THE FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS. Opened in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, this landmark hotel was the inspiration of Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, 19th century railway pioneer and hotel visionary, who famously quipped, "If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists". It was originally a five storey, wooden structure built on a cement foundation. The architect was the renowned Bruce Price of New York. The hotel was described as "a bastion of luxury", and boasted 250 rooms with the cost of a room starting at $3.50 per night. The hotel operated seasonally from May 15 to October 1. Due to the increasing popularity of the hotel as an international mountain resort destination, a decision was made in 1910 to replace the wooden hotel in stages. Between 1911 and 1914, the 11 storey centre tower designed by Walter Painter of Pennsylvania was added as the first stage of the new grand and luxurious hotel. In 1926, disaster struck when the north wing of the original wooden hotel burnt down. Subsequently, the new north and the south wings were quickly rebuilt and completed on May 15, 1928. Styled in the spirit of a Scottish baronial castle, the thick limestone blocks used on the exterior were quarried from Mount Rundle, a short distance from the hotel along the Spray River. Hundreds of Italian stone cutters and Scottish stone masons were employed to complete the project.
