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Group in front of the Swift Creek roadhouse
1909
Swift Creek (Valemount), British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Image Courtesy of Royal BC Museum, BC Archives - Call Number: C-05324

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Swift Creek began with a roadhouse to accommodate the growing number of travellers along the proposed CNoR line. 1912 saw a sawmill, a store, and an established postal service begin in Swift Creek. The CNoR built a station in Swift Creek in 1914.

See BC Archives: http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-1289E3/cgi-bin/text2html/.visual/img_txt/dir_74/c_05324.txt

3

The Cox's Homestead and Post Office
1928
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
George Hicks

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The post office was operated from the Cox homestead by Mrs. Lillian Cox from Swift Creek in 1913. Mr. Cox began a store about the same time. In 1928 the Coxes moved to Valemount and operated the post office out of their house on Main Street. A front porch was added at a later date. Mrs. Cox had served as postmistress for 40 years. Ernest Cox also took tie contracts from the Canadian Northern Railway on their first homestead, grew berry tress and sold his produce to hospitals in Lucerne and later Jasper. He died of a stroke in 1953 at the age of 70 and Lillian passed away in 1969 aged 91.

The post office was operated by Rupert Murphy starting 1953.

Between 1963 and 1965, the Cox house served as the Valemount branch of the Bank of Commerce with Lyle Nisi as the first manager.

Later a dry cleaning service was operated from the place after the bank moved.

5

Valemount Station
1935
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Laura Hollis

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The original (and only) Valemount station was built at Swift Creek in 1914 at the cost of $2,700.00. The 'Type C' station plan was slightly modified for local needs. The station was used until 1981, afterwards falling into disrepair. The Valemount Historic Society bought it in 1987 for one dollar, and moved it from down at the tracks to its present location. Four years of volunteer labour repaired the building to create the Valemount & Area Museum, which opened in 1992.

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The Old Valemount Hotel
1925-1939
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

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The old Valemount Hotel, also the first hotel in Valemount, stood on the west side of the tracks from 1925 to 1949. The hotel was built by Donald Gordon, two years before the station was moved to its new location from Swift Creek, and was located across the tracks from the station. The hotel was two storied with seven rooms and a small washroom upstairs, and a suite, lobby, dining room, kitchen and beer parlour downstairs. The hotel was heated with coal and wood, with a well and hitching posts outside; the hotel was always kept very clean. The hotel was initially run by the Gordon family, and then by the Kelly family during the 1930's. Kelly was the first person in town to obtain a beer license. This was determined by a vote, for 'wet' or 'dry.' Only one person voted dry; this man was actually a very good customer who had just wanted to be different by voting 'dry.'

The hotel, with its beer parlour, was a favourite place for visiting and discussing anything from politics to births and deaths. It was also the location of what medical facilities were available at the time. Min Gordon was a midwife, and also trained Dora Kushnir as a midwife. Fulton McKirdy had training as a dentist, as well as partial set of dental tools (as most of the tools had been stolen).
Kellys sold the hotel to the Mackenzies, who later sold it to Kushnirs in 1939. The hotel was torn down in 1949 and five houses built in its place.

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First garage in Valemount
1952
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Louise MacLean

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Valemount's first garage was built by Ernie Williams and owned next by Harry Partridge, then Esser Blom and later owned by Dave Antoniuk. Marie Peterson's cafe was next door.

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Marie Peterson's cafe
1952-1972
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

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Marie Peterson came to Valemount from Wells BC, and opened a caf� in 1952. Her caf� was next to Williams' garage, at the site of Kim's (Sushi) Restaurant. Marie ran the caf� until 1972. The caf� later became known as the Ptarmigan Restaurant when it was run by the Gehrigs.

13

First Community Hall
1949-1977
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

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The old Valemount Community Hall was built in 1949 on Commercial Drive. The hall was built by volunteer labour using donated materials on land donated by Nels Dahlberg. The majority of community and social events, which had previously been held in the schoolhouse, or else the basement of the church, could now be held in the community hall. These included meetings, campaigns, bingo, dances, banquets, social evenings, and even some classes and traveling shows. The hall also became the gathering place for cubs, scouts, and guides. The hall burned down in 1977, and the cause of the fire was determined to be from a cigarette in the men's washroom.

Before the hall burned, extensive renovations had been started, and mostly completed, including remodeling the kitchen, and the community was just preparing to put stucco on the walls. The Lions Club had just bought a new steam table, $900.00 worth of dishes, and 30 new tables. This was a big loss for the community. The insurance settlement allowed the new community hall to be built on Gorse Street. It was completed in 1979, and opened in February of that year.