Banff Springs Hotel staff reunion

 

Pre-1960's

 

Early Historical:

 

I am wondering if you can tell me whether information can be found for employees working in the early time period of 1910-1920

Sisters Hectorina and Catherine MacKenzie worked as kitchen staff at the hotel. They came directly from Scotland and we were wondering how they came to be hired.

Is there an archive or employee records available from the hotel? 

(Sorry - no idea about that. Try: http://www.banffcentre.ca/Library/Archives/ )


 

Hello, my name is Paul Whitney, I'm a son of Canadain Big Band leader Moxie Whitney and am sending you this email because you love Big Band music... and more than likely you are a musician, performer, an entertainment professional or are aquainted with Moxie Whitney and his music. My company MoxiEntertainment is making a full-length film (it's called MOXIE!) about his astonishing 50 year career and we are trying to locate as many individuals and organizations that were a part of that.

Moxie's career started in Prescott, Ontario in the 1930'3 (yes he was a child prodigy). He was at the CNE big band tent with the Stanley St John Band in the late 1930's. His guitar skills expanded in the Royal Canadian Air Force Central Band during the war (he was the first musician to bring steel guitar to the RCAF). In 1946 he formed his first orchestra and played the Chateau Lake Louise. He followed that up with 10 years at the Banff Springs Hotel and 23 at the Royal York Hotel and another 10 year gig at the Chateau Laurier... well after Big Band music had been declared 'dead'.

Moxie worked with a staggering number of great entertainers, musicians, singers, agents... in fact all kinds of wonderful people. One picture below is with Jack Benny.


 

 

1950

Above: the old Main Street..

 

1954

Vivian Campbell, Chambermaid, 1954.

 

Photos below courtesy of Vivian Campbell:

 

 Above: Here is a photo of the housekeeping staff from Summer of 1954. Included in this photo are myself and my three friends, third row from the back, far left. They are:  Barb Green, from England (note: she is easy to find as she is 6' tall), Lesleyann Martin, from Toronto (deceased), Eileen Ann Gilbert, from Sudbury, and Vivian Campbell, from Newmarket, Ontario.


Above: Eileen Gilbert (left) and Vivian Campbell at the Springs

 

Above: Room Service staff.

 

Above: Third floor Housekeeping staff.

 

 

 

1958

Robert Heathron, 1958-1960. Hotel Print Shop & Stores Clerk.

I worked in the Hotel Print Shop, and later as Stores Clerk in 1960. Lots of fond memories of my three Summers there....the opening night staff dance with Moxie Whitney playing, chugging drafts at the Cascade, steak roasts at Lake Minnewanka, hiking up Sulphur Mountain to watch the sunrise over Mount Norquay (pre gondola days). I often wonder where many of the people I worked with have ended up. Some of the names I remember are Dave Pritchard (Head Printer), Ken McKell (Chief Stewart), Dave Saunders (Accounting) and Fred Koopmans (Rundle Lounge).

 

I remember the old BSH song...I think the lyrics went like this...sung to "Give My Regards to Broadway":

 

Give my regards to the Beanery

The Upper and Lower Annex too

Give my regards to the old Cascade

Tell them I'll be there soon

Whisper of how I'm yearning

To linger on the old pro-tee

Give my regards to the CPR

Tell them I'll be back next year

If not at Jasper

I'll be back next year....

 

 

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