Product Description

All aboard for a trip to the magnificent castles and cabins of the Canadian Rockies! Christine Barnes, author of the award-winning Great Lodges of the West, brings to life one of the boldest political and engineering feats in North American history in Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies.

This extraordinary illustrated history describes how the Canadian government and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company created a travel adventure unequaled to this day, featuring architectural landmarks set in North America's most spectacular mountain scenery.

Stunning color photographs by Fred Pflughoft and David Morris, blended with Barnes' extensive research, architectural drawings and historical pictures (some never before published), create a vivid, historically accurate journey from the past to the present.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #343090 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 165 pages

Review
"If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists," declared Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, vice-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, upon completion of the trans-continental rail line through western Canada in l885. Well aware that the railway was passing through the Canadian Rocky Mountains, some of the most magnificent scenery on the continent, Van Horne had a vision of building grand hotels which would allow guests who rode the railway to sojourn in luxurious accommodations, nestled amongst a magical alpine wonderland.

In her book Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies, Christine Barnes superbly chronicles Van Horne's dream of the construction of the railway resorts in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Through extensive research, significant interviews and her use of a "treasure trove" of both archival and current photography, Christine has captured the golden era of tourism and travel in Western Canada by highlighting the development of the Grand Hotels such as the Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise, as well as the small back country lodge retreats which were built by the railway as part of the company's Bungalow Camp Tours. -- Nancy Williatte-Battet, Heritage Consultant, Canadian Pacific Hotels

"If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists," declared Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, vice-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, upon completion of the trans-continental rail line through western Canada in l885. Well aware that the railway was passing through the Canadian Rocky Mountains, some of the most magnificent scenery on the continent, Van Horne had a vision of building grand hotels which would allow guests who rode the railway to sojourn in luxurious accommodations, nestled amongst a magical alpine wonderland.

In her book Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies, Christine Barnes superbly chronicles Van Horne's dream of the construction of the railway resorts in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Through extensive research, significant interviews and her use of a "treasure trove" of both archival and current photography, Christine has captured the golden era of tourism and travel in Western Canada by highlighting the development of the Grand Hotels such as the Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise, as well as the small back country lodge retreats which were built by the railway as part of the company's Bungalow Camp Tours. -- Nancy Williatte-Battet, Heritage Consultant, Canadian Pacific Hotels

Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies tells the story of a group of buildings closely associated with the development of tourist resorts in Canada's mountain national parks: Waterton Lakes, Banff, Yoho and Jasper. Focusing on large railway hotels such as the Banff Springs and the Prince of Wales, as well as backcountry inns such as Twin Falls Tea House and Skoki Lodge, Ms. Barnes provides us with a lavishly illustrated introduction to an important aspect of the cultural history of the parks. As many of the buildings are important examples of Canadian architecture, including four national historic sites, the book is also a welcome contribution to the study of architectural history in this country. -- James Taylor, historian, Parks Canada Western Service Centre, Calgary, Alberta

In Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies, author Christine Barnes and photographers Fred Pflughoft and David Morris have collaborated to provide a unique and original perspective on the historic grand hotels and rustic lodges of Canada's mountain national parks. As she did in her award-winning book Great Lodges of the West in the United States, Christine highlights the visionary managers and architects who were involved in the creation and evolution of such venerable hotels as the Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, Chateau Lake Louise and the Prince of Wales. She also presents little-known stories about the log lodges, like Emerald Lake, Num-Ti-Jah, Mount Assiniboine, Shadow Lake, Skoki and Twin Falls Chalet, and the colorful characters who built and operated them. The book includes original architectural renderings of these hotels and lodges, many never previously published, and the contemporary photographs are quite simply some of the finest ever taken of these heritage buildings. --Brian Patton, author and historian, Canmore, Alberta

Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies tells the story of a group of buildings closely associated with the development of tourist resorts in Canada's mountain national parks: Waterton Lakes, Banff, Yoho and Jasper. Focusing on large railway hotels such as the Banff Springs and the Prince of Wales, as well as backcountry inns such as Twin Falls Tea House and Skoki Lodge, Ms. Barnes provides us with a lavishly illustrated introduction to an important aspect of the cultural history of the parks. As many of the buildings are important examples of Canadian architecture, including four national historic sites, the book is also a welcome contribution to the study of architectural history in this country. -- James Taylor, historian, Parks Canada Western Service Centre, Calgary, Alberta

In Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies, author Christine Barnes and photographers Fred Pflughoft and David Morris have collaborated to provide a unique and original perspective on the historic grand hotels and rustic lodges of Canada's mountain national parks. As she did in her award-winning book Great Lodges of the West in the United States, Christine highlights the visionary managers and architects who were involved in the creation and evolution of such venerable hotels as the Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, Chateau Lake Louise and the Prince of Wales. She also presents little-known stories about the log lodges, like Emerald Lake, Num-Ti-Jah, Mount Assiniboine, Shadow Lake, Skoki and Twin Falls Chalet, and the colorful characters who built and operated them. The book includes original architectural renderings of these hotels and lodges, many never previously published, and the contemporary photographs are quite simply some of the finest ever taken of these heritage buildings. -- Brian Patton, author and historian, Canmore, Alberta

From the Publisher
ALL ABOARD! The Canadian Parliament had withstood the longest debate in its history-- nearly ten years--when on February 1, the Canadian Railway Bill of 1881 was finalized. When all was said and done, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company was a reality. Tracks were laid across the young nation and through some of the most stunning and rugged mountains in North America. Together the railway and Canadian government developed a network of fabulous hotels, rustic lodges and tea houses all linked by one of the world's great hiking and bridle trails systems through its growing national parks. The majority of lodges were built by the CPR, but a handful were constructed by other railways or entrepreneurs.

About the Author
Christine Barnes is a journalist and writer of 22 years. She is a former Features Editor for the San Francisco Examiner and Oakland Tribune, and the author of the award-winning Great Lodges of the West and Central Oregon: View from the Middle. She has written travel articles for numerous national magazines and newspapers. She was raised in Colorado, lived for 15 years in Northern California, and now resides in Bend, Oregon with her husband. Christine is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Customer Reviews

Great Coffee Table Book for Lodge Lovers
Great pictures, informative text, and a tempting vacation guide (the book comes with a pocket guide showing prices, phone numbers, directions, photography tips, and other information). Describes the architectural and cultural evolution of the greatest lodges in Canada - most are those lodges built by the railways or by early 20th century mountaineers. All your guests will pick it up.

You'll head to Canada after reading this book
Anyone who loves spectacular mountain scenery and historic lodges should grab this book! Not only does the book contain the well-known spots (Banff Springs Hotel, Chateau Lake Louise and Jasper Park Lodge) but there's an entire section on lodges you can ONLY hike or ride horseback to. Barnes other books all feature American lodges, so this trip into the Canadian Rockies is a special visual treat full of history and plenty of sentiment. There are fold-out pages for real panoramic shots and a neat little guide in the back.

Even better than the PBS program
After watching the PBS series in July, I decided to buy the book. (I already own Great Lodges of the National Parks.) Not only are all of the spots in the series here, but MANY more. They all have wonderful photos and even better stories. It was touching to hear once more about Ken Jones (the first show of the series is in his memory).