The Assiniboine Family

Andre Renner and Claude Duchesne welcome you to Assiniboine - a place like no other.

In continuation of the Renner world class backcountry hospitality legacy, which started in 1983 with Sepp and Barb, Andre is the next generation to call Assiniboine home. Claude joins Andre, as his business partner, and brings his infectious warmth, enthusiasm and years of knowlege of the mountains to the Assiniboine family. They are your hosts, whether a lodge guest, hut visitor or camper until 2031!

With his sisters, Sara and Natalie, Andre's childhood was spent climbing obscure spires, schussing down couloirs, taking pictures and enjoying culinary delights from the kitchen's back bench. Many know Andre as a guide with a steady pace. When not at Assiniboine, Andre's other home is in Radium where he can be found relishing in family life with his wife Karin and their two sons.

Claude joined Andre from CMH Heli-Skiing where he was a Heli-Ski guide and Area Manager. His wife, Annick, has worked at Assiniboine for many years as a chef and it was on these working holidays where Claude fell in love with Assiniboine. With their children, Alexandre and Anne-Marie, the Duchesne's look forward to welcoming you.

Sepp and Barb Renner claim that you cannot take fossils out of the Park and have transitioned into their new Assiniboine roles as chief story-tellers. They will be at the lodge often, likely with their growing flock of grandchildren.

To learn more about Assiniboine Lodge and the Renner family connection, view this photo gallery from Kootenay Rockies Tourism.

Our Staff

Andre Renner

Assiniboine Lodge Operator and Host
Guide
Alberta College of Art and Design Graduate
Assiniboine History Keeper
Cheesy Pop Song Aficionado

As a second generation Renner running Assiniboine Lodge, Andre carries on the Assiniboine trademark tradition of warm welcoming hospitality. Since the age of 9 Andre has explored the Assiniboine area. Known as the guide with a steady pace, Andre loves showing guests all the secret spots and back corners of Assiniboine.

Andre’s love of the Assiniboine area began at age 9 when his parents, Barb and Sepp Renner, took over running the Lodge. From that time on Andre and his sisters Sara and Natalie spent their summers and winters exploring all the surrounding meadows, forests, lakes and mountain nooks and crannies. After taking over Assiniboine, the Renner family quickly went from being a downhill skiing family to a x-country and ski touring family. It wasn’t long before Andre and his sisters took up Nordic ski racing.

Barb and Sepp put the kids to work at an early age. Andre was keen to learn all aspects of running the Lodge from maintenance to working in the kitchen. By age 12, he was hiking and ski guiding.

Andre’s deep love of the mountains sent him on a mini-detour into Geology at the University of Calgary before he settled on Photography school at the Alberta College of Art and Design. After graduating, Andre once again felt the pull of the mountains. He began his training to become an ACMG certified hiking and ski guide.

Mountain adventures are in Andre’s blood. Guests love hearing his stories of growing up at Assiniboine. One he tells is of his sisters and him at age 15, 13 and 11 hiking out on their own from the lodge to start school. They camped at Marvel Pass and traveled super light with only a tent, sleeping bags and dinner in a plastic yogurt container.

Over the years Andre continued to learn under his parents’ guidance while he helped manage the Lodge. When the opportunity arose in 2010 to take over the operation of Assiniboine Lodge, the Naiset Huts and campgrounds with Claude Duchesne and Annick Blouin for the next 20 years, Andre jumped at the chance to continue doing what he loves.

Andre is married to outdoor lover, Karin Weder. They have two spunky sons, Zeno and Evo. They live near Edgewater, B.C. in the home they built themselves.

Lodge Operator and Host
ACMG Certified Guide
Passionate skier
Storyteller
Adventure seeker
Husband and father

Claude welcomes guests at Assiniboine Lodge with his infectious personality and energy. Claude’s extensive career as a heli-ski guide has taken him to all corners of the world. Guests can be sure they’ll hear interesting and fun stories about these adventures when they’re out on the trails hiking or skiing with Claude. He thrives on guiding Assiniboine guests in the summer and winter. Claude feels very fortunate to spend 6 months of the year at his mountain home – Assiniboine Lodge!

Born in Rimouski, Quebec in 1962 Claude grew up playing in the woods behind his house, camping with his family and skiing every weekend. In 1982 Claude moved to Lake Louise to downhill ski. It was then that he started to ski tour and climb. By 1993 Claude was an ACMG apprentice guide. In 1995 he became a fully certified ACMG ski guide.

Claude worked for CMH for 21 years as a heli-ski guide, Assistant Manager and Area Manager of the Gothics. During his time with CMH, Claude traveled extensively in Europe, the United States, Japan, Scandinavia and Canada promoting heli-skiing. Because of his extensive experience and specialized training Claude is a professional member of the Canadian Avalanche Association. This organization ensures that its membership adheres to the highest standards of professionalism and best practices in evaluating and managing avalanche risks. Claude brings this expertise to the guiding team at Assiniboine Lodge.

Claude first met Andre Renner when his wife Annick was cooking at Assiniboine Lodge. He and their kids, Alexandre and Anne Marie, came to visit Annick. Andre was 18 at the time. In 2011, Claude and Andre became business partners. They will run Assiniboine Lodge, the Naiset Huts and campgrounds together until 2031.

In his time off Claude loves to ski tour in Rogers Pass and ski at his home town hill Revelstoke Mountain Resort. If you end up riding the lift with Claude you'll almost certainly off load with his business card in hand. In the summer he likes to cycle, hike and climb. After the winter season at Assiniboine, Claude often takes off on a big ski expedition.

Assiniboine Lodge Manager
Fisherwoman
Passionate Foodie
Artist

Another talented staff we are blessed to have on our team is Mallory Deyne. Mallory's incredible spirit and energy are infectious - in the kitchen, with staff and guests as well as out on the hiking and ski trails.

Mallory started working in the lodge industry over 10 years ago working for Andre's sister managing Paintbox Lodge in Canmore. After a few years managing she made a gradual transition into cooking at lodges and has had a lot of fun with it. She now enjoys the balance of bouncing back and fourth between managing and cooking.

Growing up in the Muskoka and Timmins areas of Ontario, Mallory and her two sisters were brought up hunting, fishing, gathering, canning and farming. One of Mallory’s favourite things to do still today is foraging for mushrooms.

While working on her Kinesiology degree at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario she was a member of the Thunderwolves Nordic Skiing Team, one of the most respected Varsity ski teams in Canada. It was Cross-Country ski racing that eventually brought Mallory to Canmore where she lives today.

Mallory has cooked at many mountain lodges over the past years and has taken her skills on the road, cooking for the Canadian Cross-Country ski team at training camps in Park City, Utah. She’s an expert at knowing what high level athletes (and Lodge guests!) need to stay fueled and energized which leads to maximum enjoyment in the backcountry.

On those rare moments when Mallory is not outdoors, you may find her painting, beading or enjoying the view with an ice cold cider in hand.

Assiniboine Lodge Semi Retired Manager
Super skier
Food and wine lover
Mom of Alexandre and Anne-Marie

Annick fell in love with mountain life when she moved to B.C. from Quebec at 19. She’s never looked back! As Lodge Manager at Assiniboine, Annick welcomes guests with open arms to her mountain home. She and her lodge staff team ensure that delicious food, cozy beds and a welcoming lodge await guests returning from a day out in the mountains. With her many years of experience cooking and working in backcountry lodges and her fun, caring nature, Annick is a mentor and teacher to many young Assiniboine Lodge staff.

As Lodge Manager, Annick joins her husband Claude Duchesne and business partner Andre Renner as your host at Assiniboine Lodge.

Born in Quebec City, Annick first fell in love with the B.C. lifestyle (and learned to speak English!) in 1981 when she came west with the Katimavik youth volunteer program. In 1985 after her last school exam Annick moved to Lake Louise for a ski season and never moved back East.

Annick’s first initiation into backcountry cooking was at Skoki Lodge in 1986 where she cooked for guests on a wood stove! Her love of the mountain life then took her to Whistler, B.C. from 1987 – 1991. She cooked for tree planting crews, skied, hiked and climbed. In 1991 she and her husband Claude moved to Rossland. There they opened Elmer’s Corner Café in 1994 and started a family in 1995. For the next several years, Annick spent winters at home teaching her two young kids, Alexandre and Anne-Marie, to ski. Summers were spent cooking at Assiniboine Lodge.

In 2001 Annick and Claude moved to Revelstoke, B.C. to raise their kids in a mountain community close to ski hills, National Parks, lakes and all the outdoor activities they love. Living in Revelstoke, Annick polished her baking skills at the Modern Bake Shop, coached kids at the Revelstoke Ski Club and continued cooking as a relief chef at Assiniboine Lodge and the Alpine Club General Mountaineering Camp in the summers. 2006 in Torino and again in 2010 in Whistler, Annick got a “behind the scenes” view of the Olympics cooking for Cross Country Canada.

When Annick, Claude and Andre Renner took over the tenure for Assiniboine Lodge in 2011, the big lodge renovation soon got underway. Annick and her daughter Anne-Marie spent the summer cooking for the hungry construction crew.

Reservations Manager
Ski Enthousiast
Dog Whisperer

Laurie was born in a small town in northern Alberta enjoying her childhood years outside exploring the dense forests and rolling foothills of Alberta. She skied, skated, hiked (well, I followed wildlife paths lol), picked berries, fished, built forts and fires, and drove skidoos. That’s where her passion for the outdoors began.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Alberta in 1991(with big dreams of getting a PHD in Sports Psychology), Laurie set out to ski the major resorts in North America, starting with Lake Louise and Banff. Between swooshing down the slopes and tracking cross country ski trails, winter turned to summer, hiking boots and mountain bikes replaced skis and snow and she still hasn't left.

When Laurie first moved to Banff she was working with Sandy Wing at Brewster Transportation & Tours. It was the year of Brewster’s 100th Anniversary and it was a flurry of celebrating Banff’s history, and merry-making in the Mountains. Sandy was an amazing mentor and she learned a lot, but skiing and hiking were her passions, and knowing this, Sandy kindly introduced Lauire to connections within the ski industry which led her along a strong path within Banff & Lake Louise tourism, where she eventually became Reservations Manager at Ski Banff/Lake Louise and later at CMH, meeting both Andre and Claude along the way.

In 2007, Laurie met her best friend and husband Scott Smylie and his son Jeffrey(4yrs old at the time) and her life changed forever after that. Laurie and Scott started a dog walking business together in 2012 called Mountain Mutts that continues to be a fun and successful business today with Scott at the helm. He takes dogs hiking in the mountains, making sure everyone has a fun and safe experience, much like how the guided skiing and hiking groups are lead at Assiniboine Lodge.

Fast forwarding to today, Laurie is happy to be back to working with Sandy and Assiniboine Lodge as Reservations Manager.

"I love getting to know all our guests and hearing how excited they get dreaming about the gorgeous skiing and hiking options of the Park. I’m also very grateful to have the opportunity to experience all that the area and the lodge has to offer first hand. It’s truly fun and gratifying to organize a trip of a lifetime, and help make our guests’ Mountain dreams come true!" - Laurie

*Assiniboine Lodge Chef * Swiss Yodeller * Avid Outdoor Enthousist

Karin met one of our staff at CMH where she works in the winters and told them "Oh, you work at Assiniboine? That is my DREAM job!" The next year the lodge had a couple shifts to fill and knew who to call and the rest is history. Trained in Switzerland, Karin loves branching out from traditional European cooking and getting adventurous with her flavours. She loves to google a type of meat + a country to find new fun recipes.

Karin grew up on a family farm in Switzerland, having fresh vegetables and meats was the norm, but her mother was not known to be the best cook. This actually is what inspired Karin to get into cooking, she thought there must be so much more that can be done with all these beautiful ingredients.

Karin originally came to Canada to see maple trees and meet cowboys, that was back in 2007 and was only supposed to be for 6 months. Although she didn’t speak a word of English, she knew this country with its vast stretches of untouched nature felt like home.

Assiniboine Lodge was lucky enough to have join our team in the fall of 2021. As much as she fell in love with working at Assiniboine, the Assiniboine Family fell in love with her. Always chipper and smiling, Karin's happiness is infectious. When no one is around she loves listening to Swiss radio which includes a lot of German pop and yodel music.

Karin enjoys working in lodges because it allows her to travel in her off seasons. She searches out family run lodging and if food is included, that’s even better. She loves learning how to locals live and eat. She dreams of hiking in Napal one day, and across Switzerland. When Karin is home she enjoys

Assisant Lodge Manager
Hospitality Expert
Thru Hiker and Biker Adventurer
Mountain lover

Cat joined the Assiniboine Lodge team in 2023 and it was a natural fit right from the start. Cat worked in the hospitality industy all over the world before settling in Canada. She has carved herself a unique life where she works at lodges in the summers and winters and takes off on incredible thru hiking or biking trips in the spring and fall. Whether you need a recommendation for a hike or a glass of wine that pairs well with dinner, Cat is your girl.

Cat grew up in the northeast of Scotland in a town called Westhill between the hills and the sea. As a child she actually hated hiking, her parents dragging her up mountains in the damp climate was not her idea of fun. She has since fallen in love with backpacking (and bike touring) and the simplicity of putting one foot in front of the other with everything you need on your back. Cat has backpacked most of the main trails in the Canadian Rockies, and Assiniboine was one of her favourite trips and she thought how nice it could be to work in such a beautiful place.

Cat started working in the hospitality industry when she was 18 working in a chalet in Switzerland and went to France after university to work in chalets there. She has also spent time working for the royal family at Balmoral Castle. From a castle to the backcountry, Cat has experienced it all and we know we are lucky to have Cat helping manage at Assiniboine Lodge.

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Our Staff

Andre Renner

Claude Duchesne

Mallory Deyne

Annick Blouin

Laurie Smylie

Karin Lang

Cat Fraser