Tri-Way/Kootenay Country Inn Cranbrook

Here’s a Then & Now look at the former Tri-Way Motel, now Kootenay Country Inn, out in Cranbrook British Columbia. Presenting two photos separated by about half a century and we’re going to chat a little about what’s seen. The business, and the whole scene for that matter, is timeless. The only noticeable change is not in the building itself but the automobiles being driven. Lots of big old boats back then, but mostly pickups and SUVs today.

The Then photo comes thanks to motel postcard collector and seller Dee. Thanks! They sent in a bunch of others we’ll (hopefully) be using as T&N fodder in the future and look forward to the challenge. In the old days, motels would gave away postcards as advertising premiums, so these are quite common and now a wonderful window into another time.

It was hoped a motel patron would use the postcard to send a note to friends or family and get the word out. It’d be like their personal endorsement. Most we’ve seen were never used, however, so it begs the question if they had much of an effect on business. Still every motel did it, so it must have to some degree, and now these are sought out by collectors.

This postcard dates back to circa 1970. All the cars seen were pretty common rides for the time, save for a couple more interesting examples. This was back when the big Three auto makers ruled the road and everything huge, heavy and gas economy not a concern.

The pink Mustang is perhaps the biggest standout and this due to the colour mostly. This was never a popular choice and it’s possible this one might even be the legendary “Playmate Pink”, in cooperation with Playboy Magazine. We compared the two shades and they’re not far apart. Note the colour of the old photo could have shifted with time, so we could be way off too, but it is pink and that’s rare.

There appears to be a boat in the mix and something that looks like a (rare) Chevrolet Corvair Van beside it. Hard to tell with the latter as it’s rather obscured. In addition to many cars parked out front, people can be seen milling about, so business appeared good that day.

Of particular interest to us is that little trailer and it’s a Shasta model. These are easily spotted due to those iconic wings and were quite popular at the time.

A cool little story sidebar comes next. We actually scoured local campgrounds prior to shooting this piece in hopes of finding a Shasta trailer (they’re still out there) or something similarly small (Bolers and their kin included). What-why? We had hopes of convincing an owner to pose their camper out front in our photo and just like in the original. For fun and games. We like to go all in and were certain we could talk someone into it, or at least we’d try. We’ll throw in a coffee too…and you get bragging rights…just saying…

In the end all we found was big fifth wheels and other land yachts, which wouldn’t work. This hunt wasted a lot of time but even so, we may try again when in the area, given we really like the idea.

The first mention of the Tri-Way we could find was from 1963 and we think the building was pretty new about that time. A photo from its earliest days shows it about half the size compared to the ca1970 image, so sometimes between the two captures they expanded the number of rooms.

We’re assuming Tri was in reference to the three major highways in the Cranbrook area (#3 & #93 for east/west travel and #95 to go north). Combined #3 and #93 pass right by the motel and this no has doubt always has brought in much business.

We’re pulling info from old phone directories and there was many missing years in the collections searched. Best we can tell, the business operated with the Tri-Way name into the 1990s, but it’s not completely clear when it changed to the current Kootenay Country Inn. Something in the back of our minds says it was recent and the business perhaps named some different in the interim. We’re regular visitors to the area and have passed it by countless times, but never really paid much attention till now.

If our readers know more, please speak up and help fill the holes.

The building is little changed as you can see and the only addition to the property since our Then photo was an office structures, with laundromat. It doesn’t show in the postcard, but does in others from later in the 1970s.

They had a restaurant on the property in the early days and it makes mentions on the back of the postcard. The reverse reads: “Tri-Way Motel and Licensed Restaurant. 1111 Cranbrook Street, Cranbrook, BC, Canada. Top rated units along Highway 3 and 95. Color TV. Automatic Phones. Published by RL Donaldson, Cranbrook BC and printed by Dexter Color, Cornwall Ontario.”

Highway #95 referenced is now #95A whereas #93 at the time had not yet been combined with #3 along this stretch.

RL Donaldson owned a photo shop in Cranbrook and seems to have produced a number of postcards for local businesses. We searched him out and his work covers many decades.

Many of the Then photos used in this series are supplied by readers. If you have a picture you think we should use, send it our way and we’ll see if we can make it work. Broad street scenes or landscape shots work best, but let’s chat first. These can be public domain photos (and most postcards are for example) or ones with your personal copyright. So old family photos and stuff like that.

Know more: (new tabs): Motel Postcards and to do a more refined search: Motel Postcards of British Columbia.

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Date of adventure: Circa 1970 and July, 2022.
Location: Cranbrook, British Columbia.
Article references and thanks: Old BC Telephone Directories, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, plus Dee for the Then image.

Tri-Way Motel – Kootenay Country Inn Cranbrook BC.

Welcome to our Inn.

This building was added sometime after the original photo.