I am skipping ahead to my visit of September 20, 2011. While I was taking photographs of my beloved Hotel, I was joined by a local gentleman who was walking with his lovely pooch. I cannot remember his name, unfortunately. It was a beautiful sunny day and he stopped to ask me if I wanted to know some history about the Hotel. I said that I did indeed. He told me a few things that I allready knew but gave me the one piece of info I had really been wondering about.

Why was the Hotel never reopened after World War I?

 I allready knew that the cement for the footings of the Hotel was mixed by hand but later a cement mixer was brought in. However, the job of getting the cement up to the forms remained one for strong backs and aching muscles as each yard was wheeled in barrows up ramps which wound round the walls higher and higher as the building progressed.

So, this very nice man, then tells me that the reason the Hotel never re-opened was because there was no re-bar included when the pioneers built the structure, as described above. That made perfect sense, the structure was deemed unsafe. So unfortunate. At least it was not due to lack of interest. The town of Kaleden started to grow, mostly upward, on the steep hills overlooking the Lake. There was very little lakeshore property available. Robertson Point, which is south of the Hotel, houses a few residences and directly on the Point is the Ponderosa Point Resort. This Resort is one of the best kept secrets in this area. It is a throw back to the days of single family cabins and canoes and relaxing in an Adirondack Chair. It is enjoyed by the owners and their families and they only rent out a few cabins to the public.

I think that it is such a tribute to the local people that they left the Hotel standing. Unless it has been deemed an Historic landmark. I will do some research in that direction.

This was my first look at the ruin,  it was May 29, 2011, almost 100 years after this Hotel was built which was the fall of 1911. This was just the beginning of my loving obsession with this building and the town it was built in, a quietly beautiful area of the South Okanagan area of British Columbia, Canada.

I grew up in Kelowna, B.C. about 90 kilometers north of Kaleden. My parents used to visit Kaleden on a slow, easy Sunday drive, starting about 25 years ago. So, on this beautiful day in May, 2011, I was driving back home, after spending the day in Oliver, B.C., taking pictures and exploring areas South. I am an amateur photographer, mostly nature shots specializing in Birding.

As I drove down the steep hills of Kaleden to the beach, I spotted this building from the high roads, as pictured in the black and white picture previously posted on this blog. I remember saying to myself, " What is that! " and drove as quickly and safely as I could to get close to it.

Immediately, upon reaching my destination, I felt awestruck. There is something about this building and the area it has resided on for nearly 100 years, that struck me in a profound way. I believe in reincarnation, perhaps I had spent time in this Hotel as a guest or even a worker. Who knows who I was in another life?

I couldn't help but wonder.... had I stayed in this Hotel before? Had I lived in this town at the turn of the Century? These questions may never be answered but I do know that I felt and still feel an unusual connection to this Hotel.......

This is a photo that shows the Hotel just after it was built. It is from the book, Birth of Kaleden, by Harry Conlin, a pioneer of the area. The Store to the left is still standing as well, and is now a catering company with residence above. You can see Skaha Lake, once called Dog Lake, in the background.

Apparently there were sleeping porches in each room which was fashionable at the time, but are not outwardly apparent. They must have been right inside the windows.

There were 26 rooms and 2 dining rooms, one for the working men and the other, a fancy one, for the guests.

The Kettle Valley Railway ran right in front of the Hotel along the lakeshore. The Railway is now defunct.

Well here it is. This will be one image of many to appear in this blog. This is how the Hotel stands today, stripped of everything but it's dignity. The First World War, circa 1914, was the catalyst for change in this area, with many or all of the men leaving to enlist overseas, since Canada was still under British Rule. Alas, the Hotel was closed temporarily, never to reopen. There is a story here, to be told later.

This Hotel stands after almost 100 years- but as a shell

Something always brings me back to this place ever since I first laid eyes on it from atop one of the many hills in Kaleden.

It was a Hotel that was built to accomodate the Kettle Valley Railroad passengers, but was only open for two  years, and yet, it still stands, proud and shapely against the backdrop of gorgeous Skaha Lake.

I want to celebrate the beauty of this structure and hopefully my pictures will be a fitting tribute.