Banff reimagines 1920s cabin from storage shack to off-grid community space

Source: Helen Pike · CBC NEWS · | May 24, 2021

After 2 moves and a major restoration the Rundle Cabin has a new home, and use

Source: The Rundle Cabin spent most of its life as a storage shed, but is now home base for a children's wilderness program in Banff. (Helen Pike/CBC)

For most of its life, the Rundle Cabin has been used as a storage shed. 

Now after a move, a fresh foundation and major restoration, the Town of Banff has breathed new life into the historic cabin and turned it into an off-grid, solar-powered building the community can use.

"You know, there may not be a use for a building at a certain time, but if it can be kind of set aside and saved, I think this is a great example of how, when the right time comes up, a new use for a building can appear," said development and heritage planner, Eric Bjorge.

The town's recreation initiatives coordinator, Colin Harris, said it's a return to what the Rundle Cabin was built for: bringing people together in the wilderness. 

"It's an opportunity for kids to, you know, to really strengthen that relationship with the national park and with the natural environment around them," Harris said. 

He said the cabin will serve as the home base for the town's Into the Wild program. 

The children's programming focuses mainly on fostering a relationship with the outdoors, but Harris said the cabin will help create a space for kids to warm up and learn more about the history of Banff National Park.