An old house finds a new home in the middle of a Banff hotel

For visitors totheRocky Mountain town of Banff, a new hotel offers guests the option of an unusual view:ahome built in 1913.

The house is in the courtyardofthe new Moose Hotel and Suites.

"A lot of people believe that we built the hotel around the house," said ShawnBirch,director of finance and projects and CFOforthe hotel. "But unfortunately, that's not true."

'A lot involved': Shawn Birch

The house had to be moved to make way for the hotel construction. It waspreserved and restored, then returned to the site using two cranes.

"There was a lot involved in moving this house, way more than we ever thought could ever be involved."

House with a history

The house is believed to have beenmail-ordered as a ready-to-build kitfrom the Eaton catalogue.

It's named after one of its firstresidents,LeonardLeacock, who was born in 1904 in England and raised in Banff. He was anoutdoor enthusiastand skilled musician who taught at Mount Royal College. Leacockreceived the Order of Canada in 1985.

Hedied in 1992.

In the 1930s, the house was home toJim and Carolina Serra and it remained in theSerra family for about 50 years.

Granddaughter Anne Serra, who lives in New Zealand, contacted Birch when she was visiting Canada and shared her family's connection with the house.

"She actually gave us a lot of great resources, she gave us a whole photo album of family pictures and stories and news articles," he said.

"And it was interesting to see all that information because it's all tied to the house."

Architect's vision saved the home

Despite its history, theLeacockHousewasn't found important enough to receive a heritage designation.The plan was to demolish it, untilthe hotel's architect proposed a way to save the home.

"As we kind ofthought about the idea, it reallygained traction with us in terms of what it was accomplishing in terms of heritage value, what it would bring into the hotel as something unique and different," Birch said. "We found out who lived in the house and the stories it told."

"We just felt like we had to do it."

Inside still under construction

The house itself is now an attraction in Banff.

Birch's favourite story to tell involves how the house ended up on its final resting spot in the hotel's courtyard.

Once the house was dropped into the courtyard, the movers wanted their beams back. They bought blocks of ice from the grocery store and slid them under the house. After they removed the beams, it took about two hours forthe ice to melt, leaving the house in its current spot.

Extension of hotel's lobby

The house is still under restoration and what the hotel will use it for is still up for debate.

"We're open for ideas. We haven'tquite figured that out yet," he said.

"We want to make it open and available to our guests, so for now it's an extension of our lobby."

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