Why can’t the Swiss government help projects like Edelweiss Village in Canada?

A success story abroad: the Swiss Edelweiss Village. Swiss Edelweiss Village Foundation

Previously threatened with demolition, the historic homes of Swiss mountain guides in Canada’s Rocky Mountains have been renovated and given a new lease of life. This raises the question: what can Switzerland do to safeguard its cultural heritage abroad?

In early October, the Swiss ambassador to Canada, Olaf Kjelsen, and Consul General Thomas Schneider travelled several hours across the country to the small town of Golden in British Columbia. There they attended a ceremony, together with members of the Swiss diaspora and the local community, to celebrate the rescue of Edelweiss Village.

Three years ago, the former homes of the pioneering Swiss mountain guides were threatened with demolition. Now, thanks to the efforts of two dedicated Swiss Abroad, the six chalets have been saved.

SWI swissinfo.ch:  Three years ago, these chalets were in a dilapidated state and up for sale. Now tourists can enjoy an upscale holiday in a heritage site. What do you appreciate particularly about the way they have been renovated?

Olaf Kjelsen: I feel that the true spirit of this group of mountaineers is still there. It was preserved by the chalets and has been brought back to life thanks to the interior decoration. You can almost feel the guides’ presence. Not everything about these chalets is “genuinely Swiss”, but what makes them Swiss is the people who lived here.

Thomas Schneider: Exactly. That’s why I don’t see Edelweiss Village as a Swiss monument but rather as a monument to the Swiss mountain guides. It’s a symbolic place. These Swiss climbers made a key contribution to the development of tourism in this region.

The Swiss in Canada

According to the Federal Statistical Office, at the end of 2023 there were 41,463 Swiss nationals living in Canada. Over 80% of those registered with a Swiss representation in the country have dual or multiple citizenship. Canada is the fifth most common country of residence for Swiss abroad – after France, Germany, the US and Italy.

Ambassador Olaf Kjelsen says about the Swiss diaspora in Canada: “In terms of numbers, the Swiss diaspora is very large. But this is only a fraction of the cultural and human Swiss presence in Canada. Many Swiss nationals or their descendants are now fully Canadian, some with no more ties to Switzerland.”

SWI: What does the legacy of the mountain guides mean to the local Swiss community?

O.K.: We saw this weekend that many people, local residents among them, took part in the celebrations. This is a clear sign of their interest in and connection with the Swiss cultural heritage.

Olaf Kjelsen (left), the Swiss Ambassador to Canada, and Consul General in Vancouver, Thomas Schneider. Melanie Eichenberger / SWI swissinfo.ch

SWI: Swiss cultural heritage can be found around the globe. Yet the footprint left by Swiss emigrants has not gained much political attention inside Switzerland. Can you explain why?

T.S.: There are bodies such as the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad as well as advocates for the diaspora in the Swiss parliament. But there isn’t a big lobby. As we’ve seen in the past, Swiss expatriates have difficulty getting their voices heard on issues of practical concern, let alone cultural and historical matters.

SWI: That’s another reason why the rescue of Edelweiss Village is a pioneering project. What role did Switzerland play in it?

T.S.: My predecessor already supported the Swiss Edelweiss Village Foundation as an adviser, and I took over this mandate a year ago. The consulate general in Vancouver has in the past regularly contributed financially to smaller projects related to the Swiss mountain guides: for example, publications on Swiss immigration to Canada, a film on mountain culture in the Rocky MountainsExternal link, which was largely shaped by Swiss immigrants, and exhibitions on the issue.

The most important project we have been involved in lately, together with Presence Switzerland [the unit of the Swiss foreign ministry in charge of promoting Switzerland’s image abroad], involved the digital preservation of the chalets.

SWI: What resources does the Swiss representation in Canada have at its disposal to support such projects?

O.K.: The Swiss government cannot contribute financially to infrastructure projects abroad, as there is no legal basis for this. But if there are initiatives that tie in with the Swiss representation’s objectives, for instance in the fields of communication or digitisation, then we can play a role. Any funding is channelled through the budget of Presence Switzerland. The basic precondition is that the projects must fit in with the Swiss foreign ministry’s overall communication strategy.

SWI: What lessons have you learnt that might be relevant for possible future projects?

O.K.: In my experience, cultural initiatives like this one can only really take off if they have project owners who are willing and able to put in all the time, energy and enthusiasm needed to make things happen. If we try to build something from the top down, that is from the embassy, we won’t get anywhere given the limited resources at our disposal. What it takes is people on the ground who really want to get things moving. 

T.S.: As a lesson from this experience, I can say that it really makes a difference if we, as the representatives of “official Switzerland”, can provide moral support and show an active interest in the projects.

Translated from German by Julia Bassam/ts