On this day: Canada’s First National Park

Monday, 23rd June 2014 by

On June 23, 1887, Canada created it's first national park in Banff, Alberta. While a small reserve had been created a couple of years earlier, a new act of Parliament established what was then called the Rocky Mountains Park, intended to protect a large area of pristine wilderness with mountains, lakes and glaciers. From the very start there was conflict between the needs of conservation, and commercial interests looking to promote skiing, resort hotels and hot springs.  Seen here, the spectacular Moraine Lake.

Banff National Park

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Ian Brown lives in Ottawa, Canada, and spends his spare time perusing maps to find new routes to ride on his orange bicycle.