A broader sense of place
Shadow Lake Lodge and The Alpine Club of Canada are grateful for the opportunity we have to work and play on the land known today as Canada. We recognize that these lands are home to the enduring presence of all First Nations and Métis people, and the Inuit.
Shadow Lake Lodge is located on the traditional lands of Treaty 7, comprised of the Stoney Nakoda Nations of Wesley, Chiniki, and Bearspaw; three Nations of the Blackfoot Confederacy: the Piikani, Kainai, and Siksika; the Mountain Cree; and the Tsuu T'ina of the Dene people. This territory is also shared with the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III. Before the signing of Treaty 7, and prior to the establishment of provincial boundaries, this region was also used by the Ktunaxa and the Maskwacis people. We acknowledge the past, present, and future generations of these Nations who lead us in stewarding this land, as well as honour their knowledge and cultural ties to this place.
Shadow Lake Lodge et le Club Alpin du Canada reconnaît l'opportunité que nous avons de travailler et de jouer sur le territoire connu aujourd'hui sous le nom de Canada. Nous reconnaissons que ces terres sont le foyer depuis des temps immemoriaux de tous les peuples des Premières nations et des Métis, ainsi que des Inuits
Shadow Lake Lodge est situé sur les terres traditionnelles du Traité 7, qui comprend les nations Stoney Nakoda de Wesley, Chiniki et Bearspaw; trois nations de la Confédération des Pieds-Noirs: les Piikani, Kainai et Siksika; les Cris des montagnes et les Tsuu T'ina du peuple Dene. Ce territoire est également partagé avec la Nation métisse de l'Alberta, région III. Avant la signature du Traité 7, et avant l'établissement des frontières provinciales, cette région était également utilisée par les Ktunaxa et les Maskwacis. Nous reconnaissons les générations passées, présentes et futures de ces nations qui nous enseignent comment gérer cette terre, et nous honorons leurs connaissances et leurs liens culturels avec cet endroit.
Our history
The history of Shadow Lake Lodge began in 1930, when the Canadian Pacific Railway constructed a modest log rest house overlooking a meadow below the outlet of Shadow Lake, deep in the backcountry of Banff National Park.
After completion of a rail line across Canada in 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) began to build grand hotels designed to encourage rail travel. The earliest of these included the Banff Springs Hotel, which opened in 1888 near hot springs that formed the nucleus of what is now Banff National Park.
Bud had always been very generous and he would let almost any of the locals use the cabin. In this photo Egypt Lake district warden Ed Carlton stops to visit with Banff local Bob Meggs.
As the Canadian Rockies began attracting more adventurous visitors, the CPR began establishing a network of backcountry rest houses and lodges. One such property was a log cabin one kilometre from Shadow Lake that served as a basic shelter for weary travellers who were seeking out backcountry beauty on foot and horseback. Completed in 1929, it comprised a simple saddle-notched log cabin with a gabled roof and two front windows overlooking a wide meadow.
After the Great Depression, the CPR began selling off its more remote properties, including Shadow Lake Rest House, with ownership transferring to Brewster Transport in 1938. The property has been in the Brewster family ever since.
The Brewster family first proposed expanding the property to allow overnight usage in 1978. In 1991, after more than a decade of legal government wrangling over both the construction of additional cabins and status of the access road, the first guests arrived to find the original log cabin renovated and a string of new cabins. Two years later, a cabin dedicated to housing staff was built, along with a grey water system that is still in use to this day. In the following years, more guest cabins and a dining room were constructed, with the original 1929 cabin now used as a guest lounge, complete with a wood-burning fireplace extensive library of local books.
Winter opening, 1992.
Up until 2019, Alison Brewster, daughter of Bud Brewster, along with her husband Bryan Niehaus and their daughters Morgan and Joleen operated Shadow Lake Lodge, continuing the long and storied history of the Brewster family’s link to a very special backcountry lodge.
The lodge was sold to The Alpine Club of Canada in 2019 and we continue to honour the legacy of this backcountry gem, taking pride in hosting one of the Rockies’ first and best full-service backcountry cabin experiences.
For a more detailed history of Shadow Lake Lodge, click here.