The Brewster Kananaskis Guest Ranch- A Brief History

The Brewster Family, real life mountain pioneers and cowboys in the Canadian Rockies, have been taking care of visitors to this area for over 100 years. A long and colourful history of Brewster descendants have all made their mark-in-time on a variety of family businesses. Here is a brief summary of some of those family members involved in the guest ranching and outfitting side of Brewster history.

John Brewster was born in Kingston, Ontario to William and Sara Jane (Irvine) Brewster, who had immigrated from Ireland just prior to the great potato famine. Young John felt the lure of the west after his brothers had explored much of the area. In 1886 John followed the Canadian Pacific Railroad to Banff, Alberta, deciding this would become his home. His wife, Isabella, and four sons arrived on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1888, a rather auspicious occasion for an Irish family to begin a new life. Two more sons and one daughter would be born in Banff, completing the original Banff family. John soon identified a need for a dairy to service not only the growing community, but the CPR Hotel as well. During the winter months the dairy was not as busy and the need to keep the dairy herd outside of the National Park became necessary. Thus John established his homestead at the base of Yamnuska Mountain, which is today the Kananaskis Guest Ranch.

His eldest son William (Bill), and brother Jim, being illustrious young men, were not content to deliver milk. So with the help of William Twin, a personal Native friend of the family, the boys became expert mountain men, skilled at camping, hunting and exploring the mountain terrain. At the early ages of 12 and 10 years, the boys took their first guests on a Pack Trip, a result of a request of the Manager from the Banff Springs Hotel. This was the beginning of a business venture in outfitting. Today, Brewster Mountain Pack Trains Ltd. continues to be a successful outfitting operation managed by the family in Banff National Park. In 2008 the family run riding stables in Lake Louise celebrated it’s 100 anniversary.

The two Brewster brothers married two sisters, Bill to Sylvia (Tead) Bagley and Jim to Tess (Lade) Bagley. Bill and Tead had one daughter, Sydney and two sons, Claude and Jack. Jim and Lade had one daughter, Fern. Their families grew and so did their respective businesses. A request came to Bill from the Great Northern Railroad to help establish an outfitting operation in conjunction with the new East Glacier Hotel being built in Glacier Park, Montana (circa 1912). He took up the challenge, moving his family while leaving his brother Jim in charge of all their shared Banff endeavours. In Montana, Bill developed the Park Saddle Horse Company, numbering some 600 head of horses, as well as establishing the Two Medicine Guest Ranch, a new venture.

The family was to return to Banff when Bill was recalled home to become General Manager of Brewster Transport. By now the family enjoyed guest ranching and moved to the ranch homestead at Seebe where Sylvia (or Missy as she was called fondly by family and friends) was to build the Main Lodge in 1922. Ready for guests in 1923, many visitors from the midwestern United States followed Bill and Missy to Alberta to continue to enjoy their flavour for adventure and western hospitality. Missy and her son, Claude (third generation), managed the ranch through the difficult 30’s and 40’s. When Claude married his Montana childhood sweetheart, Ruth, along with their two sons, Jack and Bud, the ranch flourished under their direction until the late 50’s. It was then that Claude and Ruth decided to retire from ranch life.

In the early 1960’s it was the responsibility of the fourth generation to continue the guest ranch and outfitting tradition. Bud and his wife Annette, with their three daughters, Janet, Corinne and Alison, slowly began the modernization of the Kananaskis Guest Ranch operation, building the Do-nut tent barbecue facility, adding the Lyster paddle wheeler seminar room and new cabins. Major renovations to the original Main Lodge were completed in 1987, as well as the addition of the new chalet and whirlpool building.

Over the years the Brewster Family businesses have grown to include numerous ventures under the umbrella company Brewster Mountain Lodges and Adventures, which is now in the capable hands of the fifth generation.
Janet is the General Manager/Owner of the Kananaskis Guest Ranch. The Guest Ranch, now celebrating its 86th year of operations hosts groups for Western Barbecues, Conferences, Incentive/Corporate Events and Weddings. As in the 1920’s guests can still enjoy horseback riding, overnight Pack Trips, and western barbecues. An 18 hole Golf Course is now an additional Ranch activity along with river rafting and voyageur canoes.

With the arrival of Lacey Brewster Stanton in 1988 and Bailee Brewster Stanton in 1991, to Janet and Kevin, the Guest Ranch proudly welcomes the sixth generation, 100 years after the arrival of the Brewsters to the Canadian Rockies.

 Read a letter describing the Kananaskis Guest Ranch 
written by "Missy" Brewster in 1936.

( Go Back )

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Brewster Kananaskis Guest Ranch

Ranch Road, Highway 1X, PO Box 340 Exshaw, Alberta, Canada, T0L 2C0

• Just 45 minutes West of Calgary and 30 minutes East of Banff;
• On the Shores of the Bow River;
• Just off the Trans Canada Highway, Exit 114

 View Location Map 

Tel: (403) 673-3737 Fax: (403) 673-2100

horses@kananaskisguestranch.com ~ www.kananaskisguestranch.com

 

 Go To TOP 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::