Creation of the Dominion Parks Branch National Historic Event
Banff National Park, Alberta
View of Lake Louise
(© Parks Canada / Parcs Canada, n.d.)
Address :
Banff, Banff National Park, Alberta
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2011-05-17
Dates:
-
1911 to 1930
(Significant)
Event, Person, Organization:
-
Signing of the National Parks Act - 1930
(Event)
-
James Bernard Harkin
(Person)
Other Name(s):
-
Creation of the Dominion Parks Branch
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2011-014
Importance:
First national parks service established in the world
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Cascade of Time Garden on the grounds of the Parks Canada Banff Administration Building Banff, Alberta
In 1911, Canada established the first national parks service in the world. What began as a cluster of parks in the Rocky Mountains gradually became a national system, fostering tourism and economic growth while upholding conservation ideals. In 1914, the definition of a “Dominion Park” was expanded to include significant historic places, laying the groundwork for a modern system of iconic national parks and national historic sites, which welcome millions of visitors annually, and initiating a tradition of national and international leadership in the management of protected places that continues to this day.