Home / Accueil

Elizabeth Parker Hut

Yoho National Park of Canada, British Columbia, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1988/02/02

Exterior photograph showing the simple massing of the rectangular building and its medium-pitched roof.; Parks Canada
Side view.
Exterior photograph showing the horizontally laid, peeled round logs with saddle-notched corners.; Parks Canada
Entrance facade.
No Image

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1919/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2005/08/31

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Elizabeth Parker Hut, situated in a subalpine meadow near Lake O’Hara with a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in Yoho National Park, is a rectangular log cabin with a side extension and medium-pitched gable roofs. The main entrance façade is located on the long side of the building. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Elizabeth Parker Hut is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
The Elizabeth Parker Hut is associated with the history of mountaineering in the Canadian West. The Canadian Pacific Railway actively involved with tourism throughout the Rockies, promoted hiking and climbing and brought Swiss guides to Canada to lead climbing parties. In 1931, the railway donated the Elizabeth Parker Hut to the Alpine Club of Canada for use by club members.

Architectural Value
The Elizabeth Parker Hut is representative of the rustic aesthetic used for small, traditional log cabins built in Canadian National Parks in the early 1900s. Designed to blend in with the natural setting, its quality craftsmanship and use of natural building materials respect the architectural imagery of the mountain National Parks.

Environmental Value
The Elizabeth Parker Hut maintains an unchanged historical relationship to its natural site and the nearby Wiwaxy Lodge. The rustic, log construction of the hut is compatible with the natural character of its picturesque setting among mountains and evergreens, and is well known to visitors of the Lake O’Hara area.

Sources:
Shannon Ricketts, Elizabeth Parker Hut and Wiwaxy Lodge, Yoho National Park,
British Columbia, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report, 87-018.

Elizabeth Parker Hut, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Heritage Character Statement, 87-018.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Elizabeth Parker Hut should be respected:

Its traditional, rustic aesthetic, for example: The simple massing of the rectangular building and its medium-pitched roof. The choice of local materials, indigenous building methods and rustic design details such as the horizontally laid, peeled round logs with saddle-notched corners, the
chinking highlighted as horizontal white accents, the framing of the windows and doors
with milled lumber and the fieldstone and brick chimneys.

The manner in which the Elizabeth Parker Hut maintains an unchanged historical relationship to its natural site and is compatible with the natural character of its mountain park setting that is well known to visitors of the area, as evidenced by: The ongoing relationship of the building to its natural site in a subalpine meadow with a backdrop of a historic viewscape of the Rocky Mountains. The rustic aesthetic and natural materials of the building which harmonizes with the adjacent Wiwaxy Lodge, and is compatible with the picturesque wilderness setting. The building’s scenic location near Lake O’Hara that is accessible to hikers and visitors of Yoho National Park.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Federal

Recognition Authority

Government of Canada

Recognition Statute

Treasury Board Heritage Buildings Policy

Recognition Type

Recognized Federal Heritage Building

Recognition Date

1988/02/02

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Residence
Single Dwelling

Architect / Designer

Canadian Pacific Railway

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage Directorate Documentation Centre 3rd Floor, room 366 30 Victoria Street Gatineau, Québec J8X 0B3

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

2969

Status

Published

Related Places

Corner view

Lake O'Hara Warden Cabin

Lake O’Hara Warden Cabin is a well-proportioned, single-storey log cabin with an overhanging gable roof that projects over both front and rear elevations forming semi-sheltered…

SEARCH THE CANADIAN REGISTER

Advanced SearchAdvanced Search
Find Nearby PlacesFIND NEARBY PLACES PrintPRINT
Nearby Places