RADIUM, B.C. – Canada Post unveiled a new postage stamp last week to celebrate 100 years of Kootenay National Park.
The stamp and centenary were celebrated last Monday (Jan. 13) during a ceremony in the Village of Radium Hot Springs that included members of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc First Nations, village council and Columbia Valley residents.
"The government of Canad is pleased to celebrate Kootenay National Park's 100th anniversary in 2020," said Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jonathon Wilkinson in a press release.
"The story of what is now Kootenay National Park also extends well beyond the past century and includes the relationship Indigenous people have with this land. In 2020, we invite visitors to enjoy the many special activities and events that will commemorate the park's establishment and reflect on the special nature and history of the area."
The national park was established on April 21, 1920 after the signing of an agreement to build the Banff-Windemere Highway – now known as Highway 93 South – connecting the Columbia and Bow River valleys together. The road officially opened in 1923 and more than 4,500 vehicles travelled along it that year.
The park is adjacent to Yoho and Banff national parks and forms part of the Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site, which also includes Jasper. UNESCO recognized the region as a world heritage site in 1984.
The Canada Post stamp is part of a series called From Far and Wide and features an image of Floe Lake – from the park's iconic Rockwall Trail to commemorate the 100 year anniversary.
The stamps are available at all Canada Post locations and at canadapost.ca.
Parks Canada events throughout 2020 that will celebrate the 100 year anniversary include: a Kootenay Then and Now social media campaign, an activity challenge, new interpretive signs, and September's Big Splash event that coincides with the Columbia Valley Classic Car Show.
