Banff: Canada's First National Park

by Eleanor Luxton

In this Banff history book, Eleanor Luxton, the native daughter of one of Banff’s pioneers, presents us with a labour of love – a comprehensive history of Banff National Park from its geological birth, through its exploration and settlement, to its growth as Canada’s first National Park.

This story of Rocky Mountains Park is a sensitive portrayal of the natural and human history of the Banff area, weaving together the romantic adventure of the earliest exploration and settlement with the realities of World Wars, depressions, and government influences. It will most surely command rapt attention from both the casual reader and the historian.

Publisher's note: Written in 1975 as an historical account and reprinted in 2008, Banff: Canada’s First National Park has itself become a piece of the park’s history. Respecting this significance, we have strived to replicate the original book by re-creating the original cover, leaving the text as it appeared in 1975 (complete with references to places that no longer exist, such as the Buffalo Paddock), and including photographs from Luxton’s private collection.

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Elijah Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Nature is the constant reality for those who live in the mountains. The mountains with their many moods draw our eyes to their majesty; the forests show us life being renewed even after devastating fires. Most of us have laughed at the antics of wild animals. We have been made happy or sad at some of the things nature has done to us, but we would not give any part of it.”


“In this beautiful valley where the towering peaks, with their glaciers, feel the gentle Chinook or the frigid wind of winter, the lakes reflect the fiery glory of sunrise or the amethyst of sunset. Here the Cascade, tossing rainbows into the air, drops thousands of feet, to disappears mysteriously to seek the subterranean channel to the river. The black bear and the coyote still prowl at night, but in the day, the deer and the Bighorn walk majestically.
Despite the continuous tearing and breaking by the elements, and the flash of lightning and the forest fire, this valley will be here for generations to come. We have modified it for our use, but we, the people of Canada and our Federal Government must be come aware – and must learn to value beauty. Only cataclysmic change wrought by man or nature could end it all. Only then would the store be ended and all would be one.”

[B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Outdated