Built in 1910, the original Hotel Kaleden was one of the first buildings in the Okanagan-Similkameen region to feature electric lights, running water and exclusive dining rooms. A major attraction in the region and a draw to the small town of Kaleden, the opulent hotel was forced to close its doors just two years after their Grand Opening; with the commencement of World War I, the remaining population had no interest nor the means for such extravagance and luxury.

 

The façade of this old beauty remains on banks of Skaha Lake to this day and is still used for weddings and events. The concrete walls and majestic archways are slowly being honeycombed by the elements, with wild vines freely staking their territory throughout. Romantic echoes of its former majesty, she reminds me of Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations: a wealthy beauty left at the altar who spends her remaining days in her wedding dress, reliving the moment she- almost- had it all.