.

And maybe that’s the point. The distance, the time it takes to get there, all serves as a kind of ritual shedding. You leave behind the clutter, the chaos, the pinging inbox. And you arrive somewhere sacred. A place of healing. A place that whispers, be still.

Château Lake Louise is a grand dame: over 500 guestrooms, a sprawling estate of event spaces, and one particularly stunning room (the name escapes me, but the light did not) that opens directly onto nature, framing you meeting or event in the natural beauty of the location. Talk about inspiring spaces—or spaces that inspire.

Our host, the charming and deeply seasoned Craig Hudspith, didn’t speak in the usual hotel-ese of rates, dates, and space. Instead, he talked values. Sustainability. Legacy. Responsibility. And not as buzzwords, either—Château Lake Louise has been walking that talk for nearly 30 years.

Then came Andy and Georgia from Discover Banff Tours, who led us on a “greatest hits” version of the Johnston Canyon ice walk. There were stories, there was lore, and there was hot chocolate, spiked with Bailey’s, served up as we took selfies by the semi-frozen waterfall.

Rocky Mountaineer – Day 1: Lake Louise to Kamloops

We boarded the Rocky Mountaineer at the charming station of Lake Louise, featured in David Lean’s classic movie, Dr Zhivago and began our epic journey through landscapes of breathtaking grace unexpectedly, and hilariously, juxtaposed by a squadron of teenagers mooning at us from a ridge outside the town of Gilden.

For two full days we meandered through a geography shaped not by humans, but by water: persistent, insistent, twisting rivers carving their will into limestone, sandstone, and shale. These primordial pathways became our way, threading us through scenes of aching beauty and geological drama.

At first, not a single sign of habitation—just infinite pine trees clinging to improbable cliff faces like acrobats defying gravity. The land itself still lay in winter’s embrace, but we were blessed with blue skies and brilliant sunshine, subtle heralds of the coming spring.

Our journey was peppered with tales and tipples courtesy of Ewan, a 20-year Rocky Mountaineer veteran who delivered both folklore and libations with theatrical flair. His stories stitched the scenery together—glaciers, ghost towns, grizzlies—and turned a train ride into an unfolding drama.

“Slow travel” wasn’t just a philosophy—it was a lived reality. The freight trains ruled these tracks, and people moved only when the goods were done. Every so often, we came to a standstill to allow endless cargo carriages to pass, underscoring the pecking order of the rails.

Rocky Mountaineer – Day 2: Kamloops to Vancouver

Day two aboard the Rocky Mountaineer had a touch of déjà vu: the same exquisite food, the same endless stream of snacks and drinks, and the same sparkling storytelling. But outside, the world was changing. Winter had loosened its grip, and spring was clearly arriving with confident abundance.

We continued to follow the rivers westward, moving through landscapes that gradually transformed. Towering forests gave way to feats of engineering—bridges, tunnels, and switchbacks—each one a marvel in its own right. At one point, when we were least expecting it, a foraging black bear made a surprise cameo, reminding us that this was still very much wild country.

But the wild was retreating. As Vancouver drew near, human footprints re-emerged—massive quarries, logging operations, towns and suburbs, culminating in a vast rail yard and the Rocky Mountaineer’s final terminus.

The sun still shone brightly as we arrived in Vancouver, so we decided to walk the final stretch to the JW Marriott Parq—our sleek, sophisticated base for the last two nights. A lovely contrast to the log-and-limestone of Lake Louise, the Parq was all polished angles and urban chic, perfectly placed in the heart of British Columbia’s beating city.

Vancouver

Our floatplane flight with Harbour Air gave us the ultimate introduction to Canada’s Pacific gem—a soaring panorama of mountain-fringed metropolis, forested shoreline, and sparkling sea. Vancouver unfolded beneath us like a painting in motion: neighbourhoods flowing into suburbs, bridges stretching over inlets, glass towers rising above emerald parks, celebrity mansions in splendid island isolation. Spring was general over Vancouver, the trees in full leaf and an abundance of shrubs, blubs and flowers in full bloom.

We were privileged to meet Talaysay Campo and Seraphine Lewis of Talaysay Tours, owned and operated by Shíshálh (Sechelt) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation members. Talaysay and Seraphine led us on a short nature walk in Stanley Park gently channelling the First Nations’ teachings and wisdom that have shaped their lives. They spoke beautifully, and convincingly, of nature, the land, the trees, animals and birds and the circular, regenerative rhythms by which they live and move and have their being.

A rather spectacular lunch at Riley’s led finally to a discovery tour of Granville Island, maybe the location that best embodies the spirit of Vancouver, creative, diverse, deeply connected to its natural and urban surroundings.

And then it was time to pack for home … but what did our corporate buyers think about “slow incentive travel in Western Canada?”.

Stand by as that will be the subject of a separate post.

On behalf of SITE & Destination Canada, massive thanks to all the wonderful partners who made this trip possible