Stay & Play
Stay, Play and Remember at St. Eugene’s Resort
by Jennifer Merrick
A postcard-perfect view revealed itself as we crossed the bridge to St. Eugene’s Resort in Cranbrook, British Columbia. Fishermen were trying their luck in the rapid St. Mary’s River; golfers were also testing their skills on the lush greens along the bank; and gardeners were tending to the colorful blooms of the beautifully landscaped grounds. An historic brick building covered in ivy stood regally with its arched windows and stately design.
It’s only when we learned the history of the building that the idyllic sight turned dark. From 1912 to 1970, the building housed the St. Eugene’s Mission School, a residential school where native children were torn from their families, stripped of their language and culture and subjected to abuse. At the Ktunaxa Interpretive Centre, located in that very building, we learned about the10,000-year history of the Ktunaxa people through exhibits that ranged from the creation story and scale-model tipis and boats to photographs and information about the heartbreaking residential school history.
“How do people see the resort because of what happened here?” I asked our guide.
“Most see it positively,” said Maren. “We were able to create something beautiful for future generations to enjoy.”
It took a lot of work. When the school was closed in 1970, it remained abandoned, becoming derelict and vandalized, for 20 years. Some wanted it demolished, but a community referendum voted in favor of restoration. The building was gutted and stripped to its century-old brick walls and enhanced with dark wood. An 18-hole championship golf course was opened in 2000, followed by the Casino of the Rockies in 2002. Expansion continued with adjoining buildings and the 125-room hotel, and most recently, a full-service RV Park.
Today the native-owned and operated resort is thriving and has become a go-to destination for weddings, conferences and getaways to a geographically-gifted corner of British Columbia.
Its location at the southern end of the Columbia Valley, where the Purcell and Rocky Mountains meet, means you’ll see vistas of the peaks everywhere on the property whether you’re on the golf course or relaxing on the terrace of your room. Off the resort, too, there’s an abundance of recreational activities to enjoy in the area. Some popular options include: hiking at Wycliffe Conservation Area, rafting the St. Mary’s River, swimming at Wasa Lake Provincial Park, biking the extensive network of trails, and exploring the towns of Cranbrook and Kimberley. Whatever you decide to do, the resort’s pool, spa and restaurants will be waiting for you when you return.
The pool complex comprises of a heated outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room and the BlushMediSpa offers a wide array of treatment options. Three onsite restaurants include: the19th Hole, which serves up classic breakfasts and pub-styled mains on the golf course, Kiʔsuʔk k̓ikiⱡ (meaning “good food”) that lives up to its Ktunaxa name inside the casino; and Numa, which delivers a more upscale dining experience.
The resort has everything you’d expect in a luxurious property, but it doesn’t ignore its past. Its hallways are lined with indigenous art and photographs of the residential school history. Each of the holes on the golf course has a Ktunaxa name. Education of the Ktunaxa people and indigenous culture is an experience the St. Eugene’s Resort aims to highlight, and the resort is proud to state that its story “shows the resilience of the Ktunaxa people to come full circle and return to their roles as stewards of the land, looking to the future, but never forgetting the past.”
