Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and the International

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is a first-of-its-kind testament to the friendship between Canada and the United States. Glacial lakes, dramatic mountain faces, and abundant wildlife are just a few of the Glacier and Waterton Lakes’ shared features. The parks also feature the enduring craftsmanship of Captain J. W “Billy” Swanson, the prolific boat builder in the region.

In 1932, local rangers and Rotary Club members joined Glacier National Park (Montana, U.S.A.) and Waterton-Lakes National Park (Alberta, Canada) due to their contiguous landscape, similar ecosystems, and collaborative nature of their management. Though not erasing the international border, Glacier and Waterton already shared strong economic forces, like the Great Northern Railroad. The railroad’s Glacier Park Hotel Company (GPHC) built various chalets and hotels across Glacier, but its only Canadian property, the Prince of Wales Hotel, is emblematic of the international drive for nature-based tourism.

Opening in 1927, the sophisticated Prince of Wales Hotel needed travel amenities suitable for its upper-class clientele. The GPHC turned to Captain J.W. “Billy” Swanson, the prominent boat builder from Glacier National Park, to build his largest, grandest vessel: the International. To avoid Canadian labor and customs restrictions, the company insisted that Swanson build and register the boat on U.S. soil, even though it primarily served Canadian guests. The 250-passenger vessel was to transport guests to the remote Goat Haunt Chalet on the south side of Upper Waterton Lake. The International would also provide comfort and luxury to those coming from the chalet after a long trip on horseback. Though within Glacier’s borders and accessible via the park’s trail system, the backcountry chalet was easier to get to by boat from the lake’s Canadian side. However, materials were difficult to transport from Kalispell, about 150 miles away in Montana. Another boat concessionaire hauled parts for Swanson across the lake to Goat Haunt initially, but after the Captain deemed transportation prices too high, he simply built his own freighter boat. He and his small crew assembled the International in just two months, launching it on Upper Waterton Lake from the Prince of Wales Hotel in the summer of 1928.

Divided almost equally by the Canadian-American border, Upper Waterton Lake offers astounding views no matter which country one is in. However, some differences made the scenic trip even more sought-after from the Canadian side. The Prince of Wales Hotel initially drew Americans avoiding Prohibition laws, but by 1934, when they were repealed, Alberta still had restrictions on dancing and alcohol on Sundays. Despite the Great Depression, the vessel’s trips to the lake’s American side kept the International afloat. Canadians eager to escape Alberta laws hopped aboard her varnished, electrically lit deck for a good time, if only for a couple of hours.

Swanson had sold his Glacier operations by 1938 and moved on to other boat-building projects. However, as Canada entered World War Two in 1939, concession operations soon halted in the parks, though the International operated until 1940. The hiatus led to the neglect and eventual razing of Goat Haunt Chalet. The International, though, continues to transport Waterton-Glacier visitors across the lake, allowing them to experience a one-of-a-kind ride in a one-of-a-kind park.

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