Banff > Useful Information > History

Banff History

The first visitors to Banff were the native people of Canada, with archeological records from 11,000 BC. Crees, Kootenays and Plains Blackfoot lived, hunted and fished in the region.
In 1800, David Thompson and Duncan McGillvray explored the Bow Valley, documenting & mapping out a large part of western Canada.
Much of Banff as it is today is a result of the Canadian Pacific Railway and discovery of the hot springs at Sulphur Mountain.

Timeline:
1883 - Major "Hells Bells" Rogers found a way across the Rockies, and in 1883 the Canadian Pacific Railway was built through Siding 29, now known as the town of Banff.
1883 - Cave and Basin Sulphur Mountain, discovered by railway workers William McCardell, Thomas McCardell and Frank McCabe.
1886 - the town was named after "Banffshire" in Scotland where CPR directors, Lord Strathcona and George Stephen were born.
1887 - the hot springs was declared a "Rocky Mountain Park" and became Canada's first National Park.
1888 - the original Banff Springs Hotel was opened for business. Cornelius Van Horn, the general manager of the CPR, came up with the famous quote: "Since we can't export the scenery, we'll have to import the tourists".