FROM THE BRANCHES
FROM THE BRANCHES
Whyte Museum , Banff
CRTA Banff Trip
DAVID PEYTO
On Tuesday September 12th , fifty-one members and guests of the Calgary Retired Teachers ’ Association ( CRTA ) spent the day exploring Banff . In the morning , the group visited the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and after lunch accompanied David Peyto on a walking tour past some of Banff ’ s historic buildings .
Banff ’ s history dates back to 1883 when a group of Canadian Pacific Railway workers discovered what we now call the Cave and Basin National Historic Site . In 1885 the federal government established the Hot Springs Reserve at this location , later called Rocky Mountains Park , Canada ’ s first national park . Its town of Banff was designed to attract wealthy and well-travelled tourists ; but over the years , Banff has changed from being an exclusive resort community to a popular tourist destination . It became Banff National Park in 1930 .
Peter and Catharine Whyte began the Wa-Che- Yo-Cha-Pa Foundation in 1958 ( later to become the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation ). Their vision was to construct a museum that would serve as an art gallery , a historical archive and a public library . Catharine Whyte had an extensive collection of archival material housed in the attic
of their home , that was moved into the main museum building when it opened in 1968 . The library later moved in to the building next door .
In addition to the photographs , journals and records housed in the Whyte Museum , the Foundation now owns a collection of Banff heritage homes and cabins . In the summer months , the Peter and Catharine Whyte House and the Moore House adjacent to the museum are open to visitors .
On the walking tour after lunch , we viewed about twenty historic buildings and locations . Historic locations in Banff include the Administration Building and Cascade Gardens , Sign of the Goat Curio Shop , Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum , Bow River Bridge , Margaret and Henry Greenham Residence , St . Mary ’ s Catholic Church , Bankhead Train Station , Canadian Pacific Railway Station , Banff Upper Hot Springs ,
Cave and Basin National Historic Site and the Banff Springs Hotel . �
Banff ’ s Presbyterian Church
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