CANADA

CANADA.

Banff National Park.
Stamp issued on 21.06.1985.
Face value: 2 Canadian dollars.
Design: George Weber (1907-2002, from a painting) and William Tibbles.
Printing: Offset lithography and recess.
Engraved and printed by Canadian Bank Note Company, Ottawa.
Print: 26,650,000 copies.
Size: 48 x 30 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 949.
- Scott No. 936.
- StampWorld No. 949.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 885.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 918.

Banff National Park, established in 1885, is the oldest in Canada. It is located in the Rocky Mountains, on the border of Alberta and British Columbia, 180 km (80 miles) west of Calgary, and is part of the natural complex called Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. It covers 6641 km² (2564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forests and alpine landscapes. Following the admission of British Columbia to Canada, on July 20, 1871, in 1881 the construction of a transcontinental railroad began as the route through the Canadian Rockies. After the establishment of the natural park, between 1890 and 1920 the Assiniboine Indians were expelled from the area, accused of depletion of wildlife by hunting for their livelihood. Among the attractions of the park are Lake Louise, Moraine Lake (seen in the foreground, on the stamp) and Peyto Lake, and mountains such as Castle Mountain, Mount Louis and Mount Rundle, as well as several glaciers, which lost much of their mass during the 20th century. It is one of the most visited national parks in North America (almost 4 million people in 2004-2005, many of them for winter sports).