ON THIS DAY

November 25, 1885

Canada established its first national park, Banff. Initially created

as the 26 square kilometre Hot Springs Reserve, and now more than 6,600 square kilometres,

the park sees about four million visitors each year. Close to

9,000 people live in the town of Banff, the first municipality located in a Canadian national park. The park is located in the traditional territory of the Kootenay, Stoney, Blood, Peigan, Siksika and Tsuu T’ina First Nations peoples. These groups hunted

game such as sheep, goats, moose, deer and elk found in the Rocky Mountains. With the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877, the

Canadian government extinguished First Nations’ title to this land and sought to force these

groups onto reserves.