Bragg Creek

History

Bragg Creek is named after Albert Warren Bragg from Collingwood, Nova Scotia and his 14-year-old brother John Thomas who homesteaded in the area in 1894. The community was established between a forestry reserve, the Tsuut'ina First Nations reserve and a provincial park. Ranching was the original primary economic generator in Bragg Creek. The economy diversified with the emergence of recreation in the 1920s. Back in 1933, Mary Belle and Catherine Barclay, two sisters from Alberta, established the first hostel in a tent in Bragg Creek, just west of Calgary. Together they officially founded and then registered the Canadian Youth Hostel Association in 1938 (now HI Canada). Wintergreen Ski Area, also known as Lyon Mountain Ski Hill, located outside of Bragg Creek, opened in 1982 and was named after its builder, Bob Lyon. The resort featured four lifts and 11 runs, most of which were classified as easy or intermediate in difficulty. It was popular with families due to its close proximity to Calgary. In 2003, the resort was closed by its owner at the time, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR). This decision was made due to a combination of factors, including poor snow conditions, aging infrastructure, and a lack of potential for reinvestment. RCR continues to operate the adjacent Wintergreen Golf and Country Club. Over time, most of the ski lifts at Lyon Mountain Ski Hill have been removed and sold. RCR has proposed a large housing development for the area, including single-family homes, villas, and a hotel. Bragg Creek was featured in the feature films Storm (1987) and Killer Image (1992) both directed by David Winning, and also Betrayed (1988) directed by Costa-Gavras. During the 1990s, CBC aired the television program North of 60, which was mainly filmed in Bragg…