Charlie Locke

Calgary-born entrepreneur, former elite mountaineer, oil-and-gas investor, and rancher who has been the dominant private figure behind the Lake Louise Ski Resort for more than four decades. He first skied Lake Louise at age 9 in 1955. He bought into the ski area in 1974, became sole owner in 1981, built it into the core of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR), transferred operational control to Murray Edwards by 2003, then exercised an option to buy back Lake Louise in 2008 and resumed day-to-day control. He runs it with his family today.

Mountaineering: Before resort ownership, Locke was a leading figure in Canadian mountaineering. He passed his Association of Canadian Mountain Guides exam in 1967, has more than 40 first ascents and new routes in Alberta and BC, co-pioneered the Great Divide Ski Traverse from Jasper to Lake Louise in 1967 (300 km, 21 days), and as a teenager completed the first full traverse of the Ten Peaks above Moraine Lake. He co-established the Greenwood–Locke route on the north face of Mount Temple. Inducted into the Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

Business: Via Locke Stock & Barrel Company Ltd., he holds oil and gas production and operates a ranch in the Bearspaw area west of Calgary. In the 1980s–90s he acquired Fortress, Wintergreen, Nakiska, Kimberley, Fernie, and Quebec resorts, forming RCR; Canada’s largest private ski operator. Financial strain and leverage led to Murray Edwards receiving operational control by 2003; Locke exercised an option to buy back 50% of Lake Louise in 2008 and resumed day-to-day control. He and his wife Louise and daughters Robin and Kim now operate the resort.

Expansion: Lake Louise sits entirely within Banff National Park. Parks Canada approved Site Guidelines in 2015 and a Long-Range Plan in 2019, enabling staged development; new lifts, West Bowl, Richardson’s Ridge, wildlife underpass; while removing some lease hectares from sensitive habitat.

Recognition: Lake Louise has repeatedly been voted Canada’s Best Ski Resort at the World Ski Awards; Locke received the 2014 Outstanding Contribution to Ski Tourism for the Americas. The run Charlie’s Choice on the Front Side is named after him. He is known as a hands-on operator who skis the mountain regularly and signs letters as “Charlie Locke & Family, Proprietors.”