Learn about Haida culture and Jasper’s historic work of art.

Tweet By Jeff Waugh As soon as the First World War was over the idea for a Yellowhead Highway came to light. Fred Driscoll, one of the railway surveyors, suggested that the abandoned railway grade would make a firm foundation for a highway. Charles Grant, President of the Edmonton Automobile and Good Roads Association, and […]

Tweet Early Climbers, Tourists and Settlements Historical photos © Byron Harmon, courtesy of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies By Jeff Waugh Along with the surveyors and pack trains came men that knew how to handle the horses. Many of these, greatly impressed with the beauty of the area, decided ton stay and make […]

Tweet By Jeff Waugh In 1865, Dr. John Rae, sponsored by the Hudson’s Bay Company, the Imperial and Canadian governments, and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, made a trip through Yellowhead Pass. He surveyed the pass for the possibility of a railway, wagon road and telegraph line going through to connect the new colonies in […]

Tweet By Jeff Waugh Dr. Cheadle and Lord Milton began their journey in their native England, landed in Quebec in July of 1862, and travelled overland by stagecoaches through American territory to Fort Garry (Winnipeg). Only two days after their passage through Sioux territory the very same stagecoach they had travelled on was attacked and […]

Tweet By Jeff Waugh It wasn’t until the early 1860’s that the Yellowhead Pass again began to be frequently utilised. In the Fall of 1861 H.J. Moberly quit his post as H.B.C. Factor at Jasper and made his way (to Ft. George) through the Yellowhead with the aid of a young Iroquois guide. In 1862, […]

Tweet By Jeff Waugh Competition between the Northwest Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company increased as the H.B.C. pushed further and further into the trading territory previously held by the Northwest Company. In February of 1819 John Clarke, of the H.B.C.’s St. Mary’s post on the Smoky-Peace River confluence, chose Jose Gaubin to lead an […]

Tweet By Jeff Waugh Yuh-hai-has-kun or the Mountain of the Spiral Road (referring to the many layered appearance) was the name bestowed upon Mt. Robson by the Texqakallt, the earliest known inhabitants of the upper reaches of the Fraser River. These Shuswap Indians of the Upper North Thompson Band were almost completely nomadic. They dressed […]

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Tweet In 1811, fur trader David Thompson of the North West Company of the British Empire crossed Athabasca Pass to return to Henry House, a shelter his men had built that spring opposite the present site of the town of Jasper. In so doing, he established the primary trade route through the Canadian Rockies for […]