Century-old B.C. 'village' listed for sale for $2.3M; group trying to preserve history
A century-old village located in the Rocky Mountains is currently listed for sale – something that worries a group trying to preserve its history.
Edelweiss Village, located in Golden, B.C., is home to six houses built more than 100 years ago.
A listing for the 50-acre property says the homes were constructed between 1910 and 1912 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Swiss-style chalets were erected on the land on what is now Ottoson Road to house Swiss mountain guides and their families.
According to the Re/Max realtors behind the listing, these guides were employed by CPR to bring wealthy tourists through the mountain passes, including popular stretches at Banff, Lake Louise and Rogers Pass.
"These incredibly unique buildings feature amazing woodwork, wooden staircases and views that are hard to beat from every window," the listing boasts.
The homes have been upgraded to include modern heating, plumbing and electricity, and while carpet has been installed, realtors say the "original fir planking" is just waiting for restoration.
The main home on the property was built later, in the late 1970s. The property itself is full of "mature timber, gently slopes and benches."
Signs proclaim the land as "Home of the Famous Swiss Guides," and the listing includes archival photos of the homes perched on a hilltop, as well as shots of how they look now.
Realtors call the land a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They're asking $2.3 million.
The potential sale of the property has some worried. A campaign to protect the historic site claims there's "significant risk" of the village disappearing.
Those behind it hope to gather support from those in Canada and Switzerland, and to create a foundation to preserve the site. The initiators of the campaign are Swiss-Canadian author Ilona Spaar and Johann Roduit, a board member of the Swiss-Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Several advisors are also working on the campaign, including those associated with tourism in Golden.
They hope to make it a designated heritage site and a "world-class tourist destination," with educational tours and even the opportunity to stay in one of the homes.
The site was the subject of a short documentary, and a Swiss team met with the mayor of Golden last month to discuss the future of the village. A segment aired on Swiss TV in January as well.
They're worried if the property sells, the buyer might have plans that don't include preserving the village's history.
However, it doesn't seem sale of the land is imminent. As of Wednesday, the listing has been up for 482 days, according to Realtor.ca.
All photos from the listing on Realtor.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about Plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Construction begins on LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa
Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.
B.C. man awarded $5,000 in damages in first-of-it-kind intimate image case
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.