Pursuit operates iconic attractions, hotels, and restaurants, throughout the Canadian Rockies, including in the Jasper National Park, one of the most environmentally sensitive regions in Canada. Managing food waste responsibly has long been a challenge, especially at remote locations with limited or no municipal services.

In 2025, Pursuit introduced Power Knot’s LFC® biodigesters at two Jasper properties: Forest Park Hotel and Maligne Lake. The results have been measurable, including reduced waste sent to a landfill, lower greenhouse gas emissions, streamlined operations, and greater insight into quantities of food waste. 

The Challenge: Waste Management in Remote, Protected Areas

At both the Forest Park Hotel and Maligne Lake, food waste was historically sent to landfill. As Pursuit’s stewardship journey evolved, it became clear that this practice did not reflect their Promise to Place commitment to caring for and protecting these sensitive environments.

Maligne Lake, located 50 km from Jasper, experienced even greater pressures. With four restaurants serving up to 1,000 guests per day in peak season and no municipal composting service, food waste piled up quickly. When a third-party hauler ceased operations during COVID, staff resorted to sorting recycling onsite, filling five-gallon pails with food scraps, and hauling these pails into town themselves.

“We want to be good stewards of this land,” says Steve McFadden, General Manager for Maligne Valley Operations. “But remote environments like ours just don’t have the infrastructure for waste diversion.”

Operating inside a protected area means solutions must support guest experience, wildlife safety, and environmental integrity.

The search for a solution accelerated when Executive Chef Thomas Riding discovered Power Knot’s LFC biodigester at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.

The Solution: A Carbon Neutral, Data Driven “Mechanical Stomach”

Power Knot’s LFC biodigester offered a breakthrough for Pursuit Collection. The technology digests food waste onsite using a blend of microorganisms and releases only grey water into the drain system. It produces negligible odor, generates significantly less methane than landfill decomposition, and reduces emissions associated with transporting food waste in remote locations.

“These machines function like mechanical stomachs,” explains William Wakefield, Power Knot Regional Sales Manager. “If your stomach can digest it, the biodigester can too.”

Pursuit secured capex funding from the GreenStep EcoFund in 2024 and purchased an LFC-70 biodigester for Forest Park Hotel and an LFC-100 biodigester for Maligne Lake. Wildfire related supply shortages delayed installation until early 2025. The Pursuit team completed the work in partnership with GreenStep with remote support from Power Knot.

Forest Park Hotel

Installation: February 2025
Model: LFC-70 biodigester

Forest Park Hotel became the first Pursuit Collection location to introduce biodigester technology, providing a year round test bed for automated management of food waste.

2025 Performance

4,209 kg of food waste processed
18 tonne of CO₂e emissions prevented

The biodigester’s integrated weight scale and cloud based dashboard gave the kitchen team real visibility into their waste stream for the first time.

“It became a great tool for understanding where waste happens,” says Riding. “Our teams began adjusting ordering and cross utilizing ingredients more thoughtfully.”

Maligne Lake

Installation: May 2025
Model: LFC-100 biodigester

Following successful results at Forest Park Hotel, Pursuit Collection installed a larger LFC-100 biodigester at Maligne Lake. The location’s closed water system and high visitor volume made it an ideal candidate for onsite digestion.

Operating Season

May 26 to October 1, 2025

2025 Performance

3,986 kg of food waste processed
17 tonne of CO₂e emissions prevented

Waste by Outlet

For McFadden, the insights have been just as valuable as the emissions reductions.

“The biodigester was an eye opener,” he says. “The whole team became more conscientious about reducing waste on the front end.”

Environmental Impact

Together, the Forest Park Hotel and Maligne Lake biodigesters made a measurable difference in 2025.

Combined Outcomes

• Over 8 tonne of food waste diverted from landfill
• 35 tonne of CO₂e prevented
• Zero methane generated
• Elimination of transport emissions for food waste

These results support Pursuit Collection’s long term goal of minimizing environmental impact in national parks.

Scaling the Success Across the Rockies

With strong early performance, Pursuit Collection is preparing to introduce LFC biodigesters at additional remote properties.

“The less we rely on transporting waste or using fossil fuels to manage it, the better stewards we can be,” says Riding.

According to Wakefield, “Pursuit Collection’s values align naturally with the environmental benefits of this technology. This partnership is only just beginning.”

Across Jasper National Park, the LFC biodigesters are helping Pursuit Collection create cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable operations. By diverting food waste from landfill, reducing emissions, and providing real time data that informs kitchen practices, the technology is supporting a modern approach to stewardship in some of Canada’s most protected landscapes.