Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta grew out of a small reserve around hot springs near the Canadian Pacific Railway line. Railway workers came across the springs in 1883, and the federal government set aside the area as a protected reserve in 1885. Two years later it was enlarged and became Rocky Mountains Park, the first national park in Canada and one of the oldest in the world. The railway company promoted the area as a tourist destination, building grand hotels and attracting visitors from across the world. Today the park protects mountains, glaciers and wildlife, and it forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks.
Before and after
- 11 October 1885Birth of François Mauriac
- 30 October 1885Birth of Ezra Pound
- from 17 November 1885 to 19 November 1885Battle of Slivnitsa
- 21 November 1885Founding of Southampton F.C.
- 25 November 1885Establishment of Banff National Park
- 28 November 1885Serbo-Bulgarian War
- 1886Identification of Hirschsprung's disease
- from 1886 to 1905Rise of Post-impressionism
- 1886Discovery of dysprosium
More in Earth & climate
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.