Burns Lake’s most recognizable landmark, excluding its crooked main street, might be the three-storey building that stands on the south side of Highway 16, just east of First Avenue. In November 1947, three entrepreneurs pooled their resources and announced plans to build a “modern, fireproof forty-room hotel in Burns Lake.” The facility, according to the Review newspaper, would cost the partnership a hundred thousand dollars—an unheard-of sum for Burns Lake at the time. Construction of the Tweedsmuir Hotel started in 1948, just in time for
the economic boom created by the Aluminum Company of Canada’s Kenney Dam project. Jack Brown Sr., secretary in the Tweedsmuir partnership and a well-known local merchant, was active in raising money for the endeavour and had a financial interest in it. William Bickle contributed the property on which the new hotel would sit, and Mark Connolly was also involved. BBC Construction, the firm building the hotel, encountered few difficulties. When the Tweedsmuir Hotel opened for limited use in June 1949, it was the pride of the Lakes District and the largest structure in the village. Boasting a modern restaurant, spacious lounge, and more than a dozen well-appointed rooms, it was an instant success.
the economic boom created by the Aluminum Company of Canada’s Kenney Dam project. Jack Brown Sr., secretary in the Tweedsmuir partnership and a well-known local merchant, was active in raising money for the endeavour and had a financial interest in it. William Bickle contributed the property on which the new hotel would sit, and Mark Connolly was also involved. BBC Construction, the firm building the hotel, encountered few difficulties. When the Tweedsmuir Hotel opened for limited use in June 1949, it was the pride of the Lakes District and the largest structure in the village. Boasting a modern restaurant, spacious lounge, and more than a dozen well-appointed rooms, it was an instant success.
