Just like everybody else, 2020 has been a crazy year for us. It’s had its ups and downs but we’re excited for what’s coming up next, from our new base in Nordegg.
Last winter we started to seriously consider moving, both the company and as a family, to Nordegg. We’ve loved living and building the company in Red Deer for the past 10 years but we’ve seen a lot of changes in our markets and tours during that time. Most of our bestselling tours have been in the Nordegg & Abraham Lake region in recent years. That has meant long days on the road for us, driving back and forth almost daily during the busy winter season.
In true 2020 fashion, as soon as we made the decision to move JP was told he most likely had lymphoma. Two months later, after multiple hospital visits for tests during the spring lockdown, the diagnosis was sarcoidosis, a much better news given the circumstances. Everything fell into place quickly from there and we moved to Nordegg in May. We took over the ice cream shack and food truck on the main street in Nordegg, re-opening them as the Nordegg Canteen, as the pandemic restrictions started to be lifted.
Thanks to everybody who stopped by for a meal, a snack or a visit. We’ve been busy scooping ice cream and serving fries since we opened our doors in late May until we closed for the season on Thanksgiving weekend. We’re now starting to catch up on some of the projects we intended to do this past summer, like updating our tours to take advantage of the new opportunities that come with being based in Nordegg. We’ve also taken on expanding the canteen into the building next door, what used to be the hair salon, so that we can be open this winter for take-out along with a winter patio with some of the best views in town.
Moving forward it does mean some changes to our tours. Our focus is now on expanding the adventures we can offer you in the Nordegg and Abraham Lake region. That means that after 10 years of sharing ski day trips with our guests, we will no longer be offering the ski bus from Red Deer to the mountains. It also means that we will no longer be offering some of the tours we had been working on in recent years to showcase the Red Deer region, including our market tours, farm adventures and river floats or Red Deer departures for our Abraham Lake tours.
In addition to new tours coming up, we’ve updated our other brands as well. Basecamp + Cafe is now the Nordegg Canteen with a full take-out menu. We’re aiming to re-open for the winter season on December 4th. Our hot chocolate, marshmallows and ice pops are now available as part of The Nordegg Provisions Co along with gear rentals. We’ll also be expanding provisions to offer cabin meals and pantry staples in Nordegg this winter. Finally, our guides to the region are being revamped and explorecentralalberta.ca is now explorenordegg.ca to reflect our focus on the Nordegg & Abraham Lake region.
We haven’t had a chance to share much over the past six months as we’ve been working on the move and getting set up in our new home. We’re slowly getting caught up now, just in time for winter. We’re excited to head out on an adventure with you, welcome you at the Nordegg Canteen and have more time to share our adventures in the region with you.
Danielle & JP – Nordegg Adventures Owners