Waterton’s Anniversaries Photo Courtesy of 8 Star Tours
In 1895, Canada created the park around Waterton Lake. By 1911, when it was renamed Waterton Lakes National Park, a grand total of sixty-four people visited – and a dance hall opened. Even today, weekend dances in Waterton are a fond memory for people in the area. Nine thousand visitors came in 1919! The next year, the record trout was caught in upper Waterton Lake weighed 23.4 kg – almost 52 pounds! The Great Northern Railway built the iconic Prince of Wales Hotel, perched on its hill overlooking the lake, in 1927 after years of planning. The tipping point, (or tippling point!) came when the railway’s nearby hotels in Glacier National Park had prohibition, but Alberta did not. The lure of liquor made the operation of this hotel fiscally attractive, but may have slowed down the construction workers! At one point fierce wind gusts shifted the whole building; dozens of horses were brought in to pull the half-built structure back on to its foundations. The Lethbridge Herald wrote upon the opening: “The Swiss style of its architecture harmonizes perfectly with the lake scenery which closely resembles that of the Alps. Waterton Lakes have been known to holiday seekers for a short time only and its development in the past 10 years has been remarkable, culminating in the construction of the entirely modern hotel.” 54 | mywaterton.ca
Rooms had telephones, hot running water AND a bathtub. Talk about modern! Visitors today will find a charming blend of old and new, and the same amazing views. The Prince of Wales Hotel opened the same year as the “M.V. International” was re-assembled on Waterton Lake. It was brought over-land in pieces from the U.S. The vessel is still in service, carrying tours down the lake to Goat Haunt, Montana and the International Peace Park Pavilion, which was renovated to improve the visitor’s experience. 2019 is also the 40th anniversary of the park’s designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, due to the amazing variety of plant and animal species found here, and the incredibly ancient rocks, in the park’s mountains. A reserve “encourages a sustainable, community-based regional economy, with quality biodiversity, landscape and social values.” Those values are demonstrated every day by a large group of volunteers on all three sides of the borders around the park, as shown by the “Crown of the Continent” working group. Please help preserve this special place, visit Goo.gl/a8RU5u or facebook.com/WatertonBiosphereReserve. By: Allen Gibson
