[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_video admin_label=”Video” src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/_FUwcPhyu1o” image_src=”\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/_FUwcPhyu1o\/hqdefault.jpg” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n
The Crossing Resort:<\/a> A Family-Run Hotel in the Canadian Rockies<\/strong><\/p>\n By Mike Fikowski, as told to Tammie Burak<\/p>\n The Crossing Resort<\/i><\/a> in <\/i>Banff National Park<\/i><\/a> at Saskatchewan River Crossing in Alberta, offers motel accommodations and restaurant food services to travelers along the <\/i>Icefields Parkway<\/i><\/a> and David Thompson Highway. Read on to learn more about this family-operated resort and the Fikowski family team.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Mike Fikowski Sr.<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cDad was a fighter pilot,\u201d says Mike Fikowski, , general manager of The Crossing Resort<\/a>, when asked how his family came into ownership of the resort on the Icefields Parkway<\/a> mid-way between Banff<\/a> and Jasper<\/a>. A dynamic individual with a work ethic that supported his endeavours, Mike Sr.\u2019s list of accomplishments also included professional boxing and diving for marine salvage. In short, Mike remembers his dad as \u201ca man of action and a risk-taker,\u201d valuable qualities to have if you want to go into business for yourself.<\/p>\n First Steps in the Hotel Business<\/b><\/p>\n After his stint in the military, Mike Sr. decided to try out the hospitality industry and bought a hotel in a small town in Alberta. \u201cWhen he got out of the air force in 1963,\u201d recalls Mike of his father, \u201che and his brother bought the Victoria Hotel in Olds.\u201d Mike Sr. had found his passion.<\/p>\n With four young children Mike Sr. saw the potential for developing a family business in the hotel industry. The purchase of the Victoria Hotel was the first step in a series of moves that eventually culminated in the purchase of The Crossing.<\/p>\n The Fikowskis Purchase The Crossing<\/b><\/p>\n In 1975 The Crossing\u2019s owner, Naomi Schmid put the property up for sale. Mike Sr. and his eldest son Mike, who was 18 years old at the time, drove out to the property in March 1975. They shovelled snow to access the buildings and carried lanterns to view the resort which at that time included a couple of small buildings and 12 cabins. Mike Sr. liked what he saw and purchased the property.<\/p>\n Learning on the Job<\/b><\/p>\n Mike, his two brothers and his sister worked weekends and summers at the resort. They learned what they needed to know to run the lodge through hands-on experience, doing whatever jobs were necessary. \u201cWe did everything,\u201d recalls Mike, adding, \u201cIt was my job to make sure the heaters were working and the generator was running properly.\u201d<\/p>\n But before starting to work for their dad full time, Mike Sr. required that each of his children work at least one year for someone else to learn new skills and gain fresh perspectives. He didn\u2019t want his children to think just like him, but encouraged different points of view and discussion. He believed this kind of openness would strengthen their business.<\/p>\n Seeing the need for overnight accommodations, in 1979-\u201980 the Fikowski family completed a major expansion of the resort, adding 65 motel rooms and a pub.<\/p>\n Family Tragedy<\/b><\/p>\n But tragedy struck in the midst of the development project. It was in 1979 that Mike\u2019s sister, 15-year-old Valerie Mae was killed in a car accident. About a year later, Mike Sr. was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease (ALS), a degenerative neurological disease. He died in 1985.<\/p>\n The three remaining sons continued to operate The Crossing and have supported each other as they\u2019ve shouldered the responsibilities of running the resort. Despite hardships, the Fikowski brothers consider themselves fortunate to have grown up at The Crossing where work was often mingled with adventure. \u201cWe did a lot of exploring by horseback,\u201d Mike recalls.<\/p>\n Local Legends, Stars, and Royalty<\/b><\/p>\n Frequent visits from Banff area legends kept the boys informed and entertained. Jim Simpson, the son of the famed Jimmy Simpson, one of the Canadian Rockies\u2019 first guides, and Paul Peyto, nephew of Banff\u2019s iconic \u201cWild Bill\u201d Peyto, often shared their stories and helpful tips with the Fikowski brothers.<\/p>\n Over the years, the resort has hosted many other famous people, too. \u201cMom was scooping ice cream one day when one of her favourite actors stepped up and asked her for a cone,\u201d recalls Mike. It was James Garner, the star of The Rockford Files<\/i>. Other celebrities who\u2019ve stopped in include Alec Baldwin who was filming The Edge<\/i> nearby. There have also been members of royal families, some well-known, others less well-known.<\/p>\n Strange Encounters\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n The resort has been the setting for some strange encounters, as well. Mike remembers one particularly unsettling incident with an irate visitor just a year after the Fikowski family purchased the resort.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a white rail fence around our septic field,\u201d Mike explains. Somehow, it seems, a visitor mistook the fence for a flimsy wildlife enclosure.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fellow came walking up to Dad and said, \u2018You\u2019re the owner of this place?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Yes,\u2019 my dad said, \u2018Is there a problem?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018You should lock up your bears!\u2019 the man fumed. \u2018That bear of yours took a swipe at us!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Apparently, the man had spotted a bear near the septic fence and had tried to set his small daughter on the bear\u2019s back for a photo. Understandably, the wild bear had swatted at the intruder.<\/p>\n No matter how much he tried, Mike\u2019s dad was unable to convince the man that the bear did not belong to the Fikowskis but was a wild animal and should have been left alone. The furious visitor even went so far as to write a letter of complaint to the Minister of Tourism.<\/p>\n Mike is still sometimes amazed by the foolish things that people do around wildlife. \u201cI\u2019m very surprised more people aren\u2019t hurt,\u201d he says, noting that all wildlife should be left alone and observed only from a safe distance.<\/p>\n The Fikowski Family Team<\/b><\/p>\n Throughout their years in the business, the Fikowski family has weathered many storms that have sunk other businesses. \u201cMany of the years we\u2019ve been in the business, times have been pretty tough,\u201d says Mike, listing a variety of political, social, health, and economic upheavals that have hit tourism in the Rocky Mountain national parks. The challenges seem only to have strengthened the Fikowski family team.<\/p>\n Justifiably, it\u2019s the positive working relationship Mike has shared with his brothers over the decades that fills him most with pride. Each brother has grown into the role he\u2019s best suited for, explains Mike. \u201cDoug is vice president of operations and Bruce is controller.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike recognizes his mother, Connie, as the first wife and mother in the family to have filled dual roles as mother and business-wife. \u201cShe set the bar high,\u201d he says remembering her untiring efforts as she raised a family while participating in business operations in both Olds and Saskatchewan Crossing. \u201cEvery summer, she\u2019d pick up and move the whole family out to the resort,\u201d Mike says.<\/p>\n \u201cMom has been the foundation of the whole business,\u201d he says. He adds, \u201cShe can still whip me into shape over the phone when she needs to.\u201d He laughs as he remembers the time she was presented with business cards that stated her official company titles as \u201cPresident\u201d and \u201cMother.\u201d<\/p>\n When the Fikowski brothers began to marry, their wives and children became involved in the business. Mike has high esteem for the women in the family, not only for their hard work, but for their positive attitudes toward adapting to the sometimes-difficult demands involved in balancing family life with business. Raising their families in nearby communities has resulted in spouses living apart seasonally as the Fikowski brothers returned to the resort for summer operations. \u201cThe wives deserve huge kudos for the strength and adaptability they\u2019ve shown over the years,\u201d says Mike. \u201cThe wives have really stepped up to the plate and made it all work.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the years, spouses and children have all played significant roles. \u201cWhen things need to be done, everyone jumps in without hesitation and does their best,\u201d says Mike. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful for our children \u2013 all 11 of them \u2013 and the fact that they all get along and respect each other.\u201d<\/p>\n Together, the family has worked hard at enhancing the already breathtaking setting and the facility, with landscaping, renovations, interpretive displays, interior decorating, and a range of other projects. Everyone is involved in building the resort\u2019s success.<\/p>\n 5-Star Staff<\/b><\/p>\n Mike also credits their great staff for making The Crossing an enjoyable experience for guests, pointing out the impressive retention rates of senior staff, some of whom have been with the resort since the late 1980\u2019s. \u201cPeople don\u2019t stick around unless they\u2019re being treated properly and feel part of something special. We take pride in that,\u201d he says, explaining the active role that managers play in the decision-making process. He adds, \u201cIt truly is a team that supports this resort.\u201d<\/p>\n Regardless of what their official job descriptions might be, The Crossing\u2019s general manager is quick to point out, that just as in any healthy and flourishing family, senior staff, like parents in a smoothly running home, will step in whenever and wherever needed. When they\u2019re short-staffed, owners and managers roll up their sleeves and make beds, pump gas, or scoop ice cream. It\u2019s all part of the team effort that keeps the resort running efficiently.<\/p>\n In addition, The Crossing annually hires 60-65 seasonal staff, mostly young people. Like a father who\u2019s been offended by derogatory remarks made about his kids, Mike takes exception to the negative generalizations about the younger generation that he hears from time to time. \u201cThere are a lot of good kids out there who work their butts off,\u201d he says, \u201cand then go hiking after putting in a full shift.\u201d Young people who take jobs at The Crossing are hard workers and many of them are saving money for school, and are also experiencing independence for the first time. Although they\u2019re excited about exploring the Rockies on their off-hours, some are willing to put in extra shifts after their regular work hours, as well. Mike\u2019s respect for the resort\u2019s hard-working summer staff is obvious.<\/p>\n A Homey and Welcoming Resort<\/b><\/p>\n The Fikowski family\u2019s philosophy is made apparent to visitors in the friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere of the resort. Homey touches like the guest lounge with its big comfortable sofas and hummingbird feeders near motel windows are also signature marks of the Fikowski family\u2019s business style. Despite its busyness at peak times, the place has an inviting, cozy feel.<\/p>\n \u201cThe common thread throughout the years has been family,\u201d says Mike. \u201cWe share the same work ethic and supportive attitude toward one another.\u201d Summing up the family\u2019s guiding principle he says, \u201cThe Crossing is a family business operated in a family style.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery admin_label=”Gallery” gallery_ids=”6849,6848,6855,6850,6846,6847,6851,6852,6854,6853″ fullwidth=”on” orientation=”landscape” show_title_and_caption=”on” show_pagination=”on” background_layout=”dark” auto=”on” hover_overlay_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” auto_speed=”3000″ \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During our Jasper to Banff cycling tour we are fortunate to stay at some unique properties along the Icefields Parkway.
\nThe Crossing Resort located 150km from Jasper is where we stay on the 2nd night of the tour.
\nRead on to find out more about this wonderful hotel during a great interview with one of the 3 brothers that own and run the hotel, Mike Fikowski, a cool video and some photos showing the lodges spectacular surroundings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6842"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6842"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6861,"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6842\/revisions\/6861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mountainmadnesstours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}