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.