“A person should have wings to carry them where their dreams go, but sometimes a pair of skis makes a good substitute.” –Hans Gmoser
by Peter Bailey
Hans Gmoser was Canada’s mountain king, emigrating from Austria to Edmonton in 1951, before moving to the mountains and settling in Harvie Heights, just outside Canmore. Gmoser became a leading mountaineer and guide in the 1950s, pioneering ascents of mounts Alberta, Logan, Robson and Yamnuska. With his first film in 1958, With Skis and Rope, Gmoser added filmmaker and lecturer to his resume. In 1959 he founded his guiding company, which became CMH (Canadian Mountain Holidays). Gmoser pioneered heli-skiing, in 1965 running the first commercial heli-sking trips in BC’s Bugaboo Mountains. By 1991 CMH was operating nine heli-skiing areas, serving thousands of winter skiers and summer hikers.
Hans Gmoser popularized mountain pursuits like climbing, hiking and backcountry skiing, the Canadian mountains and Canmore too. Gmoser had a hand in the transformation of Canmore from a hardscrabble coal mining town to the hip mountain playground of today.
When my parents moved to Canmore in the ’80s, heading out for an après-ski beer meant either the Legion, the Drake or Canmore Hotel. Things changed in Canmore with the opening of Grizzly Paw Brewing in 1996, Canmore Brewing in 2016 and Sheepdog in 2019.
I stopped into Sheepdog in November after a ski at the Canmore Nordic Centre, meeting up with family and friends who had been backcountry skiing at Bow Summit. The place was packed, upstairs and downstairs, with what felt like folks from the other Canmore—the locals and hardcore mountain enthusiasts.
According to David Gauvreau, one of Sheepdog’s three founders (with Josh Forster and Allan Russell), this locals vibe was intentional; “We built Sheepdog around the idea of drinking in your buddy’s garage, because that’s what we love to do. Locals helped with the build, locals tested the beers and we started the brewery with all our friends. You can’t go to Sheepdog without running into someone you know.”
Gauvreau told me that they located Sheepdog off the beaten path, in the Elk Run industrial park, on purpose.
“We aren’t on Main Street, but we’re close to some awesome biking and hiking trails. Pull up a stool, and you’re bound to hear locals swapping stories about those trails. You might even get some good intel on secret spots.”
The Sheepdog name comes from the founders’ day jobs: Gauvreau and Forster are Canmore firefighters, Russell is a veteran and a former Edmonton Police officer. A sheepdog refers to members of the first responder community. Gauvreau says the name fits their vision of serving the community, creating a gathering place that feels like a ski lodge or back ountry hut; “a cozy place in the winter and the perfect après-ski, snowboard, sledding and skating destination.”
Hans Gmoser passed on in 2006, but I imagine he would approve of Sheepdog, a place where mountain people can tell stories of alpine adventures over a pint or two. Indeed, Gmoser’s son Conrad opened his own brewery and tasting room, Vancouver’s Brassneck Brewery in 2013.
As always, it isn’t about the beer or the mountains, it’s about the people and the memories we make together.
Ski Beer Six Pack
Six great beers to keep you schussing or to power your après-ski. Get your skis waxed up, grab a pack of craft beer, the taste is going to move you. Find them at the breweries or better beer stores.
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70 Acre Firehouse Kölsch, Sherwood Park
The mountains are calling but they’re hours away. Local hills like Sunridge or Snow Valley are great for learning or tuning up for downhill skiing, while Edmonton area spots are perfect for cross country skiing. Stop in at 70 Acre for a bite and a pint of their refreshing Kölsch after hitting the trails at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre or the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Area.
Folding Mountain Brewing Lager, Hinton
The opening of Jasper Brewing in 2005 was a game-changer, while Folding Mountain near Hinton makes the long drive to Marmot bearable. This quaffable lager won Gold as top Pilsner and Silver for Best of Show at the 2022 Alberta Beer Awards.
Eighty-Eight Brewing Yard Sale New Zealand Pilsner, Calgary
Edmontonians may find Calgary’s obsession with the 1988 Olympics a little odd, even a little sad. But Eighty-Eight Brewing lovingly keeps the spirit of ’88 alive in all its neon Sunice glory. Enjoy this ‘crisp little brew that brings the après’ after hitting the slopes at Olympic venues Nakiska or Canada Olympic Park.
Banff Brewing Banff Ave Black Pil, Banff
The Big Three resorts—Sunshine, Louise and Norquay—each have their unique charms, their own pros and cons, all of which skiers and snowboarders can debate over a beer or two at Banff Ave Brewing’s spacious, two-story brewpub. The Black Pil is an easy-drinking schwarzbier made with roasted German malts.
Sheepdog Brewing Kelsey’s West Coast IPA, Canmore
Sheepdog’s David Gauvreau says their niche, in a town with two other excellent breweries, is always offering something new. They have 11 rotating open taps plus five for their core beers, including this classic West Coast- style American IPA, heavily hopped with old school hops for citrus and pine aromas and flavours.
Wild Winds Brewery Snow Eater Stout, Pincher Creek
Every ski season I vow to visit Castle Mountain Resort, Alberta’s deep- south mountain resort. Maybe this year? In the meantime, we can enjoy beers from this brand-new brewery in Pincher Creek, up the road from Castle. Named after a record-breaking chinook in 1962, this pitch black, smooth stout tastes of coffee and chocolate.