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The history of the Windermere Valley has been recreated at the Windermere Valley Museum in Invermere.
Run by the Windermere Valley Historical Society, it has seven buildings, some of which were once used for other purposes, like an old trapper’s cabin that now houses a mining display. The commercial display is in what was once a clubhouse, school and a church.
The settlers’ cabin contains a chair that belonged to the first white settler on the western side of the valley. The main building was a CPR station built in 1923. It became part of the museum after a train crashed into it in 1975 and now holds a display on early day Indians including a dugout canoe, a coat of buffalo hide and a collection of arrowheads. The explorer display has a published copy of David Thompson’s journal and includes many settlers’ mementoes and artifacts.
Go back to the early days of travel in the valley: steamboat, horse and buggy. The museum is an ideal place to learn about this area’s rich and colourful heritage so pay a visit.
Historical society members are currently busy fund-raising for a life sized statue of David Thompson to be erected on the museum grounds. Most of the funds have been raised to date but more help is required for the bronze work.
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