The co-founder of the iconic Three Valley Gap west of Revelstoke along the Trans-Canada Highway has died. Ethel Louise Bell died on Feb. 6. She was was 88 years old.
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February 15, 2022 - 9:00 PM
A co-founder of the iconic Three Valley Gap west of Revelstoke along the Trans-Canada Highway has died.
Ethel Louise Bell died on Feb. 6. She was was 88 years old.
Bell founded the Three Valley Gap along with her husband Gordon Bell who passed away in 2007, according to a media release from the Three Valley Lake Chateau.
For anyone driving through British Columbia along the Trans-Canada, it's impossible to miss the huge red hotel and its scenic location.
Over the past number of years, she would keep council in the office every day at Three Valley.
“Sitting quietly, keeping an eye on everyone, greeting all staff and visitors with a smile,” reads the media release. “She will be missed.”
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Ethel and Gordon Bell were married in 1953 and their first homes were in Edmonton, Alberta and then in Regina, Saskatchewan. They eventually wanted to build a complex in B.C., and Gordon had ample experience in construction, having designed and built around 800 homes in eight years.
Ethel insisted their complex be built somewhere near water, which factored into their decision to buy the property in 1956. Construction on the Three Valley Gap began in 1959, though mostly just on weekends.
Ethel and Gordon and their four children would drive from Regina to Three Valley – which was over 800 miles on the former Big Bend Highway – work all weekend, and then drive back to Saskatchewan.
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In 1960, the year after construction began, the Three Valley Motel opened with seven rooms, a coffee shop with seven seats and a small museum.
The family moved to Three Valley permanently in 1964. Their business grew to include over 200 rooms, as well as restaurants and gardens.
As antique enthusiasts, the Bells began their collection with vintage cars and eventually worked their way up to heritage buildings. And that's why Three Valley has 30 furnished buildings in their Historic Ghost Town, as well as a Railway Roundhouse and antique car museum.
READ MORE: Three Valley Gap ghost town west of Revelstoke may be home to spooky spirits
The Bell’s descendants will continue to operate the resort “for years to come,” the release states.
Before moving to Canada, Ethel grew up in Lompoc, California. She was born in Santa Barbara on Jan. 1, 1934, to Ernest and Daisy Cass.
Ethel was a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. She was presented with the medal by Senator Nancy Greene Raine for her lifelong pursuit of preserving Canadian history and for her family’s pioneering spirit that helped influence tourism in B.C.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Ethel Bell at Three Valley Gap on May 12. In lieu of flowers, Ethel requested donations be sent to the Revelstoke Hospital Auxiliary Society.
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