| GUESTS |
| Rainbow Lodge would not have been Rainbow without
the myriad of guests that it hosted. Most of the lodge's visitors came north
from Vancouver but a few came from much further - Seattle, Bellingham, Calgary,
the interior of B.C. and even Winnipeg, Manitoba. Many of the guests had
such a good time that they returned every summer and became very good friends
with both Myrtle and Alex. Some of the guests were real characters. Ivan
Ackerey, a businessman from Vancouver, was a regular at Rainbow Lodge.
He was known for his impromptu, early morning aerobics classes and his mischievous
pranks. Late one summer night, the sleeping guests were roused by the loud
clanging of a bell. Thinking that there might be a fire, they all ran outside...only
to find Ivan perched on the roof of the general store laughing wildly as
he swung from the bell. Ken
Stauffer, another character, became Rainbow's first streaker when somebody
pulled the string of his grass skirt at a baseball game. As he ran for the
base, his skirt dropped to the ground, giving the spectators plenty to cheer
about. Pat
Prowd, a local writer from Vancouver and a good friend of Myrtle's,
could usually be found in the kitchen at midnight foraging for some of Myrtle's
famous, jellied chicken wings. These people, and countless others, were
the lifeblood of Rainbow Lodge. |
 |
| In 1948 a Rainbow Lodge reunion was organized at the
Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. Myrtle and Alex both attended and were
presented with a gift of a barometer. There was a big dance and everybody
enjoyed themselves just like they had on holidays at Alta Lake. In the fall
of 1974, a second reunion party was organized in conjunction with the PGE
to commemorate Myrtle Philip. Old friends and former guests were invited
to return to Rainbow Lodge aboard the old steam engine for a party. Myrtle
was there along with many others who reminisced about the good ol' times
at Rainbow Lodge. This would be the last time that many would see the lodge
before its destruction by fire in 1977. |
| "If you knew Myrtle like they knew Myrtle...oh,
oh, oh what a girl! A legend in her own time and still going strong 60 years
after she and her late husband Alex Philip, first opened the doors of Rainbow
Lodge, the Alta Lake resort that's packed to the rafters with memories of
happy carefree days gone by for so many former guests." (The Province,
October 1974) |
| |
| STAFF |
| The staff at Rainbow Lodge were very important.
They helped in the lodge, the gardens, on the grounds and in the barns. |
|
|
| Lam
Shu was the first chef at Rainbow Lodge. He worked with Alex at first,
down in Vancouver at the Horseshoe Bar and Grill. As Rainbow Lodge became
more popular each summer, Alex thought that Myrtle could use some help in
the lodge kitchen. Although Myrtle was quite independent and objected to
having somebody do her work, she soon got to like Lam Shu and took him under
her wing. In the beginning Lam Shu was a terrible cook. He mixed up the
ingredients and created tasteless dishes. His lemon pies were especially
bad. However, Myrtle did not give up easily and eventually Lam Shu became
a wonderful cook. He even created a few new dishes for the lodge, the most
famous being his 'Divinity Pie', a delightful treat filled with fresh peaches
and topped with a custard meringue. In the late 1930's Lam Shu returned
to his home in China with a chronic case of influenza. The second lodge
cook, Sam,
took over in the kitchen and was with the Philips until they sold the lodge
in 1948. |
| Other staff members included David
Esworthy, who was in charge of the horses and all the girls who worked
in the dining room; Phyllis, Lois, Philomena, Mary, Beryl, and Dorothy. |
| Both Alex and Myrtle's family provided much help at
Rainbow Lodge as well. Myrtle's father Sewell cut wood, shovelled snow and
did many other odd jobs. Alex's sister, Rhi helped out in the post office
and general store. |
 |
|
|
| |
