Inspiration for the project came from Iceland’s Blue Lagoon / photo: GeoLagoon
Plans for a net-zero geothermal bathing lagoon and chalet village near Québec City, Canada are blazing a trail in sustainability.
GeoLagoon, a privately funded company, is on a mission to create a relaxing nature-centric eco-village which it claims will be powered entirely by natural resources in Charlevoix, a region north-west of the province’s capital.
The beating heart at the centre of the destination is a man-made 120,000sq ft lagoon which is one of the largest of its kind in the world (see p34).
Underneath the lagoon a vast patent-pending thermal reservoir will be heated to 70˚C by a combination of geothermal, solar and biomass energy.
This is designed to not only keep the lagoon at a toasty 38˚C throughout the year, but to also heat the accommodation.
It’s proposed that the site will feature 300 prefab chalets clad in solar and thermal panels, which will power the water heaters in the reservoir.
GeoLagoon is owned by Louis Massicotte. The Canadian entrepreneur is the former president of the leisure complex Village Vacances Valcartier and also has a background in technology and marketing. He created the concept having been impressed by Iceland’s iconic Blue Lagoon bathing destination.
He told Spa Business: “Our aspiration is to create an international benchmark for renewable energy models, the goal is to become carbon-positive and produce more energy than we consume.”
Funding the vision Massicotte estimates that the GeoLagoon will cost a minimum of CAD$325m (US$244.8m, €235.4m, £207m) and potentially up to CAD$500m (US$376.5m, €362.3m, £318.6m) to realise.
To finance the construction, GeoLagoon is selling the chalets to investors who can then rent them out in the short-term to tourists or people who want to live in them. Prices for the chalets start at CAD$819,000 (US$615,400, €592,600, £519,400).
GeoLagoon won’t provide rental management services for the properties but it will designate a firm for home-owners to use. The lagoon itself will be owned and operated by a third-party corporation, which will also handle ticket sales for day visitors, creating another revenue stream.
Weaving in wellness Massicotte says that up to 2,000 people will be able to enjoy the lagoon’s warm waters at any one time. “Guests will be able to bathe and enjoy epic mountain views during the day and soak by star and moonlight in the evenings,” he says.
The team is also looking to collaborate with a third party operator to open a world-class spa at the property. No spa consultant has been appointed yet as Massicotte feels this will be up to the operator.
He predicts the spa will cover around 500sq m and include 25 treatment rooms in addition to a floating massage service in the lagoon.
Location, location, location Work hasn’t started on the Charlevoix site as a permit has yet to be granted. Massicotte is hopeful the company’s focus on nature will help sway the authorities. His aim is to begin construction in March 2023 and to complete the project by December 2024.
It’s highly ambitious. But then so is Massicotte. He already has sites mapped out for three more GeoLagoons – in Lanaudière, The Laurentians and The Eastern Townships. Each on the same size and scale as the one in Charlevoix.
All locations have been selected thanks to their proximity to Québec City or Montréal meaning they’re easily accessible to urban dwellers – each is around an hour’s drive from one of the cities.
Massicotte’s aspirations don’t just stop there, however. “The business plan and the technology were created to be duplicated anywhere,” he reveals, “we have 10 more GeoLagoon locations planned for Canada and we’re already in talks with people from five other countries.
“If we want to respond correctly and quickly to demand, the franchise model is a viable part of our expansion plans.”
World’s largest hot springs
• At 120,000sq ft GeoLagoon would be one the world’s largest man-made hot bathing pools, although there are bigger naturally-formed thermal lakes
• Bear Lake in Romania is a heliothermic lake covering 430,556sq ft. It’s heated by the sun and maintains this warmth due to the composition of its saline waters
• Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand measures 409,029sq ft, but at 50-60˚C is too hot for bathing in
• Lake Hévíz in Hungary is reported to be the world’s largest swimmable thermal lake covering 511,286sq ft
• Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, one of the most well-known man-made geothermal lakes, is 93,646sq ft
photo: GeoLagoon
"If we want to respond quickly to demand, the franchise model is a real solution" – GeoLagoon owner, Louis Massicotte
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Inspiration for the project came from Iceland’s Blue Lagoon / photo: GeoLagoon
Plans for a net-zero geothermal bathing lagoon and chalet village near Québec City, Canada are blazing a trail in sustainability.
GeoLagoon, a privately funded company, is on a mission to create a relaxing nature-centric eco-village which it claims will be powered entirely by natural resources in Charlevoix, a region north-west of the province’s capital.
The beating heart at the centre of the destination is a man-made 120,000sq ft lagoon which is one of the largest of its kind in the world (see p34).
Underneath the lagoon a vast patent-pending thermal reservoir will be heated to 70˚C by a combination of geothermal, solar and biomass energy.
This is designed to not only keep the lagoon at a toasty 38˚C throughout the year, but to also heat the accommodation.
It’s proposed that the site will feature 300 prefab chalets clad in solar and thermal panels, which will power the water heaters in the reservoir.
GeoLagoon is owned by Louis Massicotte. The Canadian entrepreneur is the former president of the leisure complex Village Vacances Valcartier and also has a background in technology and marketing. He created the concept having been impressed by Iceland’s iconic Blue Lagoon bathing destination.
He told Spa Business: “Our aspiration is to create an international benchmark for renewable energy models, the goal is to become carbon-positive and produce more energy than we consume.”
Funding the vision Massicotte estimates that the GeoLagoon will cost a minimum of CAD$325m (US$244.8m, €235.4m, £207m) and potentially up to CAD$500m (US$376.5m, €362.3m, £318.6m) to realise.
To finance the construction, GeoLagoon is selling the chalets to investors who can then rent them out in the short-term to tourists or people who want to live in them. Prices for the chalets start at CAD$819,000 (US$615,400, €592,600, £519,400).
GeoLagoon won’t provide rental management services for the properties but it will designate a firm for home-owners to use. The lagoon itself will be owned and operated by a third-party corporation, which will also handle ticket sales for day visitors, creating another revenue stream.
Weaving in wellness Massicotte says that up to 2,000 people will be able to enjoy the lagoon’s warm waters at any one time. “Guests will be able to bathe and enjoy epic mountain views during the day and soak by star and moonlight in the evenings,” he says.
The team is also looking to collaborate with a third party operator to open a world-class spa at the property. No spa consultant has been appointed yet as Massicotte feels this will be up to the operator.
He predicts the spa will cover around 500sq m and include 25 treatment rooms in addition to a floating massage service in the lagoon.
Location, location, location Work hasn’t started on the Charlevoix site as a permit has yet to be granted. Massicotte is hopeful the company’s focus on nature will help sway the authorities. His aim is to begin construction in March 2023 and to complete the project by December 2024.
It’s highly ambitious. But then so is Massicotte. He already has sites mapped out for three more GeoLagoons – in Lanaudière, The Laurentians and The Eastern Townships. Each on the same size and scale as the one in Charlevoix.
All locations have been selected thanks to their proximity to Québec City or Montréal meaning they’re easily accessible to urban dwellers – each is around an hour’s drive from one of the cities.
Massicotte’s aspirations don’t just stop there, however. “The business plan and the technology were created to be duplicated anywhere,” he reveals, “we have 10 more GeoLagoon locations planned for Canada and we’re already in talks with people from five other countries.
“If we want to respond correctly and quickly to demand, the franchise model is a viable part of our expansion plans.”
World’s largest hot springs
• At 120,000sq ft GeoLagoon would be one the world’s largest man-made hot bathing pools, although there are bigger naturally-formed thermal lakes
• Bear Lake in Romania is a heliothermic lake covering 430,556sq ft. It’s heated by the sun and maintains this warmth due to the composition of its saline waters
• Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand measures 409,029sq ft, but at 50-60˚C is too hot for bathing in
• Lake Hévíz in Hungary is reported to be the world’s largest swimmable thermal lake covering 511,286sq ft
• Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, one of the most well-known man-made geothermal lakes, is 93,646sq ft
photo: GeoLagoon
"If we want to respond quickly to demand, the franchise model is a real solution" – GeoLagoon owner, Louis Massicotte
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Spa People: Marc Cohen
Leading medical, research, science and educational activities are all part of the new medical director’s role at the Peninsula Hot Springs Group in Australia
Menu engineering: At your service
Get inspired by the latest wellness services including a high-tech diagnostic circuit at SHA and a Zita West fertility programme at Bürgenstock
Interview: Stephan Wagner
As Saudi Arabia taps into tourism, the man heading up wellness at Amaala talks to Spa Business about what the major development is looking to bring to a previously undiscovered part of the Kingdom
Interview: Aradhana Khowala
The chair of the advisory board of the Red Sea – a Saudi development the size of Belgium – shares her passion for regenerative tourism with Spa Business
Sponsored: RKF: Dressed to impress
Following exciting new launches at Equip Hotel in Paris, including the new DresSoft line, RKF Luxury Linen is gearing up for an eco-friendly and fashion-conscious 2023
Everyone’s talking about...: Cold water immersion
A new scientific paper warns of the significant risk of cold water therapies. Spa Business investigates how operators can protect those taking part in extreme bathing programmes
Event report: Healing summit
Self-help and self-love were the key messages from this wellness event in Portugal, says Spa Business’ Lisa Starr
Sponsored: Comfort Zone: Effective by nature
Comfort Zone has revealed three new
products, including a new neck and
décolleté fluid, leveraging the power of
botanical bioactive extracts
Interview: Alex & Sue Glasscock
Editor-at-large, Jane Kitchen is put through her paces at The Ranch's new outpost in Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy and catches up with the owners
Event Report: Global Wellness Summit
The 16th annual GWS, held in Tel Aviv, Israel, homed in on the sector’s biggest issues following the pandemic. Spa Business reports on the highlights
Research: Wellness for all
A new study by the Global Wellness Institute provides a framework for businesses and governments to make healthy lifestyles accessible to all
Sponsored: TechnoAlpin Snowroom
The TechnoAlpin Snowroom made our Grand Aufguss Masters event extra special, says Robert Heinevetter
Finishing Touch: Cold call
Tumor suppression and boosting ‘good fat’ are two potential benefits of exposure to cool temperatures and swimming in icy waters, scientists reveal
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more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a
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