From the first moment Lanny McDonald stumbled upon Bear Mountain while on an afternoon motorcyle ride, he knew he had found something spectacular. He took his bike through the winding roads of the yet to be developed land and felt an incredible pull to the land and a duty to protect the integrity of the mountain. He took his bike back home, walked in to his family’s home on Flathead Lake, and told his family that he “had to take them someplace amazing.” That night, Lanny, his wife Ardell, and their four children watched the sunset from Bear Mountain and talked about a dream, a family project, a vision that would lead them on a journey to create a Bear Mountain of which they could be proud.
Lanny McDonald, best known for his sixteen-year career in the National Hockey League, reached the pinnacle of hockey achievement when he, as Captain of the Calgary Flames, led his team to win the Stanley Cup in 1989. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992, Lanny exemplifies what it means to be a leader. His approach to development is much the same as his approach to hockey, and to life: live, work, and play with integrity, honesty, and dedication; focus on the positive, search for and protect what is beautiful, be in tune with nature, rise to meet each challenge, and live each day to the fullest.