LAKE LOUISE – The popular winter ice castle crumbled and crashed into Lake Louise due to unseasonably warm weather.
Chateau Lake Louise officials say current ice conditions have been unable to sustain the ice castle, an extremely popular attraction for both visitors and guests each winter for many years.
The castle, complete with frozen tunnels, towers and sculptures, crumbled and plunged into the lake at about 3 p.m. on Dec. 27.
“The safety and well-being of all our patrons is of the utmost importance, and over the past several days our team closely monitored the situation and restricted access to this section of the natural skating rink,” said Kymberley Hill, director of public relations for Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Ice sculptor Andrew Zoller created the iconic ice castle for the 2024-25 season, noting on social media he was "very proud of the opportunity."
Meanwhile, Hill said the rink remains open to guests and visitors, but staff continue to assess the conditions as part of daily maintenance and protocols.
“At this time, although we appreciate this is a popular sight for winter visitors of Lake Louise, no decisions have yet been made as to if it's possible to repair or replace the ice castle structure,” she said.
Temperatures are expected to dip this week, according to Environment Canada, to a high of -7 C on Tuesday (Dec. 31), -12 C on Wednesday (Jan. 1), -10 on Thursday (Jan. 2), -8 on Friday (Jan. 3), -13 C on Saturday (Jan. 4) and -14 C on Sunday (Jan. 5).
