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Quiz
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The
Parks / British
Columbia / Kootenay
National Park
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Archaeological evidence from almost
1000 prehistoric sites, notably ancient rock
carvings at Radium Hot Springs, suggests that
the park’s passes served as essential routes
for Plains and Coastal natives for at least
11 000 years. The Kootenay, Shushwap, Sarcee,
Stoney and Peigan Indians made these mountains
their home. The park probably took its name,
which means ‘places of hot waters’
from the early tribe.
Explorers, fur traders and prospectors
arrived in the 1700’s and 1800’s,
relying on native guides to show them the routes
through the passes. In 1910, British Columbia
agreed to surrender to the Canadian government
around 7 kilometres of land on either side of
a newly begun highway linking Banff to Windemere,
British Columbia in exchange for the funds to
finance it. Ten years later that land became
Kootenay National Park - Canada’s first
highway park.
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