Vanishing B.C. Windsor Hotel at Trout Lake

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Page last updated March 29, 2008

The fabulous Windsor Hotel, established in 1892 at Trout Lake City, the last survivor of a thriving transportation centre for the Lardeau mining area. Kept alive for the quiet decades bracketing the Great Depression by Alice Jowett, the hotel building subsequently became terribly dilapidated, its foundations sinking and rot setting in. New owners have restored it and operate it for a new generation of four-seasons vacationers: see their website. One day perhaps the hotel at Coalmont will get the same careful treatment.

I know of two historical books written about this area. One concerns the photographs of Mattie Gunterman and is called Flapjacks and Photographs. The other is by Milton and Rosemarie Parent of Nakusp and is called Circle of Silver on the Lardeau. I went in to Beaton but could only find a few old cabins around a modern recreational and cottage area near Gunterman Falls--did I miss something?

Note from Henry Gunterman: No you did not miss much in Beaton. The old buildings were destroyed during dam construction. Only the footprints are apparent at low water. Edna Daney lives in Nakusp and is active in the Museum. It puts out a calendar with pics from the mid 1900's that is nice. Some tape recordings of the old timers were collected by Fred Lade and were donated to the Provincial Archives in the Lade Collection.

Note from Jill Hunt: I found your site on the internet and wanted to get in touch with you. Back in the 1950's a Russian trapper named Jack Kachuk hand built three log cabins on the west side of Trout Lake. While building these cabins, Jack lived in a tiny one room cabin built by an unknown trapper in the late 1800's. This cabin is still standing on the property.

My grandparents were very good friends with Jack and spent quite a bit of time at Trout Lake with him. When he died in 1961, he willed the cabins to my grandfather. My grandfather and Jack hand laid piping a quarter of a mile up the mountain behind the cabins to generate the only electricity Trout Lake had seen until recently. The pipeline is still generating electricity for all three cabins. Both of my grandparents have passed away and their ashes have been scattered there. The cabins remain in the family and we visit there frequently and work very hard at maintaining and caring for this very special place.

Trout Lake has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember, having been going there since my birth in 1965, I can remember the Trout Lake General Store in the condition that it is in the picture on your website.

Gas pumps at the Trout Lake store: actual old-fashioned bowsers, apparently the last set in use in BC. Once they were everywhere: below is the detail of a photo of the Squilax store, c. 1935, from the BC Archives. (thanks to Blair Acton, owner of the store and hostel, for the details of the date. The store is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2010.)

Note from Elisa Elder: In my youth, I spent at least 10 summers (4 weeks at a time) at Trout Lake with my parents. I loved the cabins we stayed at -- they were Bob Hunt's and we fished with the Hunts and rented their cabins -- the Mink, Beaver, and I believe, the Martin. The cabins were located about 8 miles down the lake from the town. Anyway, if you've got more info/photos to share I'd love to see them; plus, I'd be happy to go through my dad's photos and see if there are any old hotel photos and share them with you. I'm sure there are, as he was an avid photographer in addition to his love for Trout fishing!

I noticed you had a note from Jill Hunt; is that Bob Hunt's daughter or granddaughter? If so, I'd love to send her a note. If they still rent the cabins, it would be wonderful to do so and relive the wonderful vacations I had with my parents, there.

Also, I was friends with Claudia, the daughter of the folks that owned the Trout Lake general store during the sixties; we wrote to each other during the year, each year, and then planned all our shenanigans for the 4 weeks we'd see each other during the summer. Any idea what happened to that nice family? Do they still own the general store?

Note from Jay Hunt, Spokane: Was looking at the renewed site of the Windsor Hotel and also came upon your web site. To my surprise, my sister Jill had written to you. Attached are some photos taken within the past 3-4 years of the cabins. The photo on the right is of Rich Broemeling and my mother. Rich has a cabin across the lake from our cabins on 8 mile. Rich's wife, Pat, passed away about three years ago and now Rich and his son, Michael, return to the lake each year. The Broemelings formerly operated the Trout Lake resort (a photo below shows the former Trout Lake store). A very special place that most people accustomed to "city life" and densely populated lakes could not appreciate.

Jill Hunt is Bob Hunt's grand-daughter. I am their grandson. Terry and Roberta Hunt (our mom & dad) still go up to Trout Lake. They had their honeymoon at the cabins!

I have been going to Trout Lake for the past 40 years and many people have come and gone. Most of them were great personalities and unfortunately, those days are gone. But, the sweet smell of fresh air and the majestic mountains surrounding Trout Lake always keep me coming back each year for more.

To the woman who knew Claudia Broemeling, she can reach her by contacting me, Jay Hunt.

	Photos by Jay Hunt The 100+ year-old trapper's cabin referred to above in the Jill Hunt letter.
	The Trout Lake store, about 1960?
	Dinner
	Here and below: two of the log cabins built by Jack Kachuk in the 1950s.

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