When many people hear of Canada, the first place that springs to mind is Banff. The soaring peaks, dense coniferous forests and abundant wildlife are a Canadian institution. The Banff townsite sits within Banff National Park, Canada's oldest and most spectacular Heritage Site. Home to many of the nation's most famous landmarks, densely populated with wildlife and full of opportunities for relaxation and adventure, Banff is Canada's ambassador to the world and one of the country's most-visited tourist attractions.

The first people to occupy the area were Native Americans who arrived in the Bow River Valley nearly 11,000 years ago, as the last Ice Age was coming to an end. Finding the winter climate mild due to the chinooks (strong, warm winds that rush out of the mountains and onto the prairie in the middle of the winter), they settled in the protected mountain valleys, and enjoyed the abundance of fish and wildlife that called the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains home. Over time, they developed into the Cree, Kootenay and Blackfoot tribes, who coexisted in relative peace for the next 9,900 years. In the late 1700's, a smallpox epidemic washed over the Great Plains, killing half the native population and seriously weakening the survivors. Buffalo hunters had also reduced the thundering herds to a shadow of their former selves, eradicating a major source of food. Territorial conflicts broke out among the tribes, who had received horses and firearms from trading partners to the east. Rumours of European traders and missionaries began arriving, and soon after explorers began to trickle into the area. Most of the travellers were in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company, and were seeking new areas to trap and trade furs. Fur trading and mining exploration remained the primary activities in the region until the 1850's, when surveying expeditions, including the famous Palliser Expedition, came to chart the Southern Rockies and northwestern prairies. Their maps were used in the definition of the emerging country of Canada, and would prove vital in later years for defining the route of the Canadian National Railroad, which would eventually link the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and provide a vital trade link between Europe and the Orient. In 1883, the Canadian National Railroad was pushed through the Rocky Mountain ramparts via the Bow River Valley, passing close to the present day Banff townsite. During the construction of the railroad, three construction workers were exploring the slopes of nearby Sulphur Mountain when they stumbled across a collection of small hot springs bubbling out of the rock. A heated debate erupted over the ownership of the springs, which would later be known as the Cave and Basin National Historic Site.

Alberta

Canada

Population: Jasper, 2167; Banff, 7615

Elevation: Jasper, 3480 feet; Banff, 4583 feet

Average Annual Rainfall: 13.1 inches

Average Jan. Temperature: 12 degrees F

Average July Temperature: 59 degrees F

Major Industries: tourism

Major Tourist Destinations: Jasper National Park

Ethnic Mix: 91.74% Caucasian, 4.38% African American, 3.23% Hispanic, 0.74% Asian

Time Zone: GMT-5

Country Dialing Code: 1

Area Code: Jasper, 780; Banff, 403

Jasper National Park is Canada's largest national park, consisting of 10,878 square km of breathtaking beauty in the Rocky Mountains.

Banff National Park comprises 6,641 square miles of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and is host to a multitude of outdoor activities. It became Canada's first national park in 1885 thanks to the discovery of an alluring series of hot springs. Banff has the highest elevation of all Canadian towns.

Located in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta Canada, Jasper is southwest of Edmonton and near British Columbia. From the United States, Jasper is north of Washington, Idaho and Montana. Banff is located approximately 80 miles away from Calgary.