Highlights of History from The Whitehorse Star

An Explorer's Guide to Atlin, BC

    The story of the Kootenay Hotel from its 1968 renovation and loss in a fire, to the construction of a new hotel that became the Atlin Inn, as told in the pages of The Whitehorse Star.

May 9, 1968: "Diane and Ed Smith, formerly of Juneau, now making their home in Atlin, have recently purchased the Kootenay Hotel from the Shaws and Roxboroughs. They are doing a thorough job of renovating the building. New foundations, remodelling the kitchen, dining room and the bedrooms are all getting a new coat of paint, new drapes, etc. It is a big undertaking but the Smiths hope to have the work completed by June 1st. The name will be changed to "The New Kootenay Hotel" and will be operated by Mrs. Dave (Carol) Goodwin."

June 6, 1968: "Ed Smith is still hard at it re-doing the Kootenay Hotel. The Smiths had hoped to 'open' these premises on June first but as work is not yet complete, it will likely be June 15th before they are open for business."

June 6, 1968: "Mr. and Mrs. Dave Goodwin and their four children, who lost all their possessions in the fire which destroyed the Kootenay Hotel at Atlin last week [the fire started at about 1:30 a.m. on November 14th], were swamped by gifts of clothing and other assistance following an appeal on their behalf over CBC at Whitehorse.
    The Canadian Red Cross provided some help, though Mrs. Goodwin was most independent and insisted that her family needed very little. "It's the things we can't replace that bother me" she told The Star, "those family pictures and personal things."
    It was the Goodwin's pup, Rowdy, which woke Dave Goodwin the night of the fire. The year-old husky smelled the smoke and sounded the alarm, which gave Goodwin time to get his family out and then dash back to the six guests in the hotel. Mrs. Goodwin was manageress at the hotel, where the loss has been estimated at $50,000."

April 24, 1969: a new hotel is promoted with a double-page spread in The Star (click on the image below to greatly enlarge it). The ad notes that there will be "A friendly ghost in Room No. 7." - see the story of the Kootenay Hotel ghost here

March 6, 1969: "Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, a new Kootenay Hotel is to emerge from the disastrous fire which destroyed the old hotel at Atlin, B.C. on November 14 last year. But there will be no resemblance to the old frame building built in 1914 and the location will be across First Street overlook ing the lake.
    Owners Ed and Diane Smith have planned a spacious three storey natural log hotel of alpine design featuring cedar shake pitched roof, shuttered windows and balconies around both sides and back. It will have thirty rooms.
    On the main floor are the lobby, offices, coffee shop, dining room and kitchen, and a cocktail lounge called the "Rocker Room". Upstairs are the bedrooms, each with bath, and a balcony encircling the building.
    Because of the sloping lot, the back or west side of the hotel will have room for a walk-in basement level entrance and here will be located a tavern, more rooms, storage space and the managers' quarters.
    General contractor for the building is Atlin Hotel Holdings Ltd. and it is expected that construction will start within 30 days.
    Mr. Smith said he hoped the building would be done by September, 1969 which is a bit late for this coming tourist season, but in the meantime temporary accommodation will be provided in trailers and the temporary restaurant is open.
    A foundation has already been poured for the new garage, being built on the site of the old hotel.
    One intriguing question is unanswered,...will the ghost of the ancient Indian woman who used to haunt "Room Seven" in the old Kootenay appear again in the new hotel.
    The Smiths say they can only wait and see."

May 8, 1969: "The fire which destroyed the Kootenay Hotel in Atlin on November 14th, 1968 is certainly no longer 'news'. But out of this has come an interesting human interest story.
    Dave and Carol Goodwin who were employed at the hotel at the time, and their four small children were all asleep when fire broke out in the early morning. Their husky dog, Rowdy, was in their bedroom and the smoke awakened him and he in turn aroused the family. They and other hotel guests were able to get out of the burning building - in their night attire - some having to leave by fire escape.
    Rowdy has been awarded a Certificate of Merit namely, the Catherine Price Award from the S.P.C.A. at Vancouver, B.C. This award and a suitably inscribed Medallion were sent to R.C.M.P. Constable Ed Michayluk who made the presentation to this faithful dog.
    The first award of this kind was presented in 1958 and to date thirty-eight such awards have been presented to animals - of which thirty-seven were dogs and one cat. A total of ninety-three lives have been saved by these animals. The Goodwins are fortunate in owning such a fine companion and pet.

May 22, 1969: "New arrivals in Atlin are Mr. and Mrs. Carlson Sr., their daughter and husband Sonya and Bill Hemmelgarn and two children, Pat and Terry. Also here are two more Carlsons, sons Ted and Curtis. All these men are working on the new Kootenay Hotel."

May 26, 1969: "At Atlin, the new KOOTENAY HOTEL is being constructed but in the meantime, according to a release from the Department of Travel and Information, owners DIANE and ED SMITH have set up a tent town."

November 1, 1971: "HOTEL PROGRESSES
    Work has been progressing for the past month or so on the Kootenay Hotel, which was started a year ago this past summer and then a short time later work ceased.
    Ed Smith, proprietor, says he hopes to have the work completed and hotel opened by December 31 or early January. This hotel will be a great addition to Atlin as there has been no facility of this kind since the old Kootenay Hotel brned on November 14, 1968."

December 23, 1971: "NEW HOTEL
    Work is progressing on the new Kootenay Hotel and Mr. Smith expects to open perhaps in latter January."

April 7, 1972: "The new Kootenay Hotel opened its doors to the public on April 1. It seems that most of the townspeople dropped in - some to sample refreshments in the Lounge and some for dinner, or both. I am told that this was not the official opening and that there will be another in a week or so. Some say that it cannot come up to the one on Saturday evening - - as it seems that everyone had a fine time.

April 20, 1972: "TRIBUTE TO ROWDY
    Rowdy was a good dog - a real good dog. He was loved by his family, the Dave Goodwins - in fact he held a very special place in their hearts and home.
    Two days ago Rowdy was outnumbered in a vicious dog fight and died of his injuries a few hours later.
    To the Goodwins, Carrol, Dave and their four children, Danny, Kerry Lou, Lance and Jackie all one can say is 'we are sorry'."

December 20, 1974: For a meeting at the Masonic Hall, "A delicious hot dinner was prepared and served under the supervision of Mary and Ken Davidson of the 'newly named' Atlin Inn."

February 2, 1977 "Carrol Goodwin has opened the Cafe at the Atlin Inn (formerly Kootenay Hotel) and to let the travellers know, here are the hours. Closed all day Monday. The rest of the week (with the exception of Wednesday) open from noon till 7 p.m. On Wednesday closed at 6 p.m. Since closing of Trapper's Cafe there has been no eating place of any kind - so this is a welcome addition."

March 7, 1997:

    Diane S. Smith, of Atlin, B.C., replied to local artist Jim Robb's query about the old Kootenay Hotel, which once stood in Atlin:
    Since my former husband, Edwin D. Smith, and I owned the Kootenay Hotel when it burned to the ground in November 1968, I can tell you about it.
    There were three Kootenay Hotels, and each stood on the site of the one shown in your picture. Each one was destroyed by fire.
    The first was built in 1899. On Christmas Eve in 1900, it caught fire. Billiard tables, liquor and cigars were hauled to the nearby Northern Hotel, which was closed at the time but under lease to the Kootenay owner, Jack Byrom. Within two or three hours, he was back in business for the rest of the busy season.
    The second Kootenay was an elaborate hotel with a balcony across the front and a crystal chandelier in the dining room. It was destroyed in the fire of 1914, which destroyed the entire Atlin business district.
    John Roxborough had owned it since 1910. Previously, he owned the Surprise Lake Hotel at Surprise City, and the Gold House in Discovery.
    Roxborough built the hotel in your photo after the fire. The Kootenay Hotels were Roxborough family businesses for 58 years, until we bought the third and last one from Bun and Mavis Shaw, early in 1968.
    Mavis is the granddaughter of John Roxborough, and niece of Robert Roxborough, John's son and successor at the Kootenay.
    The last Kootenay thrived during Atlin's golden era of White Pass tourism. It was a favorite place of visitors, who returned to the hospitality of the Roxboroughs year after year.
    Atlin was at the lowest point of its short lifetime when we moved here in 1967. The population was only about 150.
    Mining was nil, and tourism had nose-dived when White Pass discontinued their trips to Atlin in 1936, and never recovered. Even the construction of the Atlin Road in 1949 failed to give the town the economic boost hoped for. However, people, particularly from Whitehorse, trickled in every summer.
    We renovated the old building, with little money to spend, and lots of help from Atlinites who were happy to have something going on in town.
    Our first summer in business went beyond expectations. We scrambled mightily and goofed up often.
    No one had any experience. But we learned, and soon realized people would come here and come back again, if they could get a good meal, a drink and a place to sleep.
    In the fall, we poured the foundation for an addition to the kitchen and started plans to enlarge the dining room. Then, in the middle of a November night, the wood furnace overheated, the furnace room wall ignited, and the hotel was in flames.
    Liquor had just been restocked, and it was stored in a room right over the furnace.
    Hot! Atlin's fire-fighting equipment was almost non-existant, but volunteers saved the nearby buildings. The Kootenay was history by morning, and there was no other hotel in town.
    My former husband knew a hotel was vital to the town's welfare. He finally managed to build the first stage of what was to have been a three-storey Kootenay, across the street.
    This is now called the Atlin Inn. In 25 years, and after many owners, a second floor was added, but it is still incomplete.
    The Atlin Inn has never come close to our original plans, but it has served the purpose since the demise of the third and last Kootenay."