Alex Philip (1882-1968) was an American who settled in British Columbia in 1915. He opened Rainbow Lodge on Alta Lake in 1915 near the contemporary Whistler Ski Resort. Philip and his wife pioneered the tourism field in the region. While working at the lodge, Philip wrote three novels set in the coastal and interior landscapes of British Columbia. His first novel, The Crimson West (1925) was so popular that it was made into a movie. It was filmed in B.C., and is believed to have been the first "talking movie" made in Canada.
