A Zoo in Banff?
Between 1904 and 1937, Banff Central Park was home to a world-renowned zoo.
Visitors could see locally captured wildlife, such as bears and cougars, as well as birds and animals foreign to the Park, like 'Buddy' . . . — — Map (db m294229) HM
On Railway Avenue at Lynx Street on Railway Avenue.
Banff's first train station was actually located 1.5km east along the line from here. By 1888 it was deemed to be too far from the hot springs and a new log station was built at the site of today's station.
This new location for the train . . . — — Map (db m197062) HM
On Banff Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Opened in 1895, the Banff Park Museum was moved into this building in 1903. Its cross-log motif exemplifies an architectural style common in the town at the time. Norman Bethune Sanson, the museum’s curator from 1896 to 1932, . . . — — Map (db m8836) HM
On Spray Avenue 0.5 kilometers south of Rundle Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
Banff Springs Hotel
This hotel is among the largest and most renowned of the fashionable resort hotels established along railway and steamship routes in Canada during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Constructed by the . . . — — Map (db m100084) HM
Born in Ceylon and educated in Scotland and Germany, Gibbon studied painting before turning to journalism. As publicity agent for the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1913 to 1945 he combined advertising with the promotion of a Canadian identity, . . . — — Map (db m108632) HM
The Man Behind the Collection
Norman Bethune Sanson was the museum's curator as well as Banff's meteorologist for more than 30 years. He energetically expanded the museum's original collection, gathering unique flora and fauna . . . — — Map (db m294230) HM
Located at the top of Sulfur Mountain, the cosmic ray station was completed by the National Research Council in 1956, in preparation for International Geophysical Year (1957–1958) an undertaking involving 66 countries and a dozen scientific . . . — — Map (db m109422) HM
Near Cave Avenue 1.4 kilometers west of Banff Avenue.
The Cave and Basin Springs were brought to public attention after being located by CPR construction workers in 1883. These and the Upper Hot Springs soon drew private entrepreneurs and tourists. Growing support for public ownership prompted the . . . — — Map (db m108877) HM
On Tunnel Mountain Road, on the right when traveling east.
Tunnel Mountain - What’s in a name?
The original survey for the railroad provided for a tunnel through this small mountain which appeared to obstruct the Bow Valley. A subsequent survey rerouted the railroad to the north, thus the . . . — — Map (db m293643) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 4.3 kilometers west of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the right when traveling west.
End of the Road On the night of July 14, 1915 sixty prisoners were marshalled off a Canadian Pacific train just west of here and escorted to a barbed wire compound at the end of the unfinished Banff–Laggan (now Lake Louise) road. So . . . — — Map (db m109003) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Alberta Route 1A) 4.3 kilometers west of Banff-Windermere Highway ( Route 93), on the right when traveling west.
During Canada’s first national internment operations in World War One, thousands of immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the majority of Ukrainian origin, some citizens of Canada, were imprisoned as “enemy aliens”. Internment operations . . . — — Map (db m8827) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 4.3 kilometers west of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the right when traveling west.
The conditions here are very poor, so that we cannot go on much longer. We are not getting enough to eat — we are hungry as dogs. Censored letter, Prisoner N. Olynik, Castle Internment Camp, 28 October, 1915 First . . . — — Map (db m312498) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 2.4 kilometers west of Banff Windermere Parkway, on the right when traveling east.
ENGLISH INSCRIPTION
Mountains create their own weather
As winds swirl around and rise above these massive barriers, clouds build up and bring the rain and snowstorms for which Storm Mountain was named.
Travellers . . . — — Map (db m82917)
On Lake Louise Drive just north of Sentinel Road. Reported missing.
Erected in honor of Sir James Hector K. C. M. C. Geologist and explorer to the Palliser Expedition of 1857 - 1860 by his friends in Canada, the United States & England. One of the earliest scientists to explore the Canadian Rocky Mountains. He . . . — — Map (db m70443) HM
Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks
World Heritage Site
The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks were designated a site of outstanding universal value and placed on the World Heritage List on October 30, 1984.
Among the attributes that . . . — — Map (db m285692) HM
This renowned hotel had its origins in a simple log chalet built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1890. Early guests, including some pioneers of mountaineering in the northern Rockies, followed a packhorse trail from the station below. The advent . . . — — Map (db m109415) HM
Near Lake Louise Drive just north of Sentinel Road. Reported missing.
Prior to 1913 the Alberta-British Columbia boundary was defined by the divide or watershed of the Rocky Mountains. The discovery of valuable coal deposits and the availability of marketable timber and the incursion of railroads and roads required a . . . — — Map (db m70445) HM
Imagine arriving here in the 1880s…the smell of pine forest, the sound of avalanches from the mountains above, and the wonder of vast unexplored country ahead. Today, the ice-capped peaks, hidden valleys and turquoise lakes are as spectacular as . . . — — Map (db m100116) HM
Near Old National Highway 1A 3.2 kilometers east of Lake O'Hara parking lot, on the left when traveling east.
How many creeks do you know of that split, with each fork reaching a separate ocean, 4500 km apart. Here, Divide Creek forks on the boundary between Pacific and Atlantic watersheds, commonly called the Great Divide. Water in the left . . . — — Map (db m177899) HM
Rumbles of Excitement
Joyful arrivals, tearful departures, trains and telegrams coming and going. This Heritage Railway station was once a hub for locals and visitors alike.
The Station was built in 1910 by Canadian Pacific Railway to . . . — — Map (db m252885) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 11.3 kilometers east of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the right when traveling east.
[English] The Bow Valley — Life flows through it The first car arrived in Banff in 1904 - on the railway tracks. The only other roads at the time were for horse-drawn carriages. But soon "motoring" became . . . — — Map (db m212533) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 11.3 kilometers east of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the right when traveling east.
[English] 10,000 Years Ago ... The First Campers Small family groups travelled through these mountains and camped in this valley, gathering plant foods and hunting the sheep and giant bison that lived here . . . — — Map (db m312699) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 9 kilometers east of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the right when traveling east.
Within Still Waters... Pilot Pond fills a dip in the rolling terrain of the Hillsdale Slide — a massive jumble of rock and gravel that slumped from nearby slopes as the last glaciers retreated from the Bow Valley. Due to its isolation . . . — — Map (db m313451) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 12.6 kilometers east of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the left when traveling east.
[English] Pieces of a Puzzle Aspen, Elk and Wolves Like the aspen trees in front of you, elk have been part of this landscape for thousands of years. Their numbers, though, have varied over time. 1918 . . . — — Map (db m312695) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 12.6 kilometers east of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the left when traveling east.
[English] How the Pieces Fit Together 1940 — 1960s: Boom and Bust Elk flourished in the Bow Valley. There were so many that the aspen trees and other plants began to suffer, as did moose and deer who . . . — — Map (db m313351) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 16 kilometers east of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the left when traveling east.
[English] Picture a Patchwork Quilt Healthy Rocky Mountain landscapes include meadows and patches of old, middle-aged, and young forests. Several decades of putting out fires has left much of this valley more like . . . — — Map (db m312696) HM
On Bow Valley Parkway (Provincial Highway 1A) 16 kilometers east of Banff-Windermere Highway (Provincial Highway 93), on the left when traveling east.
[English] Prescription for a Forest Park wardens use fire to restore ecosystems and reduce the chances of severe, damaging wildfires. Before a prescribed burn is ignited, as this one was in 1993, a stringent . . . — — Map (db m312697) HM
Coal mining in Canmore offered rare high quality coal and extremely dangerous mining conditions.
Anthracite coal, as found in Canmore, accounts for only one percent of the coal in the world. It is renowned for its purity and the heat it . . . — — Map (db m250743) HM
On Spur Line Trail at Higashikawa Friendship Trail, on the right when traveling west on Spur Line Trail.
In 1884 Canmore was just a whistle-stop on the newly built Canadian Pacific Railway when two prospectors unearthed black coal on the west side of the Bow River. Two years later, Queen Victoria granted a Charter to mine coal in the Canmore area . . . — — Map (db m197082) HM
On 1 Avenue at 1st Street, on the right when traveling west on 1 Avenue.
As a gateway to a major pass through the Rocky Mountains, the Bow Valley has been a transportation corridor since the time of the early Aboriginal groups, explorers, and fur traders. The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883 and the . . . — — Map (db m203491) HM
Near Connaught Drive just north of Aspen Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
‘Unknown’ Lands Imagine making your way through these mountains before there were trails, rails or roads. That is just what geologist Dr. James Hector of the Palliser Expedition did in 1859. He and three colleagues were on a . . . — — Map (db m312387) HM
On Connaught Drive just north of Miette Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
A Lasting Legacy“My grandfather’s blood still runs here.” Emil Moberly Elder of the Upper Athabasca Valley Elders Council Long ago protecting nature by banishing human “intrusions” must have seemed like a simple solution. Now we . . . — — Map (db m312396) HM
A Piece of Jasper's History
This rustic shelter was built in 1933 by workers involved in a federal relief project during the Great Depression. Since that time, the building has served generations of visitors and residents . . . — — Map (db m294220) HM
Near Connaught Drive just north of Pyramid Lake Road, on the right when traveling north.
First People Stone tools like these were found in the Athabasca Valley — the wide glacially-carved valley you are standing in. They are nearly 10,000 years old, suggesting that humans have been in these mountains since the last . . . — — Map (db m312395) HM
On Connaught Drive (Alternate Provincial Highway 16A) 0.4 kilometers north of Hazel Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
Strolling down the aisle, a conductor announces your destination. With steely squeals and a pish-sh-sh-sh of pent up steam, the locomotive glides to a halt. Descending the coach's stairs you step through the mist and arrive at Jasper Station. . . . — — Map (db m108634) HM
On Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16) 1 kilometer north of Hazel Avenue (Provincial Highway 93A), on the right when traveling north.
[English] Built by William Henry of the North West Company in 1811 to support David Thompson's exploration of the Athabasca Pass, Henry House stood at the head of navigation on the Athabasca River. When the pass became the principal . . . — — Map (db m202599) HM
On Geikie Street at Pyramid Lake Road, on the left when traveling north on Geikie Street.
1914 — 1918S. W. Edwards • Ed. Montgomery • F. McLeod • Alec. McQueen • T. Nevitt • John Symes 1939 — 1945Raymond G. Brasnett • Franklin N. Bryant • John Buckham • Karl Christensen • Alden P. Cottam • Robert F. Gourlay • Bruce Harrison • . . . — — Map (db m312496) WM
On Geikie Street at Pyramid Lake Road, on the left when traveling north on Geikie Street.
Those who made the ultimate sacrifice at the Canoe River Disaster enroute to the Korean War We celebrate the sacrifice of 17 members of the 2nd RCHA and 4 CNR crew. We will remember them Dedicated by the Jasper Korean Community Korea . . . — — Map (db m312497) HM WM
On Connaught Drive (Provincial Highway 16A) just north of Miette Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
[English] This building is one of the finest and most influential examples of rustic architecture in Canada’s national parks. Designed by A.M. Calderon and completed in 1914, it introduced a building tradition based on the use of local . . . — — Map (db m197059) HM
On Elm Avenue at Geikie Street, on the left when traveling east on Elm Avenue.
[English] Jasper School District No. 3063 was established on November 22, 1913, when Jasper was a tent town. In 1914 the first class was taught in an abandoned railway construction shack, which was succeeded by a . . . — — Map (db m311997) HM
On Connaught Drive just north of Miette Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
A Jasper Landmark For 94 years, a magnificent Haida totem pole stood proudly near Jasper's railway station. It was an important Jasper landmark and a colourful reminder of the community's early railway history. Born in the Mists of . . . — — Map (db m312367) HM
On Pyramid Lake Road at Geikie Street, on the right when traveling east on Pyramid Lake Road.
In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, democracy and peace. Dedicated by the members of the Han and Gil family. — — Map (db m312495) WM
On Connaught Drive just north of Miette Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
Memories of Home Most people today think of Jasper National Park as a nature preserve and tourist playground. But for some people, it holds memories of home. They have historical ties to Jasper House fur trade post, where traders met . . . — — Map (db m312397) HM
On Connaught Drive just north of Miette Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
[English] Parks Canada wishes to acknowledge THE FRIENDS OF JASPER NATIONAL PARK ASSOCIATION for the restoration work on this recognized Federal Heritage Building. Built in 1949, it served until 1972 as Jasper . . . — — Map (db m312322) HM
On Connaught Drive just north of Hazel Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
Railway Ties Forty years after surveyors mapped a route west over Yellowhead Pass, ribbons of steel finally traversed this valley and a town was born. Since 1911, the railway has flavoured our community's spirit, lending a unique . . . — — Map (db m312398) HM
On Connaught Drive just north of Miette Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
“We remember our grandfathers telling us, at the time that they were sent out they were told, ‘the next place where you settle you will not be bothered!’” Upper Athabasca Valley Elders Council The First Homesteaders When Jasper . . . — — Map (db m312399) HM
On Elm Avenue at Robson Street, on the right when traveling east on Elm Avenue.
The first recorded patrol was made into this valley on the 3rd August 1893 by Insp. A. E. Snyder of the North West mounted police and was followed, in 1903 by Cst. M. Bailey who remained in the area for about one month. It was not until 1913 that a . . . — — Map (db m312357) HM
On Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16) 4.2 kilometers north of Maligne Lake Road, on the right when traveling north.
[English] In 1862, the Overlanders, numbering about 250, left their homes in Canada for the Cariboo gold fields. They journeyed via Fort Garry and Edmonton, and thence, guided by Indians to the mountains and westward by the . . . — — Map (db m203692) HM
On Connaught Drive just north of Miette Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
Cedar Storytellers When Jasper's Raven Totem Pole was repatriated to Haida Gwaii, a new totem pole was commissioned by Parks Canada to take its place. The 12 metre tall, Two Brothers Totem Pole was carved in Haida Gwaii. It tells a . . . — — Map (db m312376) HM
On Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16) 8 kilometers south of Miette Road (Range Road 275A), on the right when traveling south.
[English] In 1813, the North West Company built Rocky Mountain House on Brûlé Lake as a provision depot for brigades crossing the Athabasca Pass to the Pacific. When Jasper Hawes took command of the post in 1817 it became known as . . . — — Map (db m203680) HM
Near Icefields Parkway (Provincial Highway 93) 50 kilometers north of David Thompson Highway (Provincial Highway 11).
A preeminent topographical surveyor, Wheeler represented British Columbia on the commission which located and marked the boundary with Alberta between 1913 and 1925. His party surveyed and mapped the 1000 km-long mountain section, using photographs . . . — — Map (db m108876) HM
On Icefields Parkway (Provincial Highway 93) 24 kilometers south of Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16), on the right when traveling south.
[English] Athabasca Pass played an important role in the fur trade and the early development of Canada. It is one of a family of national historic sites across the country. The Government of Canada designates . . . — — Map (db m312586) HM
On Icefields Parkway (Provincial Highway 93) 24 kilometers south of Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16), on the right when traveling south.
[English] Born in London, Thompson served both the Hudson's Bay Company (1784-1797) and the North West Company (1797-1815) as trader, explorer and surveyor. One of the world’s great geographers, he accurately mapped . . . — — Map (db m203686) HM
On Icefields Parkway (Provincial Highway 93) 24 kilometers south of Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16), on the right when traveling south.
[English] From humble beginnings as a fur trade clerk, David Thompson became the greatest land geographer of all time. From 1792 to 1812, Thompson travelled over 90,000 km by canoe, dog sled, horse and snowshoe and . . . — — Map (db m312592) HM
On Icefields Parkway (Provincial Highway 93) 24 kilometers south of Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16), on the right when traveling south.
[English] By 1810 the race was on between rival companies to establish a fur trading post at the mouth of the Columbia River on the Pacific coast. The North West Company sent their best man, David Thompson, to . . . — — Map (db m312602) HM
On Icefields Parkway (Provincial Highway 93) 24 kilometers south of Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16), on the right when traveling south.
[English] During the early 19th century scientists, artists, missionaries, and even spies hitched a ride in the fur trade brigade canoes crossing the continent. These gentlemen passed through the valley in front of . . . — — Map (db m312692) HM
On 1 Avenue at 1st Street, on the right when traveling west on 1 Avenue.
This is a story about the history of this place from the Îyârhe [ee-YAH-hhay]. Îyârhe means “mountain people.” We are a branch of the Sioux/Dakota/Lakota/Nakoda people, who are now called the Stoney Nakoda Nation. When our grandfathers were . . . — — Map (db m203570) HM
Near Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
In 1875 the Morleyville church was constructed entirely by hand from logs from surrounding timber. John McDougall, his father, his son and schoolmaster Andrew Sibbald labored to construct the church measuring 47' X 26' 7" wide and 21' 8" high. . . . — — Map (db m214299) HM
Near Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
Chief Crowchild of the Tsuu T'ina people donated this cabin to be used by a caretaker for the church. The cabin was originally an Indian Agent's cabin on the Tsuu T'ina (Sarcee) Reserve west of Calgary. Workers dismantled it to be transported . . . — — Map (db m214301) HM
Near Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
Robert Rundle introduced the Stoney people to Christian worship during his visit in 1842. Rundle promised to send missionaries to stay with the Stoney people. In 1873, Rev. George McDougall and his wife Elizabeth, along with sons John and . . . — — Map (db m214298) HM
On Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
[north tablet]To the Glory of God and in memory of Rev. George Millward McDougall and Rev. John Chantler McDougall, D.D. father and son and their devoted wives. Combined ministry 77 years. Pioneer missionaries of the . . . — — Map (db m214297) HM
On Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
The historic church at the end of this pathway was constructed in 1875. At that time native people were still hunting bison on the prairies. The young nation of Canada was only eight years old; the Canadian Pacific Railway still nine years in . . . — — Map (db m214300) HM
Near Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
After it closed in 1921, the church was neglected until the early 1950s when a group of volunteers began restoration. A group of men from the United Church formed the Morley Church Restoration Society and began fund-raising to restore the . . . — — Map (db m214296) HM
Near Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
Sacred to the memory of Rev. George MacDougall aged 54 years ——————————— The deceased was for 16 years Chairman of the Wesleyan Missions in the North-West. He lost his way on the prairie about 40 miles east of this place on January 24th . . . — — Map (db m214291) HM
Near Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
Rev. George McDougall dedicated his life to frontier mission work. As a young man, George became interested in religion and while attending one of his first revival meetings he met a young Quaker girl, Elizabeth Chantler. They were married in . . . — — Map (db m214278) HM
Near Bow Valley Trail (Provincial Highway 1A) 1.6 kilometers east of Morley Road (Provincial Highway 133X), on the right when traveling east.
The name "Stoney" is an English translation of their Assiniboine name which means "the people who cook with stones." The Stoney people are a branch of the Siouan Confederacy. They were comparative latecomers to the area and many of the local place . . . — — Map (db m214276) HM
On Yellowhead Highway (Provincial Highway 16) 16.3 kilometers west of Provincial Highway 40, on the right when traveling west.
In the early 1800s both the North West and Hudson's Bay companies recruited men from Iroquois settlements around Montreal, Quebec, and Cornwall, Ontario, to work as canoemen, hunters and trappers. Their skills in these occupations gave them an . . . — — Map (db m203626) HM
