The Chateau Lake Louise reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Chateau Lake Louise

Chateau Lake Louise, is an elegant five star hotel on the Eastern shore of Lake Louise, Alberta. It was gradually built up at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is thus a cousin to Château Frontenac at the other end of the country.

The hotel was first conceived by the railway, at the end of the 19th century, as a vacation destination to lure moneyed travelers into taking trains and heading West. By the time airplanes and automobiles had displaced the trains it had gained sufficient renown to have a life of its own. The Canadian Pacific Railway has long ago sold it to other interests.

From the start the goal was to exploit the stunning natural beauty of the emerald-green lake and of Victoria glacier which rose above it. There were also many hiking and canoeing itineraries for nature lovers. Eventually, all the natural areas around the hotel were incorporated into the Banff National Park. This park has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Originally built to function only in summer, the hotel was winterized in 1982 and now offers all of the regular ski resort fare.

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