This is one of the more interesting and fun Canadian Rockies questions the old Mountain Man has gotten in a
while. It’s regarding Lake Louise, and, I believe, the Chateau Lake Louise:
My wife and I are leaving tomorrow morning for a 1 week trip to Banff and Lake Louise. My Grandparents met at Lake Louise while working there in the early 1920’s. I would like to know what Lodge is the oldest or original to the lake as that is most likely to be the one my Grandmother worked at. I can’t seem to find anything online that would give me that info.
Thank you
Rod Friesen
Just to make sure I had my facts straight, I made a quick call to the friendly folks at Parks Canada, who assured me that in fact, the Chateau Lake Louise would have been around during the 1920s. Lodging of one sort or another has existed on the site since the late 1800’s. The oldest section of the Chateau Lake Louise still standing at this time is the Painter Wing, built in 1913. There is also the Barrot Wing, built in 1925, one year after the Rattenbury Wing burnt down.
The age is one thing that makes me think your grandparents may have met at the Chateau Lake Louise. The other is that, even as a Mountain Man, I have to admit that the Chateau is one of the most romantic places on earth. A couple of young folks meeting their for the first time are bound to produce grand kids some day.
Hope this helps out with your search. Enjoy the Canadian Rockies, and write in if you find out any more!