亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 oldest landmark, excluding the town鈥檚 crooked main street, might be the three-story building that stands on the south side of Highway 16 just east of First Ave.
The Tweedsmuir Hotel was built in 1950, just in time for the economic boom created by the Aluminum Company of Canada鈥檚 Kenney Dam project. J.S. (Jack) Brown Sr., secretary in the Tweedsmuir partnership and a well-known local businessman, was active in raising money for the endeavour and had a financial interest in it.
When it opened, the Tweedsmuir was the pride of the Lakes District and the largest structure in town. It boasted a modern restaurant, spacious lounge, and more than a dozen well-appointed rooms. (The owners added 18 rooms over the bar in 1953.) For a few years in the early 鈥�50s, the partnership of Gin Saul and Jim Locke 鈥� which also ran the Omineca Caf茅 鈥� leased the Tweedsmuir鈥檚 dining room, and between the two businesses, employed approximately three dozen cooks, servers, and dishwashers.
亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 first radio station, CFLD, also operated out of the hotel when it went on the air on Feb. 1, 1966, but later moved across the street to the second floor of the Evergreen Mall.
The Tweedsmuir has had its ups and downs over the years, at one point earning the nickname 鈥渢he seedy Tweedy.鈥� During the late 1950s, a distinguished visitor from England described it as 鈥渁n ugly, square concrete block in the centre of the village, housing a hotel and beer parlour.鈥� One old-timer swears that at about the same time, a sign in the establishment鈥檚 reception area read: 鈥淐heck all weapons at the door.鈥�
The Tweedsmuir enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in the 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s, when it was refitted and renamed the 鈥淟akeland,鈥� but closed again in the new millennium.
A company owned by the Skin Tyee Nation purchased the hotel in 2015, and the structure is currently under renovation. Long-time residents look forward to the grand re-opening, and the opportunity to eat a leisurely breakfast in 亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 oldest surviving hostelry.
漏 2018 Michael Riis-Christianson and the Lakes District Museum Society
