YOHO – The operator of a historic chalet in Yoho National Park that was repossessed by Parks Canada in June owes the federal agency money.
Fran Drummond, who has operated a summer business out of Twin Falls Chalet for the past 57 years, said she hasn’t paid Parks because she doesn’t agree with the terms to renew her licence of occupation, which expired in 2014.
“I haven’t paid the land rent because I have not signed a lease,” said Drummond, who didn’t know off hand how much money she owes Parks Canada.
She said she has refused to sign a new lease because Parks Canada is seeking a percentage of her business’s gross revenue.
“The lease is paid, but it’s the percentage of gross that remains on the table.”
She said part of the issue is that her operating season has become significantly shorter in recent years due to nearby wildfires.
“When your season is down to two-and-a-half or three weeks you can’t pay that percentage of gross, so that has to be part of the discussion,” said Drummond.
“I haven’t paid myself for 57 years to operate the place.”
Alex Kolesch, a senior advisor for Parks Canada, said the federal agency met with Drummond in January to inform her that her licence of occupation was not in good standing, however since then she has not responded to at least two letters of correspondence.
“As part of being in good standing, operators are expected to comply with all of the requirements that are laid out in their land use agreement and that includes clear direction on the payment of land rent,” said Kolesch.
He declined to state how much money is owed, however in a follow up interview he said Parks Canada offered her the same rental rate as in 2014 with the condition that future rates would be tied to the success of her business.
“The licence of occupation offered to Ms. Drummond for the 2019 season proposed the same rental rate as was in the licence that expired in 2014,” wrote Kolesch.
“Future rates would be determined by a variety of factors, including business valuation and gross revenues. Rates may increase over time to remain commensurate with those issued to similar operators in the national parks and to ensure a fair return to Canadians for the use of public lands.”
Drummond confirmed she received a written notice from Parks Canada on June 25 informing her the federal agency had taken possession of the chalet’s facilities, and if she wanted to retrieve her personal belongings she would need to contact them to make
arrangements.
In response, a GoFundMe account was set up to help Drummond take legal action against Parks Canada. So far, just over $12,000 has been raised towards a $15,000 goal.
Drummond, who hoped to open the teahouse for summer business on July 1, said she intends to use the money to hire a lawyer to renew her licence of occupation.
As a national historic site, the lower building was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1908, with construction of the two-storey main lodge completed in 1923. It opened for business the following year as a teahouse.
The federal government owns the remote chalet because it’s located on national park land, but Drummond has been running her business there since 1962.
Despite her licence of occupation expiring at the end of 2014, she continued to operate the chalet in the intervening summers while both parties were in discussions.
Kolesch said Parks Canada is willing to work with Drummond to find a solution for the 2019 summer season.
“We remain willing to have the operator complete the 2019 season once the requirements in the land use agreement are met,” said Kolesch. “We have a great deal of respect for Ms. Drummond and her dedication to Twin Falls Teahouse National Historic Site and we also strive to deal with all operators in a fair and transparent manner.”
-With files from Cathy Ellis
