The first people to inhabit the Nicola Valley were natives of the interior Salish language group, the largest and strongest native group in British Columbia. The Okanagan and Thompson tribes lived in the Nicola Valley.
The place name "Nicola" came from the early fur traders who renamed Chief Walking Grizzly Bear of the Okanagan Indians "Nicola".
The Nicola Valley was a favoured area for wintering the livestock of packers bringing supplies to the Caribou miners.
In 1868, the first settlers came from Southern England and pre-empted land at the foot of Nicola Lake. By 1882, the community of Nicola Lake became the government and commercial center of the Valley.
In 1906, the name was changed to Merritt and in 1911 Merritt was granted its City charter.
Quilchena Store, the first building in the valley constructed of stone, was built in 1912.
The Quilchena Hotel was built in 1908 and had a polo field where the 9 hole golf course is now located.
Around this time, Bob Albrecht, a Swiss gentleman from Geneva came to search for unspoiled nature, the expanse of open wilderness and a new challenge.
He built the Main Lodge and a barn at Little Beaver Creek Ranch in 1905 and in the late 1920s started to breed silver foxes.
Apparently he was also a great cook and after the fur trade slowed down he operated the place, together with his wife Helen as a hunting and fishing lodge. So it looks like there were early roots for the guest ranch business and Glimpse Lake Lodge was born.
After Mrs. Albrecht died, Bob also left Glimpse Lake and a long story of changing ownership began.
When we bought the property in 1985, it was a run down fishing camp with campsites, several old cabins and 19 heavy red wooden boats.
My good friend and partner Ruedi Maerkle from Switzerland and I started to realize the dream of owning an exclusive guest ranch.
So for a second time in history, some Swiss people found their way up to beautiful Glimpse Lake! We went through many conceptual changes to find out, that smaller is better.
When we started looking for property in early 1985 it was clear from the beginning that we wanted to be located in the heart of Canada's Wild West with no threat of highways or city boundaries coming near in the future.
Instead of building a big log lodge, we renovated the existing historic Main Lodge and added three traditionally built round log guest lodges along the lakeshore.
How we developed and renovated the Ranch over the past 17 years could fill a whole novel. A few more "lonely winters" and I will be able to present the stories as a book to our friends.
The Nicola Valley is full of history and stories from old-timers. We are proud to be able to keep some of this vibrant history alive and write another exciting chapter on the story of Glimpse Lake.
