By Mike Virgintino
History of Banff National Park
Banff National Park is
Canada's first and possibly its best-known national park. It includes the Town of Banff, which was established in 1883, and the village of Lake Louise. It has many lakes, retreating glaciers and ice fields and offers practically face-to-face meetings with moose and other wildlife. The park is located in the Rocky Mountains, west of Calgary in the province of Alberta.
Park Founding
The Royal Geographical Society sent the Palliser Expedition west during 1857 to look for a possible railroad route. Several other significant explorations occurred within the area during this same time. Accessibility to the Canadian Rockies improved when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was completed in 1885. The park was founded that same year, when the railway linked the most western province of British Columbia to eastern Canada.
Internment Camps During World War I
Immigrants, mostly Ukrainian but also some from other European countries involved in the war, were sent to internment camps at Banff during 1915-1917, according to Bill Waiser in "Park Prisoners, The Untold Story of Western Canada's National Parks, 1915-1946." The government had decreed that these immigrants were "enemy aliens." The main camp was located at Castle Mountain, and it was moved to the Cave and Basin location during winter.
Up to World War II
The Canadian government provided public works projects in the country's national parks during the Great Depression. At Banff, workers constructed a bathhouse and pool at the Upper Hot Springs section of the park. Other projects included building roads and the start of construction of the highway that connects Banff and Jasper.
Internment camps again were used in Banff during World War II. The camps were located at Lake Louise and elsewhere in the park. Japanese internment camps were not located in Banff. Instead, they were located in nearby Jasper National Park.
Summer Tourism
Hiking, mountain climbing, horseback riding, whitewater rafting and fishing are common summer fun. Golf and exploring caves are other popular activities.
Winter Tourism
Popular activities include skiing, playing or watching hockey, ice fishing and some of the popular summer fun such as horseback riding and mountain climbing.
Permits
Permits are needed to drive a vehicle and park it within the park. A back country fee to hike and camp is needed and charged per night. Annual wilderness passes, good for unlimited nights in the back country, also are available. These permits are valid for the combined park system of Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay.
About the Author:
Mike Virgintino began as a broadcast journalist and has been a marketing communications executive for more than 25 years. A graduate of Fordham University in New York, Virgintino has directed corporate, nonprofit and product branding initiatives for many leading companies and nonprofits. His articles have been published in a variety of trade magazines and American history publications such as Civil War News.
Photo Credits:
FreeFoto.com
