Two buildings have become icons of the historic Western Canada way of life – the grain elevator and the log cabin.

Sadly, the traditional grain elevator is rapidly being erased from the landscape.

But the log cabin, a part of the West since the days of the first settlers, will always have a place in our hearts – and today on our lakefronts and beaches.

Now, an Alberta-based company, Canadian Mountain Cabins, has taken the traditional log cabin and brought it into the 21st century.



“It’s the dream of a lot of people to own a cabin in the woods,” says Andy Harris, co-owner of the company with Patrick Lough and Mark Jennings. “Our role is to make that happen.”

And make that happen they have. The first project of the three-year-old company, quite simply called Cabins in the Woods, is a collection of beautifully designed cabins near the picturesque town of Kimberly, B.C. While the setting speaks to a West of bygone days, the cabins are very much of the 21st century.

Cabins in the Woods has clearly struck a nerve with Western Canadians. Nestled in a beautiful setting adjacent to the 2,700-acre Kimberly Nature Park, this community of cabins has been a hit with buyers. Of the first 32 cabins available, 26 have already sold, and the pre-selling of the second phase is to begin soon.

Lough, who is in charge of sales, says most buyers come from Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the cabins are bought as either homes for today, recreation property to rent, or retirement property for the future. In these days of mercurial stock markets and low rates of returns on investments, more and more people are turning to tangible investments, like vacation or retirement homes, says Lough.

“They want an authentic log cabin, but all the comforts and conveniences of home as well,” Lough says.

The very quiet, secluded setting has tremendous appeal, says Harris.

“It’s a very natural setting,” says Harris. “It’s designed to blend in with the trees and the terrain.

“The saying ‘stay close to nature, it will never fail you,’ has been the central feeling behind the whole project.” That means natural logs, natural colours, natural decor. While the Cabins in the Woods delightfully secluded, it is not isolated. Residents are only four minutes away from the town of the delightful town of Kimberley (pop. 7,500) and all it has to offer.

While the cabins are old school on the outside, inside they are cutting edge. Each comes complete with all major appliances, satellite TV – and all the furniture.

“All you’ve got to bring are your toys,” laughs Harris.

There are three models to choose from, each one designed to blend in with the surroundings, while leaving as little imprint on the surrounding area as possible.

“We’re very conscious that we’re building in the woods, hence the limited footprint of the building and the passive solar design.”

The Pioneer and Prospector models contain 1,040 sq. ft. of living space. The Premium model, which is in limited supply, has 1,550 sq. ft. All cabins use double tongue and groove B.C. spruce, and use a vaulted A-frame design. South-facing windows give each cabin a warm, inviting glow and capitalize on the passive solar effect. (Indeed, Kimberly is one of the sunniest spots adjacent to the Rockies, and nearby Cranbrook airport is called Canada’s sunniest airport.)

Sensitivity to the environment is a major concern with Canadian Mountain Cabins. Heating and cooling is supplied by the use of environmentally friendly geothermal energy. Unlike conventional energy supplies, geothermal energy is a renewable resource available at point of use. An inexhaustible supply of renewable energy moves from the earth outside into a structure for heating and from the building to the earth for cooling, while providing hot water.

Prices range from $250,000 to $425,000. Many buyers are opting to buy “fractions,” a managed co-ownership relationship, where you share the ownership and the time with other investors. Fractions run from $89,900 to $119,900.

Why a log cabin instead of a condo? Harris says Westerners have an “emotional attachment to the quintessentially Canadian” log cabin.

Oddly enough, it took two British expatriates, Harris (in Canada for seven years) and Jennings (15 years), to come up with the idea.

Their paths crossed here in Canada, and with the two of them providing the market research and Saskatchewan-born Lough handling the sales, a uniquely Canadian success story was born.

Check out their website, www.canadiancabins.com, for further details on the cabins, the location and costs.