ER FAMILY T ESY BREWS T UR O Photo: C The Adventurous Brewsters Five generations of one Alberta family shape tourism in Banff National Park By Louise Phillips

There’s a famous, oft-quoted quip in Alberta: “You came to Banff for a rest and a change. The CPR provided the rest and the Brewsters took the change.” In Southwest Alberta, you cannot fail to notice the name Brewster: on buses, hotels, stables, sleigh rides, a backcountry lodge, an outfitter’s, a golf course, a dance barn and a guest ranch. Brewsters have been connected to the growth of Alberta for over 130 years.

Above: Bill and Year that dairyman John Brewster moved number of horse-drawn sightseeing car- Jim Brewster 1886 to Alberta from Ontario and established a 70 riages that Jim Brewster replaced with five bought the CPR homestead below Yamnuska Mountain — overland vehicles by 1916. Tourism suf- livery service today’s Kananaskis Guest Ranch, about 50 fered during the First World War, however, in 1905 and km (30 mi) from Banff town. Two of his and Jim began to battle personal demons, transported Banff pre-teen sons, Jim and Bill, began guiding handing over day-to-day management to Springs Hotel guests to fishing spots in recently created Bill, called “The Boss.” Bill’s great-grand- guests Banff National Park, through their friend- daughter Cori Brewster explains, “Jim was Opposite: (left) ship with Stoney trapper William Twin. very outgoing and shown in the limelight, Bud Brewster, Within a few years, they had their own but Bill was equally important in Brewster 4th generation, guiding and outfitting business in Laggan Transport.” It prospered and expanded dur- worked on (now Lake Louise) and Field, BC, and a ing the 1920s, building up a 79-vehicle fleet Hollywood movies trading store in Banff. In 1905, the CPR of touring cars and buses. in Banff National sold its livery service to them and awarded The family enjoyed guest ranching and Park. (right) Jim them the contract to transport hotel guests moved to the Kananaskis homestead, Brewster driving King George VI, between the train station and the Banff where Missy built the main lodge in 1922. Queen Elizabeth Springs Hotel. With tourism prospects In 1928, the Alberta government gave and General Panet firmly in his sights, Jim bought the Mount Brewster Transport the go-ahead to run in a democrat, Royal Hotel in Banff. The two brothers bus service between Calgary, Banff and 1939 married two sisters. Bill and Sylvia (called Edmonton. After the 1930s Depression saw Missy) had one daughter, Sydney and a downturn in company fortunes, Bill (d. two sons, Claude and Jack. Jim and Lade 1971) resigned to open a Ford dealership. (called Tessa) had a daughter, Fern. That building is now part of the family-run Brewster’s Mountain Lodge in Banff. $375,000 During the 1939 visit to Banff of Britain’s Jim’s personal net worth, on paper, in 1914. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later

24 Rocky Mountaineer Magazine 2017 e f th E MUSEUM o T Y A66-1488) H far R) W s (V91 / N ond er f t ER FAMILY. ( T t brews , pa ESY BREWS T ies k UR c O o n r ia d a n Photo: (R) C ca

the Queen Mother), Jim volunteered to Monroe and Robert Mitchum at Kananas- Further reading chauffeur the royal couple and bought a kis Guest Ranch, George Brewster’s son Jim brewsteradventures.com shiny red Packard for the occasion. The doubled for Mitchum. Bud persuaded the Queen insisted, however, on riding in an local power company to lower the water old-fashioned, horse-drawn “democrat.” level in the river for a dangerous sequence People & Peaks of the The only one available was so rickety that running the rapids. To Bud’s disappoint- Panther River & Eastern Her Majesty asked, “Brewster, do you ment, Parks eventually disallowed Slopes, Willmore Wilder- think this wheel’s going to come off?” the use of Banff National Park as a film set. ness Foundation, willmore Jim assured her, “No, Ma’am, this After years of tourism closures that wilderness.com buggy’s good for a thousand miles.” The started in WW2, Brewster Transport Queen replied, “I’m afraid we won’t be sold to its main competitor Greyhound with you quite that far.” in 1965. Bud and his wife Annette, with Romancing the Rockies: Then Jim took them home to meet his their daughters Janet, Cori and Alison, Mountaineers, Missionar- startled wife, Dell (his second marriage) modernized the Kananaskis Guest Ranch ies, Marilyn & More and to view his hunting trophies. while operating Brewster Mountain Pack © 2005 by Brian Brennan, In the 1930s, Jim (d. 1947) built a lodge Trains (the family’s outfitting company), published by Fifth House at Sunshine Village ski area and an inn and Brewster Lake Louise Stables. Publishers, Calgary at the Columbia Icefield. Bill’s wife Missy and their son Claude managed the ranch generations of Brewsters that have shaped and backcountry operations through the 5 the continuing business dynasty and The Brewster Story from lean 1930s and ’40s. Claude, his wife helped build the province through wars, Pack Train to Tour Bus Ruth and their sons Jack and Bud took competition and challenges such as strict by E.J. Hart, published by over until Claude and Ruth retired in the government guidelines for park use. Long Brewster Transport Com- 1950s. Because Claude had grown up with before Bud’s death in 2012, his daughters pany, Banff, 1981 the Stoney Indians at Seebe, he was able had been involved in the businesses, says to promote the Trans-Canada Highway Cori Brewster, a successful country-folk- through the reserve, and helped bring bluegrass singer and songwriter. “As soon the Banff Gondola into the national park as we were old enough to serve beans out through his political connections. of a cast-iron pot, we were working.” Most young members of the sixth generation, Movies involving Bud Brewster, fourth- the children of Cori, Alison and Janet, 6 generation entrepreneur, as outfitter for continue the tradition by working part mid-century movies filmed in the Rockies. or full time with the family’s Shadow During Son of (1945), it took Bud Lake Lodge and Brewster Adventures. four days to pack in all the props on horse- Janet Brewster-Stanton says that both her back in pre-helicopter days. One odd prop daughters “consider Kananaskis Guest was a dead dog “for any dangerous shots,” Ranch their home as their grandfather he recalled in a later interview. In a shoot (Bud) did, so likely the Ranch will remain for River of No Return (1954) with Marilyn in the hands of generations to come.”

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