Thank you, Neil Burton, for sharing this history on the Lac Le Jeune Resort up to 1985.
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| Display photo put together by my Reg Burton, possibly in the 1950’s |
An advertisement appeared in the Inland Sentinel (Kamloops) toward the end of 1904.
By what would be the beginning of the fishing season, May 1905, Messrs. Lusk and Hesson had taken over the Fish Lake Hotel and would soon have a new building to receive guests. Visitors could be accommodated in the old premises in the mean time.
The partnership of A. Hesson and David W. Lusk was dissolved, in July 1905, by mutual consent with all indebtedness being paid by Mr. Lusk. It appears Mr. Lusk took on a partner or assistant Robert Cowan.
David Lusk received injury in an accident on Coal Hill when returning to Kamloops, in the Fall 1905 and retired from the Hotel near the end of the 1906 season, leaving Cowan possession.
Mr. & Mrs. Cowan then built “Rainbow Lodge” more away from the lake. Lusk’s “Hotel” became a storehouse for boats, tackle and fish cleaning.
In 1926 when Robert Cowan became sick the property was purchased by Thomas D. Costley.
Fish Lake was renamed Lac Le Jeune in 1928.
Above information - (Know Your Local History by Mary Balf, Kamloops Museum Curator – Kamloops Sentinel – July 1970).
Mrs. Costley died at Lac Le Jeune on October 16, 1929.
The name of the lodge on Lac Le Jeune was changed from “Rainbow Lodge” to “Le Jeune Lodge” in May 1939 (KS – 09 May 1939 – p. 6).
When Thomas Costley died, from “traumatic shock”, following a broken leg, the break (by falling tree) happened while he was watching land clearing about 3 ½ miles from the Lodge, in June 1947.
The new owners of the Le Jeune Lodge property became John and Muriel Whitaker that year.
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| From a Christmas Card of John and Muriel Whitaker |
Come year 1966, new owners of the property would be partners John R. Turner and the Honorable E. Davie Fulton (KDS – 30 June 1967 – p. 31 – Advertisement).
The 9-room historic Le Jeune Lodge was being demolished for landscape and parking for a new 25-unit lodge (KDS – 20 Sep. 1974 – p. 13).
Le Jeune Lodge went into receivership in 1978 and sold to a group of Albertans (KDS – 26 Oct. 1978 – p. 29). New owner was W.G. Folman Enterprises of Calgary (KDS – 02 Dec. 1978 – p. 22).
The Lac Le Jeune Resort was again sold for the 2nd time in less than three years. The price $1.5 million. Article says W.G. Fahlman Enterprises was Edmonton-based and the two principals of the new Edmonton-based group were Spike Kubermaus and Joan Nicersault (KDS – 27 Sep. 1980 – p. 14).
The Le Jeune Resort Lodge was operating under new ownership since 01 Oct. 1980 (KDS – 22 Oct. 1980 – p. 11).
Spike Kubbernus (notice different spelling), the owner of Edmonton-based Paramount Real Estate and other investors saw the Lac Le Jeune Lodge purchase and deeded land as a real estate investment having an assessed value of about $2,2 million (KDS – 28 Feb. 1981 – p. 04R).
The name Derick MacDonald (wrong spelling in newspaper) appears in 1983 with connection to X-Country skiing (KDS – 21 Dec. 1983 – p. 03b) and (KDS – 01 Nov. 1985 – p. 02b).
Five Want Ski-Trail Deal (Excerpts) – Five proposals have been submitted to the Kamloops Forest District for the management and maintenance of cross-country ski trails to be built in the coming year.
The trails, in the Stake Lake area, will take the place of those near Bush and Timber Lakes lost to the development of the Coquihalla Highway. The Ministry of Forest has agreed to build 25 kilometres of trails this year and 25 more next summer before turning the trails over to the private sector to be operated on a “user pay” basis.
Proposals have been submitted by Dearwood Design Group, Mr. and Mrs. H. Vanderhorst, the Kamloops YM-YWCA, Lac Le Jeune Lodge, and Andrew Cairns. Cairns is from Nelson (KS – 28 Aug. 1985 – p. 3a – Fri.).
Lac Le Jeune Resort to operate ski trails – The Forest Ministry has selected Lac Le Jeune Resort to maintain and operate new cross-country ski trails in the Stake Lake area.
Research: Neil Burton – 23 May 2024.
