Bragg Creek youth hostel named a historically significant site

Bragg Creek was the home to North America’s first hostel and last month the site was named historically significant by Parks Canada.

The Barclay sisters, Mary and Catherine, initiated the hostelling movement in Canada in 1933 with the Canadian Youth Hostel in Bragg Creek. This primitive pioneering facility consisted of a donated canvas tent measuring 12 feet by 14 feet, and a horse and a Model T Ford for transportation. The next season it was expanded by the construction of a frame cabin. The campsite itself survived only until 1936.

The Barclays said their mission was, “to enable youth to find wholesome companionship... travelling inexpensively, and acquiring a knowledge of their neighbour’s land and customs...” The idea of inexpensive rural camps for youth took hold during the Great Depression. The Canadian Youth Hostels Association was formed in 1934 and, inspired by the Bragg Creek example, hostels were established in various rural locations across the country, especially in the National Parks.

Peter Kent, Canada’s minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of four communities, including Bragg Creek, as historically significant places in Canada on Jan. 17.

“I am pleased that we are recognizing the special role these communities have played in Canada’s history,” said Kent. “These designations remind us how the story of Canada has a wide variety of characters and places, each interesting and critical to our development as a nation. I encourage all Canadians to learn more about these places and our country’s history.”

Other areas of the country recognized as historically significant include: The role of architecture in the development of Westmount, Que., one of Canada’s iconic neighbourhoods; the Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ont., the final resting place of many prominent political, economic and social leaders, including Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald; and the consequences of the tragic deportations of Acadian inhabitants of Île Saint-Jean (now Prince Edward Island) in 1758.

“Today’s designations serve to remind us that Canada’s communities all contribute to the many stories that made Canada,” said Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

“The great attention to detail in design and construction found in places such as Westmount or the Cataraqui Cemetery remains impressive today. Remembering a significant moment in the deportation of Acadians underlines the struggle of that community and how it has survived to this day, while the youth hostel at Bragg Creek shows how modern communities of interest are created and how they contribute to our national culture.”

Established in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada is supported by Parks Canada and advises the minister of the environment on which places, persons and events should be designated as having national historic significance.

Parks Canada manages a nation-wide network of national historic sites that make up a rich tapestry of Canada’s cultural heritage and which offers visitors the opportunity for real and inspiring discoveries.

For additional information on the individual designations, visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca