Description of Historic Place

Wiwaxy Lodge, situated in a subalpine meadow near Lake O’Hara with a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in Yoho National Park, is a one-storey rectangular log cabin with a pitched roof. A generous roof overhang protects the gable-end entrance. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Wiwaxy Lodge is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
Wiwaxy Lodge is associated with the history of mountaineering in the Canadian West. The Canadian Pacific Railway actively involved with tourism throughout the Rockies, promoted hiking and climbing and brought Swiss guides to Canada to lead climbing parties. Wiwaxy Lodge operated as a hiker’s hut by the Alpine Club of Canada.

Architectural Value
Wiwaxy Lodge is representative of the rustic aesthetic used for small, traditional log cabins built in Canadian National Parks in the early 1900s. Designed to blend in with the natural setting, its quality craftsmanship and use of natural building materials respect the architectural imagery of the mountain National Parks. It is one of the oldest known surviving examples of this type of cabin in a National Park.

Environmental Value
Wiwaxy Lodge maintains an unchanged historical relationship to its natural site and the nearby Elizabeth Parker Hut. The rustic, log construction of the hut is compatible with natural character of its picturesque setting among mountains and evergreens and is well known to visitors of the Lake O’Hara area.

Sources:
Shannon Ricketts, Elizabeth Parker Hut and Wiwaxy Lodge, Yoho National Park,
British Columbia, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report, 87-018,87-019; Wiwaxy Lodge, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Heritage Character Statement, 87-019.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Wiwaxy Lodge should be respected.

Its traditional, rustic aesthetic, for example: the simple massing of the rectangular building and pitched roof with a generous overhang; the choice of local materials, indigenous building methods and rustic design details such as the peeled log construction, the peeled log posts supporting the extended roof, and the criss-crossed log railings;

The manner in which the Wiwaxy Lodge maintains an unchanged historical relationship to its natural site, is compatible with the natural character of its mountain park setting and is well known to visitors of the area, as evidenced by: the ongoing relationship of the Wiwaxy Lodge to its natural landscape in a subalpine meadow surrounded by mature trees with a historic viewscape of the Rocky Mountains; the rustic appearance and natural building materials of the Lodge that are compatible with the adjacent Elizabeth Parker Hut, and with the picturesque wilderness setting; the scenic location of the Lodge in a subalpine meadow near Lake O’Hara that is accessible to hikers and visitors of Yoho National Park.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The Wiwaxy Lodge was built in 1912 by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. It was later taken over by Parks Canada and operated as a hiker's hut by the Alpine Club of Canada. See FHBRO Building Report 87-19.

Reasons for Designation
The Wiwaxy Lodge was designated Recognized on the basis of its link with the history of mountaineering in the Canadian West and because it is one of the oldest known surviving examples of this type of cabin in a National Park.

Character Defining Elements
The heritage character lies in the vernacular rustic appearance of the building, its method of assembly and its simple use of natural materials.

The reinstatement of the rustic log fretwork which once decorated the extended gable over the front porch would enhance the heritage character of the cabin.

Maintenance and repair should respect the existing vernacular architectural vocabulary and materials. The Lodge was built to blend in with the surrounding landscape. Every effort should be made to retain the natural beauty and integrity of the setting.