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When a Toronto, Ontario-based marketing firm contacted Fiesta Tents Ltd., out of Montreal, Que., Canada, with a request to install a clearspan tent in February on a frozen lake north of Montreal, it sparked the team’s interest.
Each year in the winter, Automobili Lamborghini Canada hosts a multiday on-ice driving program—Esperienza Neve—where preeminent customers across North America learn the required skills to handle the Lamborghini fleet on both ice and snow under the guidance of Lamborghini Squadra Corse instructors. In 2023, participants engaged in activities such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dogsledding, cross-country skiing and—of course—testing the limits of Lamborghinis in an extreme environment and on unexpected terrain.
“Previously, they utilized one or two high-peak marquees from their existing inventory, but to mark the 10th anniversary, they aspired to provide a more luxurious and exclusive experience for their discerning guests,” says Martin Bérubé, project director of Fiesta Tents. “Consequently, they were exploring alternative solutions to elevate their event and reached out to us for options.”
Strength and beauty
This project took place in February 2024 in the municipality of Saint-Alexis-des-Mont on Canitchez Lake, a neighboring lake to Hotel Sacacomie, a luxurious resort and spa located in the Laurentian mountains. Fiesta Tent’s offices and warehouse are situated approximately 2.5 hours from the venue. “Given the remote location, far from our home base, we took extra precautions to double- and triple-check our load, ensuring we had everything necessary to complete the first day of the two-day setup without any setbacks,” Bérubé says.
For the main tent, Fiesta installed its winterized 40-by-45-foot Solar System clearspan structure. Three sides of the tent offered breathtaking views of the lake via clear glass walls, while a double aluminum door, also built by Fiesta, provided access. In addition to the main tent, a 20-by-20-foot clearspan tent from the Solar System series provided storage for the event organizers.
Given the possibilities of severe winter weather during the event, the snow-bearing structures needed to be capable of withstanding snowfall, freezing rain and open-lake winds. “Fortunately, both our rental and manufacturing divisions are trailblazers in winter tenting, specializing in snow-loaded structures, which enabled us to effortlessly overcome this challenge,” Bérubé says.
The use of a glass wall required the team to install a laser-leveled floor to ensure an even surface. To achieve this, the company custom-built a plywood floor on wood beams and finished it with high-pile carpeting, creating a luxurious VIP ambiance within the structure. Decorators then made the space feel warm and welcoming for the guests.
Challenges on ice
Logistics proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the entire project. The narrow and sometimes steep 1.5 km (approximately 1 mile) wooded roads between the hotel and the lake prevented use of the crew’s semi-truck with its 53-foot flatbed trailer, which would have been the usual choice. Instead, the team had to transport all the equipment on 30-foot trailers, which were not permitted on the lake itself. Even maneuvering the trucks to turn around was a challenge.
Typically, the average temperature in this region during that time of year is around -15 C (5 F). However, February 2024 broke records as the warmest February in recorded history, with temperatures hovering around 0-5 C (30-40 F) in the weeks leading up to the scheduled on-site date. As a result, the lake was not completely frozen, making it impossible for the crew to access it with its pick-up trucks, let alone trailers. Their solution was to park on land near the shore and utilize their smallest Tent OX™, a 500 series model, to haul all the materials up and down a small access ramp, which added several hours to the process. “But the true challenge lay in anchoring the tents,” Bérubé says. “Traditional stakes were not an option, and concrete blocks were also ruled out. Our solution was to use an ice auger to drill holes through the 30 inches of ice, then insert 36-inch-long, 4-by-4-inch lumber secured parallel under the ice, with 2-inch tension ratchet guy lines.”
Thankfully, a timely cold snap occurred just 48 hours before installation, and was cold enough to provide the necessary ice thickness to ensure the safety of the guests, crew and equipment. “Although we had to adjust the exact position of the tent, everything ultimately worked out well for everyone involved,” says Bérubé.
Race to the finish
Of the crew’s nine-to-10-hour workdays, five hours were spent on transportation. Further, due to access limitations, the crew had to adjust its installation schedule, and what was initially planned as a two-day setup ended up taking two and a half days. “On the first day, we set up the floor and frame of the main tent, while the fabric, glass walls, utility tent and its floor were installed on the second day,” Bérubé says. “A skeleton crew returned on the third day to complete the finishing touches.”
But throughout all of the challenges and unforeseen difficulties, he says, their team remained motivated and committed to delivering the perfect installation for their clients.
“In this instance, Fiesta Tents definitely succeeded in elevating our customer’s experience, from the products used to the entire planning and execution processes,” Bérubé says. “So much so, that our partner shared feedback stating Automobili Lamborghini Canada and their distinguished guests were so impressed with what was intended to be a one-time special feature for the event’s 10th anniversary, it has now been confirmed for the next few years and will become the new norm.”
Sigrid Tornquist is a Minneapolis, Minn.-based writer and editor and former InTents editor.
By the numbers:
- 1 winterized 40-by-45-foot Solar System clearspan
- 1 20-by-20-foot Solar System clearspan
- 30 inches of ice
- 36-inch-long, 4-by-4-inch lumber secured parallel under the ice
- 2-inch tension ratchet guy lines
- 5-hour daily commute to and from the venue
- 7-8 staff members on site