Campaign to save century-old Swiss-inspired village in B.C. by group trying to preserve its history
CTV
A group trying to preserve a piece of British Columbia's history is asking for the public's help to purchase the land.
A group trying to preserve a piece of British Columbia's history is asking for the public's help to purchase the land.
The group that calls itself Saving Swiss Edelweiss Village launched a fundraising campaign in an effort to save the aging homes of Swiss mountain guides who lived in Canada's Rocky Mountains.
The so-called village is a century old, and located in Golden, B.C. It's comprised of just six homes, which were built on a 50-acre property in 1910 and 1912 by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The Swiss-style chalets were built on what is now Ottoson Road, and housed mountain guides from Switzerland who worked for CPR, bringing wealthy tourists safely through mountain passes. Their work took them through stretches at Banff, Lake Louise and Rogers Pass, among other areas.
But now the property is for sale, and those behind the group trying to preserve it are worried a developer brought in by the $2.3-million price tag may not have the same goals in mind.
The campaign, which is led by people in Canada and Switzerland, looks to save the buildings and make the property a designated heritage site that would bring in tourists.
On Wednesday, the group said it's been given an opportunity to do just that – but it comes with a time limit.
