Park History of Banff National Park

Throughout the history of Banff National Park, it can be divided into two stages: nature protection and tourism development. 1885, due to the dispute between the hot spring discoverer and the commercial development right, the park was established. Canadian Prime Minister John Alexander Macdonald established this hot spring as a small protected area, which was later expanded to include Lake Louise and the Colombian ice sheet in the north.

Establish Rocky Mountain Park

In 1885, the area of 26 square kilometers around the national historical site of caves and basins [8] was designated as a public park. "Loki Mountain Park Law" was promulgated on June 23rd, 1887, and the park was expanded to 674 square kilometers and named "Loki Mountain Park". This is the first national park in Canada and the second national park in North America, second only to Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Canada Pacific Railway Group built Banff Hot Springs Hotel and Lake Louis Castle Hotel to attract tourists and increase the railway attendance rate.

Previously, Banff was very popular with wealthy tourists in Europe. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean by ocean liner to Canada, and then continued westward by train. There are also many tourists in American upper class. Some tourists hire local guides to take part in mountaineering activities. Arthur Oliver Wheeler and Elizabeth Parker set up the Canadian Alpine Club in 1906 to organize mountaineering and camping activities in remote areas.

Canadian Pacific Railway advertising brochure, with the scenery of Assiniboine Mountain and Banff as the background (about1917)191year, you can drive from Calgary to Banff. 19 16 A tourist bus to Banff was also opened at the beginning of this year. 1920, road to Lake Louis completed, 1923, road from Banff to British Columbia completed.

In 1902, the park area was expanded to 1 1.400 square kilometers, and the surrounding areas of Lake Louis, Gonghe River, Reid River, Kananaskis River and spree river were added. Due to grazing and logging, in 19 1 1, the park area has shrunk to 4663 square kilometers, and many hilly areas no longer belong to the park. After that, the park boundary was changed several times until 1930. With the passage of Canada's National Parks Act, the park area has been set at 6,697 square kilometers. At the same time, the decree changed the name of the park to "Banff National Park". The name comes from the name of the Pacific Railway Station in Canada, and the name of the station comes from Banff County in Scotland. 1933, the new east gate of the park was completed, and the area of 0.84 square kilometers in Alberta was also included in the park. 1949, the boundary of the park changed slightly, and the area was changed to 664 1 km2.

coal mining

1887, the local indigenous people signed agreement no 7, which enabled Canada to develop the resources in this area. At the beginning of the 20th century, the coal mine near Banfuming Wanka Lake was excavated. Bankhead Coal Mine in Cascade Mountain is operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Company from 1903 to 1922. 1926, the town was abandoned and many buildings were moved to Banff and other places.

Prisons and concentration camps

During World War I, immigrants from Austria, Hungary, Germany and Ukraine were sent to work in Banff concentration camp. The largest concentration camp is located in Castle Hill, which is moved to caves and basins in winter. Many early infrastructures and roads were built by workers in Ukrainian concentration camps in Canada.

Castle Hill Concentration Camp (1915)1931During the Great Depression, the Canadian government provided public construction projects in national parks. Workers built new baths and swimming pools in Banff's hot springs as a supplement to caves and pools. Other projects include roads in the park, construction around Banff town, and expressway from Jasper to Banff. 1934 passed the law on public construction projects, providing follow-up funds for public construction projects. New projects include the reconstruction of the east gate of Banff and the construction of the office of the management organization of Banff Town. 1940 Icefield Highway reaches Columbia Icefield Area in Banff, connecting Banff and Jasper.

During World War II, concentration camps were established again in Banff, as well as in Lake Louise, Storni Creek and Healy Creek. The prisoners in the prison are mainly Mennonites in Saskatchewan. During World War II, the Japanese concentration camp in Canada was not in Banff, but in Jasper National Park, where hesitant prisoners built projects such as the Yellow Head expressway.

Winter tourism

Banff's winter tourism began in February of 19 17, and the first Banff Winter Carnival was also held at that time. The carnival features a large ice palace, which was built by prisoners in 19 17. Carnival activities include cross-country skiing, platform skiing, curling, snowshoeing and skiing games. In the 1930 s, the first downhill ski trail was built in the village of Sanshan. Nuokui Mountain Resort was also developed in 1930s, and 1948 completed the first cable car there.

The Beauty of Lake Peto in Banff National Park1960s, the Trans-Canada Highway was completed, which provided another highway crossing the Republic Valley besides the original Republic Valley Highway. It was also during this period that Calgary International Airport was completed. In the1970s, Banff National Park was opened to the public all year round with the opening of Banff Hot Spring Hotel in winter.

Canada has repeatedly applied for Banff National Park as the venue of the Winter Olympics. The first time was 1964 Winter Olympics and lost to Innsbruck, Austria. Soon, 1968 Winter Olympics lost to Grenoble, France. 1972 Winter Olympics, Banff participated again, and the environmental protection organization was sponsored by Imperial Oil Company of Canada, which strongly opposed the holding of the Olympic Games locally, making this application the most controversial. Jean chretien, then director of the Canadian Parks Authority, was forced to stop supporting the application, and finally Sapporo won the right to host the Olympic Games.

1988 The right to host the Winter Olympics was awarded to Calgary, Canada, and the cross-country skiing competition was held in Camorotic Central Provincial Park, just outside the east gate of Banff National Park.

environmental protection

Since the promulgation of the original Rocky Mountain Park Law, subsequent laws and systems have strengthened environmental protection. The National Parks Act of Canada was revised in 1988, and the protection of ecological integrity was put in the first place. At the same time, the law requires each park to make a management plan with public participation.

1984, Banff National Park, as a part of "Canadian Rocky Mountain Nature Park Group", declared UNESCO World Heritage with other Canadian Rocky Mountain national and provincial parks, including mountains, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons, limestone caves and fossils found. Successful application for the World Heritage also increases the obligation to protect the park.

During the1980s, the Canadian Parks Authority privatized many park facilities, such as golf courses, and increased the cost of using other facilities to cut the budget. /kloc-in the 1990s, Banff Town was established, and local residents had more say in development proposals.

During the period of 1990s, the development plan of the park included the expansion of Sanshawn village, and the Canadian Institute of Parks and Landscape Architecture (CPAWS) sued. 1In the mid-1990s, the Banff Gonghe Valley Research Institute was established to better handle the affairs related to the environment and park development.