In front of the chateau is a sign which relays a bit of the history of Three Valley Gap, including how it got its name.
EAGLE PASS THREE VALLEY LAKE
“Lake of Three Valley” was the name chosen by surveyor Walter Moberly
when he camped near here on August 29, 1865.
Commissioned to seek a wagon route from Shuswap Lake to the Columbia River.
Moberly discovered the Eagle Pass through the Mokanashee Range
while standing on the peak of Mt. Moody, immediately North of Three Valley Motel.
Used by the C.P.R. in 1886 and by the Trans-Canada Hwy. in 1962.
This pass contributes greatly to the unity of Canada.
The prospector and his burro represent the pioneer gold seeker
of the West and his means of transport in the
early days before the railways and highways.
From 1885 to 1913 3 Valley Gap was a prosperous mill town. Then, its mill burned down and the outbreak of World War I ensured that the mill would never be rebuilt. The town was deserted soon after.
In 1956 a couple by the name of Bell purchased land on the opposite end of the lake and started a small roadside motel, which eventually grew into a 200-room lakeside château and heritage/ghost town which contains over 25 original and reproduction buildings along with the largest railroad roundhouse in North America and countless antiques and collectibles.
In this age of self sufficiency and green power it is notable that the site is largely self sufficient. The Bells built a dam and generators to provide electricity, and its water comes from a mountain spring.