Large Historical Home in the Canadian Rockies

Two level 1916 historical home that has been nicely restored. (Interior pictures coming). It is one of the most distinctive homes in the area. It has all the original charm but is warm, cozy, and everything works! The house features lots of original woodwork and bright windows. At 175 square m there`s lots of space.

There are 3 bedrooms and two offices, plus the standard house things like kitchen, living room, dining room. The living room has a gas fireplace for extra comfort. There is a full basement (developed) with storage and a laundry area.

The deck is a wonderful place to watch the sunsets over the surrounding mountains during the summer months.

It`s not high end, but it`s nicely finished. The bedrooms are a decent size for the house of this style and have queen sized beds.

Full disclosure: we are located about 1.5 blocks from a railroad crossing. There are about 10 trains a day at very random times. Most people get used to it, and light sleepers could sleep in the basement bedroom where it is quieter.

About the location

The Crowsnest Pass is an amazing small town mountain experience in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We are absolutely surrounded by parks and wilderness. Deer and the occasional bear and cougar wander through town (so far they`ve never eaten anyone!). The Crowsnest River is world famous for fly fishing. Two great ski hills (Castle Mountain, Fernie) are within 45 minutes (assuming by best you want great snow and short lineups and not a party scene). There are hundreds of kilometers of developed mountain bike trails. Plus canoeing. Hiking. Rock climbing. Or ATVs and snowmobiles if that is more your speed.

Waterton National Park and Glacier National Park (USA) are just south of us. There are also Elk Valley Park, Kananaskis, Bob Creek Wildland, Castle Wildland Park and many more smaller parks. If you want to do a road trip, Banff and Lake Louise and the Columbia Icefields are about 4 hours north. And where there aren`t parks, there are mountains that aren`t in parks. As locals, we don`t pay much attention to what`s in a park. Because it`s all beautiful, and almost nobody lives here, so we just go out and do things.

We are remote in a way that may be hard for some people to appreciate. The community has 5600 people. You can sit on our deck and see the edge of town on both sides. And past the edge of town there`s nobody for 100 km. We often go hiking and biking by walking out the door. On most days we don`t see anyone on the trails. The nearest big city is Calgary (1.3 million), 225 traffic-free kilometers away. The nearest city of any size is Lethbridge (92,000 people and 140km away). But fear not, there is hope. Amazon delivers. And as a regional hub we have all the things you need. Grocery store, a great little regional hospital, a couple of coffee shops, and pubs and restaurants. The internet works perfectly. And the house is lovely (see above!)

The area is rich in history. Rum runners roamed the streets during prohibition. There are mining ruins, historic buildings, and a cool old main street. A 120 years ago the largest rock slide in Canadian history wiped out part of the town of Frank under millions of tons of rubble. You drive through the dramatic boulder field on the way into town.

This home is the perfect home for people looking to truly experience the Canadian wilderness in its purest form.

SEASONS:
Mid December to March: Ski season. Temperatures can drop as low as -35 but are normally just below freezing. Ski hills are open and there`s also snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. Some people bike on fat bikes. Some people fish on the ice. The house has excellent heat and stays cozy at all temperatures.

April-May. False spring. The ski hills close and things warm up but it could snow any time. Plants come to life, then get covered with unexpected snow. Canadians complain about how long winter is, but plant their gardens and start hiking.

June. Real spring. Beautiful. You wake up one morning and everything is green. All the outdoor stuff starts.

July-Mid September. Summer. Canadians go crazy. Everyone goes outside. Lots of camping, hiking, biking, and fishing. It is generally hot, but it could snow on the mountain tops. It is Canada after all.

Mid September-Early November. Fall. Beautiful colors. Larches turn yellow. Weather is often stable and clear, but days are shorter and the first winter storms start to arrive.

November-Mid December. Shoulder season. Snows starts to climb down from the mountain tops. Winter comes closer with each storm and the land transforms. Canadians start talking about skiing. If you are really lucky some of our lakes freeze and you can go skating on miles and miles of flat glassy mountain lake.

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