Gerry Bracewell’s husband, Alf Bracewell, contributed to the Cariboo-Chilcotin region, built the Bella Coola Road with a bulldozer and built the Bracewell Lodge at Tatlayoko Lake.
Alf Bracewell and The Bella Coola Road
Alf operated the D6 Caterpillar bulldozer that built the top half of the Freedom Road to Bella Coola in 1952-1953. Alongside a team of local volunteers, including George Dalshaug who built the bottom half of the Freedom Road, Alf helped build Canada’s third road to the Pacific Ocean and provide road access to the remote communities around Bella Coola.
Ranching at Circle X
Alf had already been in the ranching business at Tatla Lake, but after his marriage to Gerry, he joined the Circle X Ranch where he made hay, raised cattle, operated his sawmill and raised his family.
Building the Bracewell Lodge
After selling the Circle X Ranch, Alf and his family started an ambitious new project in the 1980s, building the Bracewell Lodge on a piece of land they homesteaded themselves. Alf extended his sawmill to cut all the logs for the lodge which became the first in the Chilcotin for all the guest rooms to have their own bathroom.
Bracewell History and Heritage
Find out more about Alf Bracewell’s life in Bracewell History and Heritage, 3,000 years of Bracewell history and the stories of this entrepreneurial family.
The Alf Bracewell Mountain Range
After Alf Bracewell passed away in 2006, Gerry officially named the mountain range south of the Bracewell Lodge the Alf Bracewell Mountain Range, including Bracewell Mountain. This range stands beside Mount Moore, ensuring these two pioneering families continue to stand side by side.
Alf’s obituary was printed in the Williams Lake Tribune newspaper.