Halcyon Hot Springs Village ~ HISTORY
• Pools • Rates • Amenities • History •

For more than a century, people have been drawn to the healing waters of Halcyon Hot Springs.

The first to stake his future on the site was Capt. Robert Sanderson, a mechanical engineer who built steamships to engage in trade along the lake system. In 1890, he bought 400 acres of Crown land and, taking advantage of the pristine mountain surroundings and soothing waters, developed the property. Naming his hotel Halcyon – meaning calm and serene -– Sanderson celebrated its opening in September 1894 with fiddles and feasting.

In 1897, Halcyon was sold to Robert Brett and David McPherson who formed the Halcyon Hot Springs Sanitarium Company Limited. The hotel was more than doubled in size, cottages were built and a bottling works began shipping Halcyon’s mineral water.

But more than water was dispensed at Halcyon Hot Springs. The resort became a party place complete with drinking, dancing and gambling.

Fitted out with the latest in luxuries, the hotel attracted adventurers, pioneers and travelers. The partying came to an abrupt end in 1924, when by Gen. Frederick Burnham bought the property for about $20,000.

A medical doctor with an international reputation, Burnham built a health spa. Smoking and drinking were replaced with an emphasis on good health and curative treatments that relied on the high lithia content of the water. As well as being a natural relaxant, lithia was thought to help purify the blood.

Burnham continued to operate his spa until he died in a fire that destroyed the main hotel on February 19, 1955. Outbuildings that survived the fire were lost when the construction of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam in the 1960’s raised the level of the lake.

All that remained were a number of graves and a little memorial chapel Burnham had built as a tribute to his wife Anna. Undaunted, locals and tourists continued to enjoy the restorative waters, fashioning their own outdoor tubs.

Development on today’s resort began in 1998, with construction of a lodge and cabins around the beautiful and restorative hot pools.