Today, in spite of its highways and railroad, Jasper National Park looks very much like it did when David Thompson, Canada's great fur-trade-era explorer first saw it.
The region has seen many changes in the last two centuries—from sporadic visits by Aboriginal peoples to more than 3 million visitors a year. Following is a brief account of the history of Jasper National Park:
| 1810 |
David Thompson, surveyor, makes first recorded visit to Athabasca Valley. |
| 1813 |
North West Company builds supply depot on Brule Lake, which becomes
known as Jasper House after clerk Jasper Hawes. |
| 1820 |
Iroquois trader, Pierre Bostonnais, guides Hudson's Bay Company
through northern Rockies. His light-coloured hair results in
nickname "Tete Jaune" or "Yellowhead." |
| 1845 |
Father P. J. deSmet, Jesuit missionary, records the name "La riviere
maligne," or "wicked river", now known as Maligne River. |
| 1859 |
The Earl of Southesk, first recorded "tourist", visits what is now
Jasper National Park. |
| 1862 |
The Overlanders, 115 intrepid adventurers, suffer many hardships on
their journey through Yellowhead Pass to seek fortunes in B.C.
goldfields. |
| 1884 |
Jasper House abandoned as fur trade declines. |
| 1897 |
A. E. Snyder, of the North West Mounted Police, makes first patrol
from Edmonton. |
| 1898 |
Columbia Icefield discovered. |
| 1907 |
Dominion Government establishes Jasper Forest Park, setting aside an
area of 13,000 km. |
| 1908 |
Mary Schaffer, widow from Pennsylvania, follows Stoney Indian trails
to discover Maligne Lake. |
| 1910 |
Payments made to settlers forced to leave Athabasca Valley due to
formation of Park—with exception of Lewis Swift. |
| 1911 |
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway reaches Fitzhugh (Jasper) Station. |
| 1911 |
Interprovincial Boundary Survey started by A. O. Wheeler, takes 14
years to complete. In process many geographical places named. |
| 1913 |
Present townsite Information Centre is built as the park
superintendent's residence. |
| 1914 |
First school opens in Jasper. |
| 1915 |
Tent City built at Lac Beauvert during railway construction,
eventually becomes Jasper Park Lodge. |
| 1916 |
Mount Edith Cavell is named to honour heroic British nurse executed
during the First World War for assisting prisoners of war to escape
German-occupied Belgium. |
| 1925 |
First Ascent of Mount Alberta by Japanese Mountaineers. |
| 1928 |
The Jasper-Edmonton road opens. |
| 1930 |
Jasper officially established as a national park.3 |
Heritage Community Foundation Presents
