By Carl Silverman
Associate Writer/Visit-Jasper.com
JASPER, ALBERTA (CANADA) – Visitors to Jasper, Alberta reach the Athabasca Hotel via a walk through the park to the back of the Jasper Information Center National Historic Site. The hotel is located on the corner of Miette Avenue and Patricia Street. If you were a guest of the Athabasca Hotel in the 20s, you were living the sweet life.
Douglas Woolley was an entrepreneur with a plan. The building was initially a grocery store, a ladies wear shop and a boarding room. He expanded with an adjoining building in 1921 and converted the entire space into guest accommodations, calling it the Athabasca Hotel. In 1928, Calgary Brewing and Malting Company Ltd., purchased the building and replaced it with the current three-story brick structure.
The new Athabasca Hotel soon gained the reputation of Jasper’s finest place to stay. In the mid 1930s, guests paid out $1-2.50 per night for luxurious accommodations. Remember to take a look at the lobby to see the architectural charm that remains.
