Visitor Guide 2020 – 2021 Parks Parks Canada / Également offert en français Z. Z. Lynch Sinclair Canyon 1 Welcome 2 Plan your adventure 3 Be a responsible visitor 4 Celebrate Kootenay’s centennial 8 Radium Hot Springs area 10 Kootenay National Park map 12 Make the most of your visit 14 Interpretive programs and activities 15 Camping 17 National park regulations 18 Wildlife need your help 19 Conservation stories 20 Winter 20 Mountain national parks Did you know? Kootenay National Park lies within the traditional lands of the Ktunaxa and Shuswap. Ktunaxa Nation Shuswap Indian Band Z. Lynch / Parks Canada The Ktunaxa (k-too-nah-ha), also known The Kenpesq’t (ken-pesk-t) community, as Kootenay, have occupied the lands currently known as the Shuswap Indian adjacent to the Kootenay and Columbia Band, is part of the Secwépemc Columbia Valley Métis Association Rivers and the Arrow Lakes for more than (seck-wep-em) Nation occupying traditional Kootenay National Park is an important place 10 000 years. For thousands of years before lands in British Columbia and Alberta. for British Columbia Métis based on a history settlers arrived, the Ktunaxa harvested flora The Secwépemc people have used the areas of trade relationships and expeditions. In 1807, and fauna in the area now recognized as now encompassed by Mount Revelstoke, when Kootenae House was established as Kootenay National Park, which lies within Glacier, Yoho, Banff, Jasper and Kootenay the first trading post in the region, a meeting Kyawaȼ ʔamakʔis (Land of the Grouse). national parks for thousands of years prior to place between cultures was born. Indigenous Our Traditional Territory encompasses the settlement of non-Indigenous peoples. peoples traded skills, furs, salmon and horses 2 for European tools and cooking implements. 70 000 km within the Kootenay region of Many of the roads driven today are based Legendary explorer David Thompson and his wife south-eastern British Columbia, and also on travel routes used by Indigenous peoples Charlotte Small, a Métis woman, used the trading includes parts of Alberta, Montana, Idaho for generations; Indigenous guides were post as a home base. and Washington. used to create the horse trails that evolved Our stories teach our generations of into major highways like the Trans-Canada. The local knowledge of Métis was central to the seasonal migrations that occurred Anthropological and archaeological evidence, success of expeditions. For instance, in 1841 throughout the area, across the Rocky such as the remains of semi-underground Sir George Simpson of the Hudson’s Bay Mountains and on the Great Plains; of war dwellings called pit houses or kekulis, can Company hired a Métis guide for the Rockies leg and trade interactions with other Nations; still be found inside park boundaries. of his trip, further assisted by Métis interpreter Edouard Berland. That same year, Red River of place names and landmarks; and of Parks Canada and the Secwépemc Métis James Sinclair led a large group of families lessons and values. Nation continue to foster a better working through the region. Our Ktunaxa language is a language relationship that informs the management isolate, meaning that it is one of a kind of natural resources, and enhances the The legacy of Métis influence is marked by place and unrelated to any other language in visitor experience for those exploring names in Kootenay National Park: Mount Berland, the world. traditional lands. Sinclair Pass, Sinclair Creek and Mount Sinclair. To learn more, visit ktunaxa.org To learn more, visit shuswapband.net To learn more, visit columbiavalleymetis.ca Welcome Kootenay National Park TURNS 100 THIS YEAR! Our story On April 21, 1920, the Government of Canada agreed to build a road connecting the Bow and Columbia valleys. As part of the agreement, eight kilometres of land on either side of the road was set aside for a national park. The first cars to travel along the new highway bounced over bumps and chugged up steep hills, but according to a 1924 guidebook, “…every mile is a surprise and an enchantment.” A century later, Kootenay National Park continues to surprise and enchant. Visitors can relax in the soothing mineral pools at Radium Hot Springs, stroll through canyons, picnic beside glacial-blue rivers or backpack along one of the Rockies’ most scenic hiking trails. The park’s diverse ecosystems support a variety of wildlife, and newly unearthed Burgess Shale fossils reveal exquisite details about life half a billion years ago. Read on to discover more about what this amazing park has to offer. Z. Lynch / Parks Canada A place of global importance The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes four of our national parks – Kootenay, Banff, Yoho and Jasper – as part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. The parks are thus protected for the benefit of all nations and the enjoyment of all people. World Heritage status was awarded based on the stunning landscapes of mountains, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls and canyons, as well as for the incredible soft-bodied remains found at the Burgess Shale fossil sites. Z. Lynch / Parks Canada 1 Plan your adventure The Kootenay National Park Visitor Centre is located on Main Street East in the village of Radium Hot Springs. Parks Canada staff will provide you with up-to-date park information and assist with planning your trip. Explore the beautiful exhibits and take in a bird’s eye view of the mountains from a tabletop map. Don’t forget to stop by the Friends of Kootenay gift shop for souvenirs and talk with Radium Visitor Services staff for Columbia Valley trip planning information. Visitor centre hours • May 1 to June 10: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • June 11 to Sept. 6: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Sept. 7 to Oct. 12: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Oct. 13, 2020 to Apr. 30, 2021: Parks Canada counter closed. Radium Visitor Services counter and washroom facilities open year-round. Free Wi-Fi available. 250-347-9505 [email protected] parkscanada.gc.ca/kootenay facebook.com/kootenaynp twitter.com/kootenaynp Tourism Radium / Radium Chamber of Commerce: 1-888-347-9331 radiumhotsprings.com Z. Lynch / Parks Canada Your support makes a difference Entry fees are charged at all national parks; the revenues support visitor services and facilities. Every time you visit a park you are investing in its future, and in a legacy for future generations. Pick up your day or annual pass at any park gate, visitor centre or staffed campground kiosk. DAILY ENTRY PARKS CANADA The daily entry pass is valid in DISCOVERY PASS Kootenay, Yoho, Banff, Jasper, Parks Canada’s Discovery Pass Mount Revelstoke and Glacier is valid for 12 months from national parks. Regardless of time date of purchase and gives you of entry, the pass is valid until unlimited entry to national parks, 4 p.m. the following day. national marine conservation areas and national historic sites • Adult (18 - 64) $10.00 across Canada. • Senior (65+) $8.40 • Youth (0 - 17) Free • Adult (18 - 64) $69.19 • Family / group $20.00 • Senior (65+) $59.17 (up to 7 people in a vehicle) • Family / group $139.40 2 Z. Lynch / Parks Canada Be a responsible visitor Kootenay National Park has incredible natural and cultural heritage. It is a diverse landscape, a home to wildlife and a place of history. We need your help to keep it this way! Z. Lynch / Parks Canada Take the pledge I will learn about and follow all I will give wildlife space. national park regulations. Why? To avoid injury and keep animals Why? To ensure that I stay safe during my wild. When people stop to view wildlife visit and help preserve the park for future or get too close, animals lose their generations. See page 17. natural fear of people. This increases the risk of the animal being hit by a vehicle or acting aggressively towards people I will leave plants, rocks, fossils, and being destroyed. antlers and all other natural objects undisturbed. I will keep my dog on a leash Why? To let others enjoy them as I have and pick up after it. and to preserve the natural beauty and Why? Dogs, like wolves and coyotes, integrity of the park. Thousands of people cause stress for wildlife as they may visit the park each year; a harmful act, be seen as a threat. Off-leash dogs multiplied by that amount, can have can trigger aggressive behaviour from devastating consequences. wildlife, putting yourself, your dog and other visitors in danger. Pick up dog I will never feed wildlife or leave poop to keep the park sanitary. Trails are food and garbage outside. busy and waste harms water quality, the environment and human health. Why? Wildlife need to find their own natural food sources in order to survive; human food lacks proper nutrition and can I will drive carefully and obey cause serious health problems. By feeding speed limits. an animal, you also attract it to roadsides Why? To prevent deadly collisions with and human areas. This increases the risk animals. In high risk areas, no stopping of the animal being hit by a vehicle or zones are used to protect motorists and acting aggressively towards people and wildlife. Look for signs along the roadside. being destroyed. Your pledge makes a big difference. Thank you for taking action! Prepare to make great memories… 3 Celebrate Kootenay’s centennial Superintendent’s message Canada’s national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas represent the very best that Canada has to offer. They tell the stories of who we are and how we came to be.