On May 17, on behalf of the Honourable Peter Kent, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Blake Richards, Member of Parliament for Wild Rose, announced the grand re-opening of the revitalised birthplace of Canada’s National Parks.

“The re-opening of the birthplace of Canada’s national parks is an occasion for all Canadians to celebrate,” said Richards. “As the birthplace of Canada’s national parks, this site welcomes Canadians and visitors from around the world to discover, learn more about and enjoy our magnificent system of real and inspiring national heritage places.”

The birthplace referred to as Cave and Basin National Historic Site is a must see when you visit Banff National Park, where warm mineral springs bubble up from the base of Sulphur Mountain. This site was the inspiration for Canada’s extensive system of special heritage places that includes a network of 44 national parks, 167 national historic sites and four national marine conservation areas.

Following an ambitious, three-year, $13.8 million project, the revitalized Cave and Basin National Historic Site is a must-see attraction that showcases new and enhanced visitor programming, interpretive displays and new media.

The site is the national showcase to Parks Canada’s extended system of national parks, marine conservation areas and historic sites. It is also the hub of the popular Sundance Trail system, the Marsh Loop boardwalks and a larger suite of experiences that include hiking, biking, bird watching and photography. With a new open plaza, the site provides facilities in an iconic location for hosting learning events, celebrations and community gatherings.

“The Cave and Basin is the site where Canada’s international achievement of protected areas began, growing from a moment of inspiration by three Canadian Pacific workers to a protected land mass roughly eight times the size of Lake Ontario,” said Minister Kent. “We hope visitors will take advantage of this exciting new attraction to learn about, and be inspired by our accomplishments as a nation.”

Cave and Basin history

“Like some fantastic dream from a tale of the Arabian Nights.” That is how William McCardell described the mist-filled cave when he, his brother Tom, and their partner Frank McCabe first saw it in the fall of 1883.

Although they were not the first to discover the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, these three railway workers can lay claim to bringing the springs to public attention. By following their dreams of fame and fortune, they also helped launch Canada’s national parks system.

In the early 1880s, Canada’s first national park was still an idea, whose chief supporters were the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Government of Canada. Both saw the potential for tourist traffic, the advantages of western settlement, and the prestige that a national park would bestow on a young country.

Recognizing an ideal location and opportunity, the Government of Canada declared that the springs would belong to all Canadians – as part of Canada’s first national park.

For thousands of years, First Nations people told the story of the healing power of the bubbling, warm water that flows from the base of Sulphur Mountain and still regard the Cave and Basin as a sacred place – a place of wellness, spirituality and celebration.

The Cave and Basin operates year round as a national historic site, an interpretive centre and hub for the busy Sundance Trail system and Marsh Loop boardwalks.

The revitalized site offers a new historical and cultural adventure for Canadians and visitors from around the world. The attraction showcases an array of enhanced activities with interpretive displays, an open plaza with forecourt water feature that visitors can touch, and state-of-the-art new media, including four-screen, high-definition video, interactive touch-screens and video booth. The site also includes major conservation work on the historic buildings and habitat restoration for the endangered Banff Springs Snail.

As the gateway to Parks Canada’s extended system of national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas, the Cave and Basin will feature best-of programming and interpretation from visiting Parks Canada sites from across the country.

For more information on the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, please visit parkscanada.gc.ca/Banff under What’s New.

Parks Canada

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