Flavour at the Edge
Fine Dining Finds a Home at Aurum Lodge in Bighorn Country
Abraham Lake stretches like a blue ribbon along the David Thompson Highway, an hour west of Nordegg and a world away from the bustle of Banff.
On its quiet north shore, in Alberta’s Bighorn Country, stands Aurum Lodge — an off-grid eco-minded retreat whose new in-house Golden Peaks Restaurant proves that fine dining can thrive at the edge of the wilderness.
Owners Sophie Bouchard and Luke Mireault moved from Quebec to Alberta two and a half years ago in search of a mountain home for their family. The moment they drove in to view Aurum lodge, which was for sale, they knew they’d found it.
"Even before we arrived, just the drive coming here, the whole family was like 'Oh my God, we have to get this place,'" Sophie says.
Their route wound through David Thompson Country, a sweep of untamed foothills and jagged peaks along the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. At its heart lies the Bighorn Wilderness, with turquoise lakes, dense forest, and limestone canyons that remain largely undeveloped. The hamlet of Nordegg, once a coal-mining town, now serves as a friendly gateway for hikers and explorers heading deeper into the quiet backcountry.
"The most amazing thing about Nordegg is that you get all the beauty of the Alberta Rockies without the overwhelming crowds and all the hustle and bustle," Luke says. "So it really allows you to escape and be in touch with nature, which is what most people seek when they come to the mountains."
Slowly, the family has been renovating and updating the lodge, but their biggest project to date has been the addition of Golden Peaks Restaurant. Although the footprint of the lodge has not changed, the couple has redone the main floor to give more space and weight to the dining area.
"Coming from the French culture, food was very important to us," Luke says.
From the outset, the duo wanted food to be at the heart of the lodge experience — meals that would be memorable and multi-sensory, weaving taste, texture and presentation into a narrative of place.
"When done right, a meal touches all of your senses. It is in the textures you feel while eating, the tastes, the visual aesthetics," Luke said. "It tells a story in the dish."
Their approach is "casual fine dining," offering the craftsmanship and flavour of high-end cuisine in a relaxed, mountain-valley setting. Guests consistently praise the restaurant as an unexpected gem in such a remote location.
Fine dining, without the pretentiousness, Sophie says.
Bringing the elevated dining experience to guests is Executive Chef Léonard Obélianne. The French-trained and globally travelled chef loves the challenge of creating a high-quality dining experience surrounded by wilderness.
"First of all, we are an ecolodge, so I try to stay true to the philosophy," he says. "I'm really careful about food waste."
Season by season, Léonard draws inspiration from the land: spring wildflowers, autumn mushrooms, even the pale shade of stone along the surrounding mountains.
Pine is his quiet obsession.
"I'm really fond of the pine trees because they are everywhere in Alberta and we can do so much with them," he explains. In May, he pickles the tender tips, later he uses the needles to infuse sauces, caramel and even cocktails.
The menu, French at its foundation, but touched by Italian, Asian and other global influences from years of travel, becomes a living map of the valley.
"Guests are coming here not just for the lodge, but for the Rocky Mountains," he says. "That is my main goal as well — to be on the mountains as much as possible. So I try to put that on the plate."
Creating an extraordinary dining experience in an off-grid lodge far from major cities was not without its challenges. Luke and Sophie started by upgrading Aurum’s solar energy systems and reworking the building so a full kitchen could run reliably without compromising the lodge's eco-roots.
Inside, they knocked down walls and opened up the south-facing room to the valley.
Staffing a remote kitchen came with its own hurdles, but they knew they hit the jackpot when their search led them to Chef Leo.
The fit clicked: a shared love of the mountains, an easy bilingual rapport, and a family-friendly attitude that welcomes the couple's four kids into the rhythm of service. The result is a room that hums with intention — off-grid power in the walls, mountain light at the windows, and a chef who cooks like he belongs here.
"Guests were checking out recently and asked me if I was the chef because they wanted to thank me personally," Luke laughs. "I wish I could take credit."
Reviews of Aurum Lodge and Golden Peaks Restaurant are laden with comments about the food, the warm hospitality and the joy of seeing the couple's children as part of the mix.
“Guests are coming here not just for the lodge, but for the Rocky Mountains. That is my main goal as well — to be on the mountains as much as possible. So I try to put that on the plate."
What began as a family’s dream of a mountain home now draws day-trippers from Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary, locals from Nordegg, and travellers from far beyond Alberta.
For diners who wish to stay overnight, Aurum offers both lodge rooms and cabins. The couple is building additional cabins that will be ready soon. Just beyond the lodge, visitors are able to explore the vast wilderness on their own or through local partners — whether it is horseback riding, guided hiking, rock climbing or canyoning, Sophie and Luke have a local company they can recommend.
"There's something for everybody, really, regardless of your age or of your physical abilities or of your interests, there really is something for everybody," Luke says.
Guests might come for the famed Abraham Lake bubbles or the solitude of the Bighorn, but they leave remembering a meal cooked with care and served by a family whose daily life is intertwined with the wilderness they share with visitors.
Step into Canada's Golden Hour
