The Udderside of Canmore’s History
The history of the Kernick family has been tightly interwoven with the history of Canmore since 1927.
It was then that Georgina and Franklin Kernick - recently married and eager to build a life together amid the splendour of the Canadian Rockies - purchased 20 acres just east of downtown Canmore and established Canmore Dairy, a working dairy farm that was then the largest and most successful in the region. Their sons Jack and Don, who were born and raised in the original farmhouse, grew up helping their father deliver milk by horse and carriage to local families - primarily coal miners and railway workers. Franklin used the nearby spring-fed creeks to store the dairy's milk at just the right temperature.
In the late 1940s, the Canmore area entered into an era of change as work began on the paving of Highway 1A from Calgary. This made way for larger dairy producers, and smaller farms like Canmore Dairy had to reinvent themselves or go out of business. Around the same time, Franklin Kernick passed away and Georgina needed a new source of income.
Newly returned from service in the Navy, Jack went to work with his brother Don as a carpenter at the Banff Centre. They purchased and salvaged some old Banff cabins and moved them to the family farm. The empty field where the dairy cows used to graze gave way to a camp for construction workers, which grew in the 1950s as the Trans-Canada Highway inched its way through the Bow Valley. The site evolved into a trailer park and campground the brothers would work for the rest of their lives.
The steward of the land today is Frank Kernick - Jack's son, Franklin and Georgina's grandson. Guardian of the Spring Creek vision, Frank's ties to Canmore are deep and enduring. After leaving to study and practice engineering in Calgary, he returned to his roots 17 years ago to establish a successful and trusted real estate development company. His noted projects include Grotto Mountain Village, Canyon Close and Eagle Terrace, all in Canmore, as well as Lakeview Meadows in Invermere, BC.
Canmore is Frank's home, and he will stand by Spring Creek every step of the way, surrounding himself with a dynamic team to deliver on a vision for excellence. Love of the land, a tireless work ethic and a deep sense of belonging to the town he calls home: Frank has come by these qualities honestly. They are deeply engrained in his family legacy.
