The man who runs Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is being saluted by peers around the world for his quick thinking to save the iconic Alberta hotel in last year’s devastating wildfire.
Garrett Turta, the lodge's general manager, was recently named hotelier of the year by Historic Hotels Worldwide.
The organization says the award goes to the person making the highest contribution to leadership in the industry and considered the most prestigious prize.
"When they called me, my jaw dropped," Turta said.
"It's a nice recognition. To celebrate this with my team for all the hard work we went through last year, it really means a lot."
Turta was in charge in late July 2024 when the hotel complex — a main building along with cabins around a lake — was threatened by the wildfire.
He said about 2,500 guests and staff had already fled the ferocious wildfire near the Rocky Mountain town of Jasper, Alta., when he ordered the only other remaining lodge worker to turn on the irrigation system.
"We left the lodge at around 1:30 in the morning … we spent all night getting people out," Turta said in a phone interview.
"Turning on the sprinklers was the last thing we did. As we drove away, I could see the sprinklers. I just thought, 'Oh, God, I hope this works' over and over again. There was ash flying everywhere so the fire couldn't have been far away."
And, indeed, Turta's plan was a success.
The wildfire breached the southern boundary of the more than 280-hectare resort, burning the homes of some staff members, including Turta's unit. But, the majority of the resort property was untouched.
"One of the firefighters said that the sprinklers put the vapour barrier in the air and that helped," Turta said.
He said he got the idea from the homeowners who turned on their sprinklers in Alberta's 2016 wildfire that destroyed parts of the northern Alberta oilsands hub city of Fort McMurray.
Turta, who is 54, is originally from Saskatchewan. He said his father, a hotel owner, inspired him to work in hospitality.
Turta said he worked in hotels across Canada and one in Scotland for years before he joined the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in 2022.
Since the lodge's opening in 1922, its charm and breathtaking mountain views have attracted Hollywood stars and royalty. Marilyn Monroe visited in 1953, as well as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
Turta said months before the Jasper wildfire began, the lodge hosted "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston. The reality TV show "The Bachelor" was also filmed there in 2024.
The wildfire burned one-third of the homes and businesses in Jasper's townsite, forcing 25,000 residents and visitors to flee and displaced an estimated 2,000 people. The blaze was caused by lightning and accelerated by winds that had the force of a tornado.
After the fire breached the Jasper resort, "The Bachelor" star Joey Graziadei posted on social media that he was thinking of the lodge's staff.
"I really enjoyed that," Turta said.
The love from Graziadei and hundreds of others in the aftermath of the wildfire has helped Turta recover from losing his own home.
"We had just over 100 staff members lose their homes across 60 units," he said.
"But we're all getting through this together."
He said the lodge reopened in October and mental health workers were on site when the lodge's approximately 850 workers returned to their jobs.
Other renovations are set to be complete by next year, including the rebuilding of workers' lost homes.
Turta said he's looking forward to the changes.
"When you lose your home, you can never, ever get back memories that came from family, loved ones and cards and things like that," said Turta.
"But at the same time, everyone kind of pulled together and was there for one another during the wildfire. It's a new memory, a special moment and something that I'll never forget in my life."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (Mandatory Credit)
