Rockwalls and Waterfalls

Volume #40 Summer Newsletter 2009

Yoho National Park Celebrates Three Centennials 1909 - 2009

One hundred years ago ......

ire and Game Guardians, the precursor name for the National Park Warden Service, Ffirst began work in Canada’s Rocky Mountain Park, now called Banff National Park. This small group was created to enforce federal policy in the national parks. In 1914, Banff Park Commissioner Harkin changed the name to Wardens. It is believed he did this to differentiate Canadian park officers from their American “Ranger” counterparts or more likely the Canadian Forest Rangers.

he Canadian Pacific Railway’s Spiral Tunnels were completed and opened to regular Ttraffic on September 1, 1909, thanks to J. E. Schwitzer, a senior engineer with the CPR. These tunnels effectively reduced the grade on the Big Hill from a heart stopping 4.5% to a much more mellow 2.2% . This summer the Canadian Pacific Railway has generously donated train seats to the Friends of Yoho for a train ride between Banff and Field. Proceeds will go towards a working model of the Spiral Tunnels which upon completion will be located in the Field Visitor Centre. See page 2.

ord reached Charles Doolittle Walcott, head of the Smithsonian Institute at the time, that Wsome of CPR’s workers had found stone bugs on Mt. Stephen near Field, B.C. An expert in trilobite research he began spending his field seasons in Yoho Park looking for fossil sites. In August of 1909, Walcott discovered the well preserved soft bodied fossils of the on the ridge between Wapta Mountain and Mt. Field. You can book a hike to this site through Parks Canada or the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. See article on page 6 & 7.

w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a All Aboard! The Spiral Tunnels Express

Centennial Celebration Spiral Tunnels 1909 - 2009

As part of our centennial celebrations on September 5th, 2009 The Friends of Yoho will be selling tickets for a special train ride through Yoho’s famous Spiral Tunnels.

There will be two trips to choose from...

The (12:00 pm MST) Banff to Field run Or The (5:00 pm MST) Field to Banff run.

Monies raised from this event will be used to help construct a working model of the Spiral Tunnels to eventually be housed in the Field Visitor Centre for the education and enjoyment of all.

Tickets will go on sale at 8:00 am MST, Monday July 13th, 2009 and will be sold on a “first call… first served” basis. The price is $225.00 per ticket with a maximum of 6 per order. The toll-free number to call to purchase tickets is 1-877-343-5322 Seats are extremely limited and will sell fast so be sure to place your calls early.

The festivities don’t end on the rails!

king Wor l of 10:30 am Historic Walking Tour M ode u m ral t si Spi 12:30 - 3:00 pm Performers on stage hr c the t ou nels 1:00 - 2:00 pm Burgess Shale presentation he g Tun d ho all ay ut runs 2:00 pm Train arrives in Field ! day. 2:00 - 4:00 pm Centennial Tea, CPR Exhibit cars open 4:00 pm Speeches, photos, birthday cake 4:30 - 9:00 pm Shale Ale Beer Gardens 5:00 pm Train departs for Banff 5:00 pm Time Capsule sealed 6:00 pm Historic Walking Tour 6:00 pm Barbeque and Dance sponsored by the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation

2 w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a Friends Scholarship Awarded

he Friends of Yoho Scholarship is open to residents within the Lake TLouise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit of Parks Canada, to all mem- bers (family membership) in good standing with the Friends of Yoho and to students attending Golden Secondary School. It is a $1000.00 scholarship for the first year of full time enrollment at any post secondary institute. The student must be enrolled in a program that contributes to the scientific understanding of the natural world or the role that National Parks play in society. Qualifying programs include biology, ecology, geography, geology, forestry, conservation enforcement or related subjects. The essay topic chosen for 2009 was ‘What is the Importance of National Parks in Today’s World.’ Shail Moffat-Christy, a Field resident and Golden Secondary School student was selected as this years’ recipient. Shail writes: “So many people today live in urban centers with no contact with the natural world. Without such contact, humans become focused on technology and unhealthy lifestyles, and stress related physical and mental disorders are becoming all too frequent. A National Park is a sanctuary; a place in which we can trust will for- ever hold the same unique beauty that helps us discover ourselves and our origin.”

National Park Wardens Board of Directors Celebrate 100 years President : Kim Chapman ire and Game Guardians have been hired in our FNational Parks since the early 1900’s. They were hired by the area superintendent on a seasonal Board Members: Sally Watson and sometimes monthly basis and Helen Barry fell under provincial jurisdiction. Mike Finn Evidence of early enforcement in Yoho Park is in the construction of Craig Chapman Deer Lodge Cabin built as a patrol Caitlin Cameron cabin in 1904. John Tocher was one of the first patrol men in our General Manager: Deb Bancroft park. Deer Lodge It wasn’t until 1909 that the federal First patrol cabin built government decided they wanted more in Yoho Park Assistant Manager: Janice Morrison control of both making the rules and the enforcement of them in our National Parks. A small group of men were hired to enforce federal policy. Qualifications for the Park Liasion: Joe Jazvac employment of these men included being a good woodsman, able to put together and run a fire crew and have enough education to make intelligent reports to the chief game guardian. They had to Sales Associates: Sonya Fleming be sober, hardworking, neat and not be employed by any other Jon Newman employer. Karla Gaffney Over the next decade Game Guardians were placed in all the national parks in existence and the various names given to them Sue Williamson (also called Game Wardens and Deputy Wardens) were amalgamated into one: National Park Wardens. Historic Walking Tour Guides: Further reading: Guardians of the Wild - A History of the Warden Service of Canada’s National Parks by Robert J. Burns Jon Newman with Mike Schintz. (sold at Friends of Yoho retail outlet Field Karla Gaffney Visitor Centre)

w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a 3 CALENDAR OF EVENTS S U M M E R 2 0 0 9

Historic Walking Tour of Field - enjoy an evening stroll of our historic village Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00 pm ( Meet at the Field Community Centre )

J U L Y 1 Canada Day - Pancake Breakfast 8:30 am (sponsored by B.C. Ambulance Service) Field Community Centre Field town parade starts at 11:00 am Field Community Centre Historic Walking Tour of Field 8:00 pm Field Community Centre

11 Under the Earth & Goodair and the Grizzly presented by Mt. W.H.I.T. Fieldite Charlie Wake performs original songs 8 pm Field Community Centre

14 Bar B Que for local Allie Jenkins Bennett (to raise money for his treatment of MS) Field Visitor Centre

18 Canada’s Parks Day - Spiral Tunnels presentation by Kristi Putnam (park interpreter) 8 pm Field Community Centre Astonomy with Troy Hudson 10 pm Field Ball Diamond Cupcakes at the Field Visitor Centre all day

19 A Portrait of Mary Vaux Theatre Presentation by Shirley Truscott 8 pm Field Community Centre

25 Paint around the Lake with Donna Jo Massie (this is a one day course at Lake O’Hara. To register go to the website below or call 250-343-6393) $90.

w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a 4 CALENDAR OF EVENTS S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 Historic Walking Tour of Field - enjoy an evening stroll of our historic village Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00 pm ( Meet at the Field Community Centre )

A U G U S T 5 Full Moon Walk - Takakkaw Falls 9:30 pm

10 Exploring the Art History of the with Lisa Christensen 8 pm Field Community Centre 14 Maze in the Mountains by Graeme Pole 8 pm Field Community Centre 15 Under the Earth & Goodair and the Grizzly presented by Mt. W.H.I.T. Fieldite Charlie Wake performs original songs 8 pm Field Community Centre

16 A Portrait of Mary Vaux Theatre Presentation by Shirley Truscott 8 pm Field Community Centre

15/16 History of the CPR between Lake Louise and Field (a weekend course - to register go to the website below or call 250-343-6393) $200.

22 Spiral Tunnels presentation by Kristi Putnam (park interpreter) 8 pm Field Community Centre

S E P T E M B E R 4 Full Moon walk at Emerald Lake 8 pm

5 Tri Centennial Party in Field, celebrating the opening of the Spiral Tunnels, discovery of the Walcott Quarry and the National Park Warden Service 1909 - 2009

11/12/13 Hiking with Friends (Women’s Weekend) (a weekend of hiking - to register go to the website below or call 250-343-6393)

w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a 5 The Burgess Shale - 100 Years of Wonder

By Omar McDadi, Parks Canada

he summer of 2009 will mark 100 years since the Burgess TShale was unearthed high in the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies. Steeped in serendipity, history, amazement, and mystery, the Burgess Shale is one of the planet’s most important natural Canadia is one of the most photogenic wonders. Here are a few reasons why you should consider Burgess Shale . An ancient , visiting this 505-million-year-old fossil hotspot. Canadia is related to modern day earthworms, leeches and tubeworms.

A Serendipitous Discovery ike many great scientific findings (such as x-rays and penicillin), the Burgess Shale’s Ldiscovery was completely serendipitous. In the summer of 1909, world-renown geologist Charles Walcott visited in search of trilobites, common fossils that railway workers had found by the bucket load above the town of Field on Mount Stephen. Having identified and collected many of the trilobites, Walcott set his sights on exploring other parts of Yoho. Then on one fortuitous day late in August, on the western slopes of Mount Field, Walcott stumbled across what paleontologists refer to as the mother load of all animal fossil beds – and the scientific community has been reaping the rewards ever since.

Explosive History ne thing natural wonders have in common is that they are likely to have some Ohistorical significance, be it geological or otherwise. At 505 million years of age, the Burgess Shale is older than the Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, and Galapagos Islands combined and takes us back to a time when Canada was located near the Earth’s equator and most of Alberta and British Columbia were still underwater. It also provides us with a glimpse into the Period, when modern life is thought to have exploded and many of our present-day animal groups first appeared. To put things in perspective, for billions of years prior to this event life on Earth was essentially limited to a soup of bacteria and algae.

Amazing & Awe-inspiring ost definitions agree: a natural wonder should be amazing, awe-inspiring and help Minstil a sense of awe. To that end, the Burgess Shale truly overachieves. Exquisitely preserved soft-bodied animals found at the Burgess Shale are thought to be amongst the earliest ancestors of modern-day animals. In fact, approximately 95 % of all living animals can trace some of their earliest relatives back to the Burgess Shale, including snails, octopi, crabs, lobsters, clams, spiders, insects, sea stars, earthworms and, remarkably, humans.

The Burgess Shale is Mysterious inally, a natural wonder should be mysterious. Whether it’s the appearance of bizarre F5-eyed animals or answers to questions like why some animal groups have survived while others have perished, any way you look at it, the Burgess Shale is full of mystery. Moreover, even though scientists have been studying Burgess Shale animals for 100 years, fascinating discoveries continue to be made. For example, in 2006, researchers from the Royal Ontario Museum identified an animal that may be the earliest living snail. Still, many mysteries remain unsolved, leaving us to wonder what the next great Burgess Shale discovery will be. w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a 6 It’s Worth a Visit to the Burgess Shale Today the Burgess Shale is protected within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is only accessible through guided hikes led by either Parks Canada or the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. Celebrate the centennial of Walcott’s discovery and experience 505 million years of wonder by signing up for a guided hike today.

Stop by the Parks Canada Visitor Info Centre in the town of Field for more info on guided hikes and other events celebrating the centennial of the discovery of the Burgess Shale.

Two Exciting Hikes! Walcott Quarry – 20 km roundtrip; 760- metre elevation gain. Approximately 10 hours. Beginning at Takakkaw Falls, this awe-inspiring hike takes you through a variety of mountain landscapes including stunning views of Emerald Lake en-route to the world- famous fossils at the Walcott Quarry. Keep your eyes open for mountain goats!

Mount Stephen Fossil Beds – 6 km roundtrip; 780 metre elevation gain. Approximately 7 hours. This short but challenging hike leads you to the site where railway workers reported finding thousands of so-called ‘stone bugs’ in the 1880’s. The sheer number of fossils at Mount Stephen has been described by some as comparable to stumbling upon a treasure frozen in time.

FEES Adult Youth Senior Child 17-64 6-16 65+ 5 & under Burgess Shale Reservation Line: 250-343-6783 Hours of Operation (Mountain Time) Walcott $70 $35 $59.50 Free* th th Quarry June 19 to Sept. 6 : 9 am to 7 pm Sept. 7 to Sept. 18th: 9 am to 5 pm

Mount $55 $27.50 $46.75 Free* Stephen

Children under 8 are not recommended due to trip length and difficulty

Hey Kids, Can you identify these fossils of the Burgess Shale? Now color them to create your own version of what the fossils looked like!

w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a 7 w w w . f r i e n d s o f y o h o . c a