The story of Rainbow Lodge and the Philips may be the best known, but Rainbow Lodge was certainly not the only summer resort that opened on the shores of Alta Lake.
Dick Fairhurst opened Cypress Lodge, the Harrops had a popular tearoom and across the lake, around where Lakeside Park is located today, stood Hillcrest Lodge.
Jack Mansell first came to Rainbow Lodge in 1944 and, like Myrtle and Alex before him, was so impressed with the area that he began looking into purchasing the Patterson property across the lake. Jack sold his three shoe repair stores in Vancouver and moved his wife Cis and their two sons Loyd and Doug in May 1945.
It was not the easiest move for the family. Cis recalled living in a two-room shack, warming bricks in the oven for heat, and keeping the Christmas tree outside because it couldn’t fit in the shack. For a family used to plumbing and electricity in the city, life at Alta Lake was a big change.
By January 1946 the entire family was involved in building the new lodge, which was ready to open that July. The first guests the Mansells welcomed to Hillcrest Lodge were the Right Honourable Mr. Charlie Cockcroft, a politician from Alberta, his wife and their party of family and friends. Later guests would include Lady Oslow and Lady Wemise from England. A reservation was even made by Bob Hope, though his wife became ill and they couldn’t come.
Hillcrest grew quickly and had a total of 16 cabins open for the summer by 1947. During the summer Jack and Cis employed University of British Columbia students and teachers to work in the lodge. Like many employed in the hospitality industry, Jack and Cis worked hard during peak season. As Cis put it, “Jack and I would say goodbye to each other in May and hello in October. ‘Cause we didn’t live for ourselves, we lived for that guest.”
Apart from the usual summer activities such as swimming, hiking and boating, Hillcrest also offered their guests organized recreation. Guests were expected at the main lodge in the evening for masquerade parties and square dancing (lessons included).
The Mansells also organized musical raft rides, kangaroo courts and mock weddings and took part in the Saturday night dances at the community hall. Arriving guests were greeted at the train station by current guests in costumes and then rafted across the lake. Though it wasn’t ideal for young families, as there was no beach and only deep swimming off the dock, a regular group of 30 or so “young kids” came to Hillcrest every year and other regulars would come for a week or two throughout the summer.
As they grew up, both Loyd and Doug fell in love with and married Hillcrest guests, Sharen and Barb. When Jack and Cis retired in 1958 Doug and Barb took over the management of Hillcrest before selling it in 1965. Eventually, like many other early buildings at Alta Lake, the lodge was burnt down as a fire practice in 1986.
I remember this Lodge very well back in the early 60’s. When I went to Alta Lake School back around 1965 and was in grade two,I stayed with Doug and Barb Mansell, and their daughter Bev at their little house just down from the Lodge. Great memories !!