The History

The Nicola Valley and Glimpse Lake are among the most picturesque and historic places in the interior of British Columbia. The area's original inhabitants predate recorded history and the valley's stunning natural beauty has remained largely unchanged to this day. Like a land frozen in time during the real West, its effect on all who see it is immediate and profound. It is, without a doubt, one of the most rare and beautiful places remaining in Canada's West today. 

Click image below to view a short presentation of the History of the Nicola Valley and of Little Beaver Creek Ranch. 

The place name "Nicola" came from the early fur traders who renamed Chief Walking Grizzly Bear of the Okanagan Indians "Nicola". 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. 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 theValley. In 1906, the name was changed to Merritt and in 1911 Merritt was granted its City charter. The Quilchena Hotel was built in 1908 and had a polo field where the 9 hole golf course is now located. Quilchena Store, the first building in the valley constructed of stone, was built in 1912. 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. When we started looking for property with the dream of running an exclusive guest ranch, 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. When we bought the property in 1985, it was a fishing camp with campsites, several old cabins and 19 heavy red wooden boats. How we developed and renovated the Ranch since, bearing in mind that smaller is better, could fill a whole novel. From 1998 to 2008 Little Beaver Creek Ranch was a proud member of the prestigious hotel association Relais & Châteaux and has now been turned into a Private Cowboy & Country Club where only a few Ranch Residents and members share the surviving dream, the little paradise at Glimpse Lake in B.C. – Canada. 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. > | >> Displaying page 1 of 7

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.