Propel Studios is located in Admiralty House, a multi-purpose building in the heart of Kaslo’s Front Street. The building used to be in the houseboating business. Dick Smith, a draftsman and shipbuilder from Scotland came to Canada, and he and his wife Dee-Dee fell in love with Kaslo and Kootenay Lake. Dick built custom steel-hulled houseboats for charter that they ran as a successful business for over 45 years. Dick and Dee-Dee had Admiralty House built and passed the houseboat business onto their daughter Lorna and her husband Marty. They ran the business for many more years but shifted into vacation rentals at Admiralty House in 2019.

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Over the years many musicians have stayed, performed and jammed at Admiralty House. So it seemed a natural fit to the Lynch family to finish the second level of Admiralty House as a recording studio. Propel Studios was born out of the idea of creating a multi-faceted space that artists can create, record, perform and stay -- all in the same building. The name pays homage to Dick and Dee-Dee and the ships they created, while also conveying the overarching purpose of the studio: to move you forward as an artist.