In 1883, three railway workers stumbled upon hot springs near Siding 29 at the foot of Sulphur Mountain. When this news reached Ottawa, a grand vision to protect the area “for all the people” as a park and tourist destination began to take shape.
“Siding 29” was renamed “Banff” after Banffshire, Scotland--the birthplace of one of the railway executives. In 1885, a 26 sq km (10 sq mi) area around the hot springs officially became the Banff Hot Springs Reserve, later the heart of Canada’s first national park. Within three years, the original log-framed Banff Springs Hotel was welcoming its first guests. In 1887, the reserve was enlarged and renamed Rocky Mountains Park of Canada until its current name, Banff National Park, was officially adopted in 1930.
Today, Banff National Park covers 6,641 sq km (2,564 sq mi). Its spectacular mountains, valleys, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers welcome some eight million visitors a year. The park has become a premier travel destination offering world-renowned scenery, protected ecology, four-season sports and recreation, camping, as well as first-class accommodations and food. One hundred and twenty-five years after its founding, Banff’s greatest lure remains the power and beauty of an adventure lived in the vast backcountry of western Canada.
Diameter: 101.8mm
Thickness: 12.8mm
Weight: 1000g
Material: Silver
Fineness: 0.9999
Reverse: Banff National Park
Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II
Theme(s): Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games
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