Saving Swiss Edelweiss Village in Canada

Team fundraiser

Johann Roduit and 4 others are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Swiss Edelweiss Village Foundation.

Donation protected

The birthplace of Western Canada’s Mountain Culture and home to the legendary Swiss Guides is endangered and needs you.
Hello, our names are Ilona Spaar and Johann Roduit. We are fundraising for the Swiss Edelweiss Village Foundation in order to save the Edelweiss Village located in Golden, BC, Canada. Swiss Edelweiss Village Foundation is an incorporated non-profit in BC, Canada.

At the heart of the Rocky and Selkirk mountains, the Edelweiss Village is at risk of disappearing. The village is listed as one of the Top 10 endangered places on the 2022 National Trust Endangered Places List . We believe that you and I - and all of us together - can save Edelweiss Village and make it a gift for all communities to enjoy.

️Land acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the Swiss Edelweiss Village is located on the traditional unceded territory of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc peoples. We recognize that they cultivated a deep and ongoing relationship with the mountains and nature for thousands of years prior to the Swiss Guides’ arrival.

A cultural treasure unlike any in the world

The village was the historic home to the legendary Swiss mountain guides employed by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Built between 1910-12 by the CPR, the six Swiss Alpine-style chalets with their eclectic decorative elements represent a unique piece of architectural history. The Swiss mountaineers helped shape the world-renowned mountain culture of the Canadian Rockies, and places such as Banff and Lake Louise would not look the same without their impact. Not only did they make it possible for many to safely access the mountains, but they also showed people new ways to appreciate nature.

Why is the village endangered?

The village is currently for sale. It is located just outside the Town of Golden in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, a rural district with no heritage bylaws in place. With no heritage recognition or protection, the village could be sold at any time to a buyer solely interested in demolition.

We are already losing Abbot Pass Hut!

The very same Swiss guides who lived at Edelweiss Village built the legendary Abbot Pass Hut, a national historic site , which will soon be dismantled due to the impacts of climate change. With the disappearance of Abbot Hut, Edelweiss Village with its six chalets remains the last and strongest link to the golden age of Western Canada’s mountaineering and the Swiss guides’ remarkable contributions to it.

Why do we need to safeguard and promote Edelweiss Village?

Edelweiss Village represents different layers of important histories. Because of its significant cross-cultural, Canadian-Swiss heritage, there is a responsibility to safeguard it. If we lose it, we lose a part of our own identity, culture and more than 100 years of history. The good news is, you and I can make a difference!

How you can help

Make a monetary donation on GoFundMe

What’s in it for you?

Upon your donation, you will receive a personalized digital certificate. Your name will appear on a digital donor plate that includes the names of your fellow donors unless you wish to stay anonymous. If the goal is reached and we can successfully save the village, the donor plate will be exhibited in the village
You will be able to participate in the crowd-sourcing of ideas about the future of the village

Milestones already reached:

Thanks to our efforts, Edelweiss Village has been included in the Top 10 Endangered Places List 2022 by the National Trust of Canada which has nationwide increased awareness about the importance of saving the village.
A conservation plan for Edelweiss Village is currently underway in the context of the Cultural Resource Management Program with the University of Victoria, thanks to Brittany Newman, Executive Director, Golden Museum & Archives.
We were able to secure the property until July 15. Depending on the amount of funds raised, we will save the property and chalets, one square meter at a time. A preliminary feasibility study is currently being conducted.

How are the funds going to be used?

Your donations will help the Swiss Edelweiss Village Foundation to fulfill its mandate: to preserve and promote Edelweiss Villages and make it a gift for present and future generations to enjoy. The foundation’s goal for the village is to become a dynamic, inclusive and sustainable place at the intersection of history, culture, innovation and heritage tourism. The foundation will manage the funds. Depending on the amount of funds raised, the foundation will be able to preserve and promote the village in different ways. This includes, but is not limited to:

Purchasing the property in full or partially
Purchasing the six chalets in full, or partially
Restoring the chalets in full, or partially
Working with other organizations that agree with our main objectives
Conducting the necessary feasibility studies
Preserving, caring, maintaining, and promoting the historical and cultural aspects of the site
Creating and operating a cultural center with its headquarter in the village
Create a digital museum and a digital copy of the village

Urgent action required

Phase 1: Securing the property with a non-refundable deposit of CAD: 100'000.00; Deadline: July 15, 2022
Phase 2: Buying the property with CAD 2.3 mio; Deadline Dec 16, 2022
Phase 3: Restoring the chalets; costs to be determined based on feasibility studies
Phase 4: Designing a sustainable cultural tourism concept; costs to be determined

Time is ticking!

The village has been listed as endangered and its preservation is urgent!

Please help us today by donating via our website http://swissvillage.ca.

Please share it with your friends and family.

With your help, we can do it. Together we can save Edelweiss Village!

Who is behind the project?

Foundation Board Members

Dr. Ilona Spaar, Swiss-Canadian Historian, Author of Swiss Guides: Shaping Mountain Culture in Western Canada and Swiss Immigration to Canada: Achievements, Testimonies, Relations
Dr. Johann Roduit, Elected Swiss Delegate, Council of the Swiss Abroad for Western Canada. Board Member of the Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Founding Partner at Conexkt
Joanne Sweeting, Executive Director at Tourism Golden, BC
Ralph Stalder, Former Professional Hockey Player in Switzerland, Recreation Coordinator at Whisper Ranch Cabins in Golden, BC
Vince Sciamanna, President of The Garaventa Lift Group, Vancouver, Canada; Former President of the Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vancouver, BC

Advisors

Andreas Rufer, Consul General at Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver
Rudi Gertsch, Swiss-Canadian mountain guide & helicopter skiing pioneer, Golden, BC
Brittany Newman, Executive Director, Golden Museum and Archives, Golden, BC
Colleen Palumbo, Former Executive Director, Golden Museum and Archives, Golden, BC
Thomas Arn, Elected Swiss Delegate, Council of the Swiss Abroad for Western Canada; Founder and Owner of SBO Distributors Ltd, North Vancouver, BC
Fabian Lemann, President, Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vancouver, BC; Director, Sales & Marketing at Quality Coffee Systems

Supporting Organisations (so far)

Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver, Canada
Golden Museum and Archives, Golden, BC, Canada
Organization of the Swiss Abroad in Canada
Tourism Golden, Golden, BC, Canada
Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Canmore, AB, Canada
Blockchain for Climate Foundation, Vancouver, BC Canada

Blockchain - Web3 support

Tyler Rubino, Fourth Year Ottawa University Biomedical Science Student. Web Developer.
Youqi Zheng, Fourth Year Queen's University Psychology Student. Blockchain Developer.

Visual Artists