This story was included a supplement published in the Aug. 3 issue of the Revelstoke Times Review celebrating Glacier National Park's 125th anniversary.
Come Celebrate Glacier National Park’s 125th Anniversary
This is the year to celebrate parks! We invite you to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Glacier and Yoho national parks, Canada’s second and third national parks – and the first in British Columbia. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of our organization. Originally referred to as the Dominion Parks Branch, today, Parks Canada is recognized as a leader in conservation and education, and provides inspiring visitor experiences in some of the most magnificent and significant places on the planet. We’d also like to congratulate BC Parks on the 100th anniversary of Strathcona, British Columbia’s first provincial park.
Close connection with nature has always been a hallmark of the human experience here in the Columbia Mountains. First Nations people have lived and travelled along the mighty Columbia River for millennia. Amidst soaring peaks, glaciers and ancient rainforests, the last mountain barrier of western Canada was unlocked when Major Albert Bowman Rogers discovered the pass that bears his name. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885 fulfilled the national dream – a railway connecting Canada from coast to coast.
Today, you can experience Major Rogers’ route for yourself. Mount Revelstoke, Glacier and Rogers Pass inspire discovery on every scale – from sweeping mountain vistas to the seedling growing on a fallen nursery log, from a stonemason’s initials carved in rock to a century-old stone railway pillar, from the curiosity in a child’s eyes at a campfire to a climber’s shout of exhilaration from the summit of Mount Sir Donald. Even a drive through this Columbia Mountains wilderness is a memorable experience, passing through the lush green forests of summer or the towering piles of snow in winter. Glacier, Mount Revelstoke and Rogers Pass are part of an exciting and historic cultural landscape that stretches from Kicking Horse Pass on the British Columbia/Alberta boundary to the site of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Last Spike at Craigellachie.
The scenery has changed little in the parks over the past century, yet much has changed in the way that people interact with these exceptional places. Dedicated staff and volunteers are engaged in a spirit of conservation and stewardship – reconnecting fragmented landscapes and protecting extraordinary wetland fens, old-growth rainforest, fragile alpine ecosystems and species at risk like grizzly bears and Coeur d’Alene salamanders. You can participate as well – through our new citizen science and youth leadership programs.
We’re planning several family-friendly events over the next several months – come celebrate! Check our website for the most up-to-date information (www.pc.gc.ca/glacier). We hope that you will visit these special places this year and inspire a sense of personal connection and affection for parks and historic sites. Please have a safe and memorable visit.
Karen Tierney
Superintendent
Glacier and Mount Revelstoke National Parks of Canada
Rogers Pass National Historic Site of Canada