We moved to Invermere, British Columbia thirty years ago and have never looked back. The iconic Sinclair Canyon marks the entrance to our magical mountain valley.
Welcome to Letters From Windermere, where I write about:
- HISTORY: mostly Western Canada history, but I love it all.
- WRITING: info about my writing and publishing journey.
- BOOKS: I recommend a good book every month.
Letters From Windermere is free today and will always remain free!
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Invermere: My Mountain Home
Over the years, I have written about:
- My childhood home near Battleford, Saskatchewan: Back to the Farm.
- My writing residence in Eastend, Saskatchewan: Ode to Eastend.
- Our cottage in Qualicum Beach, BC: Qualicum Beach Beauty.
- Our annual winter stay in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Loving Mexico.
But never have I written about the community of Invermere in the Windermere Valley, where we moved in April 1996, exactly thirty years ago!
Our home is located in the southeast corner of British Columbia, close to the Alberta border, far from the madding crowds in the Lower Mainland.
Many people from “outside” refer to the entire area as Windermere, or The Windermere, because we are located on the shores of Lake Windermere.
I named this newsletter because of an early pioneer named Daisy Phillips. Read more: Letters From Windermere.
This is also known as the Columbia Valley, because it hosts the headwaters of the mighty 2000-kilometre Columbia River, which flows north, then south across the border, and finally into the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Oregon.
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Invermere: Downtown
Invermere is too small to qualify as a town — the legal name is the District of Invermere, because it still has only 4,000 people and a town needs 5,000. However, our valley includes a few other locations including Radium Hot Springs to the north and Fairmont Hot Springs to the south, so altogether there are some 10,000 people living in the area.
Invermere has a charming main street lined with interesting shops.
These have changed over the years, but the main street is still appealing. For example, Four Points Books, shown on the right here beside Blue Dog Café, is a wonderful spot to browse.
My other favourite hangout is the Invermere Thrift Store, where I have spent many happy hours. Read more: Thrifted Treasures.
I launched all three of my novels (so far) in this historic building called Pynelogs Cultural Centre, situated on the lakeshore.
The Invermere Public Library was literally the first place I visited when I arrived thirty years ago! Since then it has moved into a fancy new building.
Our kids attended David Thompson Secondary School, named after the famous explorer who spent time here between 1807 and 1812.
The downtown area has a handsome bronze statue of David and his Indigenous wife Charlotte Small.
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Invermere: Scenic Beauty
With the iconic Mount Nelson towering over us to the west, we live in a picture perfect postcard.
For you history buffs, Mount Nelson was named by David Thompson himself. When he heard of the vicious naval Battle of Trafalgar two years after it happened (news did not travel fast in those days), the explorer raised his eyes to the highest peak and christened it after the victorious British Lord Admiral Nelson, who defeated the French but died in the battle.
Lake Windermere, named after the more famous one in England, has several public beaches.
In winter, our lake is a mecca for skaters, cross-country skiers, and curlers. Invermere hosts the largest outdoor bonspiel in the world, and the longest skating track in the world. The Whiteway is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records! Here three grandkids practise their skills.
Within thirty minutes, we can drive to one of two ski hills: Panorama Ski Resort, and Fairmont Ski Resort. There our kids, and now our grandkids, learned to ski. Here I am at Fairmont with Nora and Juliet.
The area appeals to golfers from around the world, since there are about a dozen golf courses in our valley. This is lovely Copper Point Golf Course.
Winter or summer, we often enjoy a dip in the Radium Hot Springs mineral pool, located just inside Kootenay National Park.
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Invermere: Village Life
I love my Invermere community and over the years I’ve been involved in many ways.
I owned the Columbia Valley Pioneer weekly newspaper for several years until I sold it in 2010 and decided to try writing fiction. Little did I know it would turn into a second career! The paper is still a community staple — this man even proposed to his girlfriend on our front page.
I launched the Art From the Attic fundraiser on behalf of the Invermere Health Care Auxiliary and the Columbia Valley Arts Council in 2011. It was later resurrected as a fundraiser for Windermere Elementary School. This photo is from the original event. Read more: Art From the Attic.
As a long-time member of the Royal Canadian Legion, I initiated the program that displays banners of our local vets every November. Read more: Honour Our Veterans.
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Invermere: Home and Family
We built our own house twenty-four years ago on an acreage at the southern edge of town. I always longed for an old house, so I incorporated some vintage elements. Read more: Ten Ways to Make a New House Look Old.
I preserve some of my precious Western souvenirs in my cowboy cabin. Read more: Log Cabin Fever.
I have truly one of the best home offices in the world, so I don’t need to go on any writing retreats. Read more: Home Office Love.
After our three daughters completed university, two of them moved back here with their husbands. Together they have five children, all of whom attend Windermere Elementary School. Our youngest daughter lives in Calgary, just three hours away. Here’s a photo of the five grandkids.
Finally, I love this song by Bing Crosby, which sums up my feelings about this valley. Listen here: Dear Hearts and Gentle People.
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Book News: Touching Grass
The first draft of my new novel Touching Grass is finished, and I have asked a couple of ranching experts (Mary Thomson from Eastend, Saskatchewan was extremely helpful) to review the manuscript for any glaring errors.
My novel involves a young English woman who travels to Western Canada in 1890 to find her missing sister, and conducts her search while staying on a ranch south of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. There she falls in love with the drama and romance of the ranching lifestyle.
I’m not completely ignorant about livestock. I grew up on a mixed farm in Saskatchewan with about one hundred head of beef cattle, and even had my own horse. Here I am with Scout.
After moving to Invermere, we bought a quarter horse for our youngest daughter Melinda. Here she is riding in the Canada Day parade.
However, in all fairness I never experienced the true cowboy culture with the riding, roping, and branding that takes place on the big ranches.
I strive for authenticity in my writing, so I will do my best to bring both the flavour and the facts to Touching Grass.
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Book News: Wildwood Launch
In two short weeks, Wildwood will see the light of day again in Canada. When I started writing this novel ten years ago, I created a fictional heroine named Molly and sent her to an abandoned farm in northern Alberta. Her challenge: to live there with her little girl for one year, off the grid. You will have to read the book to see whether they survive!
Preorders will give my novel a better shot at bestseller status, so it would help me if you preordered it now, either online or from any bookstore.
I’ll sign advance copies on Canadian Independent Bookstore Day at Found Books in Cochrane, Alberta from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.
However, the official launch date for the rest of Canada is April 28, 2026 and I will host my national book launch in Red Deer, Alberta.
Here’s what I have planned for that week.
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Book of the Month
I met this author for the first time in Puerto Vallarta when she emailed me for advice on a website designer. (I recommended Shawn Wernig of Eggplant Studios, who designed this website and patiently answers all my questions.)
Although she lives in France, Lori Thicke was coincidentally visiting Mexico and we had a lovely lunch together on the beach.
I subsequently read her memoir, Dreamer’s Daughter, and found it both moving and funny. Lori was raised in Canada by an eccentric father who spent his lifetime chasing fame and fortune, and some of his exploits made me laugh out loud. This would be a great book club selection.
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Friends, my literary life has been all-consuming this month, between writing my new novel and relaunching Wildwood. If you have family or friends in the locations where I will sign books, please let them know.
Our weather here in the Windermere Valley is warm and spring-like, and my husband has been raking the yard in short sleeves. I hope spring catches up with the rest of you very soon!
Fondly, Elinor
