About Us
Our Mission
The hospitality industry in Canada is facing an impending employment and operational crisis. In fact, two out of every three accommodation businesses see labour issues as a significant business impediment.Rooms are going unsold, business is being turned away, and expansion plans are curtailed. Operations across Canada are being scaled back, and doors are remaining open with insufficient staff.
The Centre for Hospitality Studies and Research at the Bliss Hotel is a solution to this challenge. Through hotel internships, embedded operational and observation exposure, classroom enrichment, research, network and industry outreach, and academic partnership, we intended to properly prepare our students for a future in hospitality management. The Centre for Hospitality Studies and Research will be a hospitality training Centre unlike anything else in Canada.
Calling Hinton Home
Hinton is the birthplace of Bliss Hotels and Resorts. The Town of Hinton has grown from a host of different beginnings. Hinton was so named for William P. Hinton, a general superintendent for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, in 1911, but it was not until 1928 that Henderson’s Alberta Directory finally recognized the existence of Hinton (though it was considered to be part of Dalehurst).
The construction of the railroad in 1908, led to a construction camp on the flats at Prairie Creek. Four years later, a second town was built in anticipation of a coal mine, two miles east of the construction camp, and in 1914 the Canadian Northern Railway established a station called Bliss, another three miles east of the first “town”.
In 1915, even further east, Dalehurst was known as the official post station for Hinton. It was named after a timekeeper who operated the main store during the construction days of Canadian Northern and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railways.
In the days of Bliss, a settlement named Entrance also served as a communication centre in the area. The old town of Entrance got its name as it was the entrance to Jasper National Park, and the last station on the Canadian National Railway (CN) before entering the Rockies. The new town of Entrance was formed when CN decided to abandon its track in 1926.
We took the name Bliss from the historic archives of the Town of Hinton, as mentioned in “The history of Hinton – 100 years of a town”. This region in Canada is known for its fresh air, organic lifestyle and the entry point into Alaska
Community Impact
Bliss of Hinton is committed to improving the local community in Hinton as well as our broader community across Alberta and Canada. The Centre for Hospitality Research and Studies will support our communities through economic impact, social and cultural impacts, destination enhancement impacts and human capital impacts.
Throughout the construction and operating dimensions of the project, every attempt will be made to maximize positive impacts and minimize any potential negative impacts. Indicators will be agreed upon by stakeholders and will be carefully monitored. The results of the monitoring will be used to adjust where necessary redirect design and operations.
Economic Impacts
- Overall improvement in the local economy
- Increased and improved employment opportunities
- Increase tax revenues
- The creation of new business opportunities
- New residential demand
- Improved investment climate
- Minimizing the seasonality challenges
Social & Cultural Impacts
- Increase in the Hinton brand
- New opportunities for local people and businesses
- Increased pride in the community
- Potentially new leisure opportunities
- Opportunities for young people to stay in the community
- Support for the gig economy
- Opportunities for skill and knowledge development at CHSR
Destination Enhancement Impacts
- Increased brand image for additional tourism
- Improved marketing story
- Differentiated products and services
- Increase in partnership
Human Capital Impacts
- Improved access and student experience for Albertans
- New hospitality skills, knowledge and competencies to meet
industry demands - The development of a sustainable and innovative private sector academic model
- Innovative hospitality research and education
- Hinton and region becoming a destination for hospitality human capital development research and development