LIFE AS PAT BREWSTER RECALLED IT
BY JACKIE GOLD BANFF CRAG & CANYON STAFF
In 1888 John Brewster rode into Banff with the intention of starting Banff 's first dairy. His wife Bella and their four sons arrived in March the following year to begin their new lives in the Rockies.
Bella gave birth to the first official Banff Brewster clan member in July 1889. Pearl Brewster would be the only girl in a family of seven siblings, and as she got older it fell to her to take care of the family household duties, including looking after her younger brother Pat, seven years her junior.
Pat, his mother was heard to say occasionally, seemed to spend his entire first three years in the world bawling at the top of his lungs, in an effort to get noticed.
“I was the youngest of seven children in my family and naturally, the most adored of the group by my mother. I could do no wrong, and when something unusual occurred it was never my fault” Pat wrote in his 1979 book They Came West.
Pearl, “Had sufficient knowledge of me to form her own opinion and I believe she told some of her friends I was the worst little bitch in Western Canada.”
Tired of constantly caring for Pat, Pearl came up with a way to rid her of babysitting duties. She dropped constant suggestions to their mother, regarding their father's loneliness down at the ranch in the Kananaskis area. As Pat was at the time, too young to attend school, and the only one truly free of any responsibilities, Bella finally decided that he should be the one to go.
“Off went a letter to Johnny advising him to expect me and Pearl took me to the station one day to turn me over to the well known railways conductor Cy Becker, an old friend of the family who was very good with children.” Pat wrote.
"Everything went just fine, and the first thing I knew I was riding on the saddle behind my father hanging onto his coat with both hands until we reached the ranch cabin.”
One of Pat's crowning glories at this tender young age was his long blond hair, which had been another factor in his mother's adoration.
"The meticulous care of this asset turned out a variety of long ringlets, curling down my shoulders," Pat wrote.
"This hair wasn't adapted to a bachelor's ranch life ... sticky substances created rather a mess in those beautiful long curls. There were no scissors, Of course, and no knife sharp to serve the purpose. The axe could do the trick, but how? The curl was placed across the top of the block and the axe moved close to the scalp and rocked backward and forward until the curl fell to the floor. When I arrived home my mother took one look at me and nearly fainted. She remarked later that a mountain rat could have done a neater job."
As Pat grew older he became more and more appreciative of the natural beauty of the area, encouraged no doubt by his older brothers Bill and Jim, who had started up a wilderness outfit with the help of sister Pearl's husband Philip Moore, whom she had married in 1907.
Later on in life, Pat developed an interest in skiing. He pondered the possibility of cultivating Sunshine Mountain for skiing. He brought the matter to his brother Jim, who was initially hesitant, citing the erratic climate as a possible deterrent to potential clients.
A trip into the area however solidified the idea in both brothers' minds, and an agreement was reached that suited them both.
"In the beginning, in order to draw people to the area we quoted prices to various ski clubs at $2.75 for a return trip from Banff to Sunshine. TMh is included morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea!" Pat wrote.
"We also offered a $5 daily rate which included all of the above plus evening meal, snack and lodging."
"The very first paying skiers that came to the Sunshine area were a group of 10 from Vancouver. I cooked for them and myself (with no casualties) and for my helper I had Ernie Stenton, a well-known trail man from Banff .
"The group was very pleasant and insisted on setting the table and washing the dishes. We used to arise at daybreak, cook breakfast, then make our sandwiches which we would consume during the day. We would then take off for the mountain and eventually climb to the top. On the way we would stop at the big rock, park our lunch and extra gear, and continue to the peak. Once there we would ski back down to the rock and eat our sandwiches. It became known as Sandwich Rock!”
Despite all his adventures Pat recollected the past with some regret, stating in his book that, "as I look back over the many years I see I have been a loner," though more so in business adventures in life.
In his later years Pat dedicated himself to ensuring that his sister Pearl 's collection of Native memorabilia, and her husband's family treasures were kept intact, as a large collection. Many of the pieces can be seen today at the Whyte Museum in Banff, a little peek into a past once as brilliant as today's present.
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