St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino facts for kids
The St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino is a unique place in British Columbia, Canada. It is known for being a golf course and casino that was once an Indian residential school. This means it was a boarding school for Indigenous children. Today, it is owned by a Native community.
The resort is located by the St. Mary's River. It sits between the tall Rocky Mountains and the Purcell Mountains, close to the city of Cranbrook, British Columbia.
Contents
History of St. Eugene
The Residential School Era
The building that is now the resort used to be the Kootenay Indian Residential School. This school was also known as St. Eugene's and St. Mary's schools. It was run by a group called the Oblates of Mary Immaculate from the Roman Catholic Church.
The school opened in 1912 and closed in 1970. During those years, more than 5,000 children attended the school. After it closed, the building was empty for many years.
Becoming a Resort
Later, the building was renovated and given a new purpose. The St. Eugene Golf Course opened in 2000. Then, the Casino of the Rockies opened in 2002. The St. Eugene Hotel welcomed guests in 2003.
The resort had a big renovation that finished in July 2019. It cost many millions of dollars.
Unmarked Graves Discovery
In 2021, a special type of radar was used in the community's cemetery. This cemetery is next to the former St. Eugene Residential School. The radar found 182 places that might be unmarked graves.
The leaders of ʔaq̓am, a First Nations community, shared information about this. They said that old wooden crosses used to mark graves can disappear over time. This makes graves look unmarked. They also said it is hard to know if these graves hold the remains of children who went to the school.
However, Chief Jason Louis from the Lower Kootenay Band had a different view. He believes these 182 souls are from the Ktunaxa Nation and nearby First Nations communities. More investigation is needed to find out the full truth about these burials.
What the Resort Has
The St. Eugene resort offers many things for visitors. It has a large golf course and a casino. There are also two restaurants, a bar, and a spa for relaxation.
The Hotel
The St. Eugene Hotel has three floors. It has 125 rooms and suites for people to stay in. The AAA has given it a Three Diamond rating. This means it is a high-quality hotel.
The Casino
The Casino of the Rockies has 210 slot machines. You can play games like E-Roulette, E-Baccarat, and E-Blackjack. There are also four table games.
The Golf Course
The golf course has 18 holes. It was designed by a famous golf course designer named Les Furber.
Who Owns It Now
The ownership of the St. Eugene resort has changed over time. For a while, it was partly owned by three different First Nations groups. These were the Samson Cree Nation from Alberta and the Chippewas of Rama First Nation from Ontario. The Ktunaxa Nation was also a part-owner.
In 2017, the Ktunaxa Nation became the full owner of the resort again. They had originally owned it completely from 2000 to 2003.
See also
- List of golf courses in Canada
- List of casinos in Canada
