The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the union of

Waterton Lakes National Park Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada. It borders Glacier National Park in Montana, United States. Waterton was the fourth Canadian national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterto ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and Glacier National Park in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Both parks are declared

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

s by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

and their union as a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

History

Formation

The union of the Waterton Lakes National Park and the Glacier National Park is attributed to a number of individuals throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Early proponents of a borderless international park include Canadian George "Kootenay" Brown, a long-time settler and first forest ranger-in-charge of Waterton, and American Albert Henry “Death-on-the-Trail” Reynolds, an early ranger of the northern portion of Glacier. The

Cardston, Alberta Cardston is a town in Alberta, Canada. It was first settled in 1887 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who travelled from Utah, via the Macleod-Benton Trail, to present-day Alberta in one of the century ...

and Montana

Rotary Clubs Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

would play a significant role in the Park's establishment, holding a joint meeting at the

Prince of Wales Hotel The Prince of Wales Hotel is a historic hotel located in Waterton, Alberta, Canada. It is situated within Waterton Lakes National Park, overlooking Upper Waterton Lakes. It was designed by and built for the Great Northern Railway company. It i ...

on July 4–5, 1931 which led to a resolution drafted by Samuel H. Middleton, calling on both groups to petition the proper authorities for the establishment of the Peace Park. An agreement was subsequently negotiated by Canadian Brigadier-General

John Smith Stewart John Smith Stewart, (18 May 1878 – 14 August 1970) was a Canadian politician and brigadier-general from Alberta. Early life John Smith Stewart was born 16 May 1878 in the Brampton, Ontario, to John Stewart and Mary Armstrong. Stewart m ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Lethbridge and American Congressman from

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

Scott Leavitt. The 72nd United States Congress would pass ''An Act to establish Waterton Glacier International Peace Park'' on December 8, 1931, and be approved by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in March 1932. The Canadian federal government decided to wait until after the United States government had passed a bill in order to act, and the Canadian bill was further delayed by protests of proponents of the

International Peace Garden The International Peace Garden is a park located adjacent to the International Peace Garden Border Crossing along the Canada–United States border between the province of Manitoba and the state of North Dakota. It was established on July 14, ...

between

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

and

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

. Finally, John Stewart's ''Act respecting the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park'' was passed by Parliament, and given

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...

on May 26, 1932. The union of the parks was achieved through the efforts of Rotary International members from Alberta and Montana, on June 18, 1932, at Glacier Park Lodge. The dedication address was given by Sir Charles Arthur Mander, 2nd

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

. The ceremony for the Canadian side would be delayed by the Great Depression, and would finally take place in July 1936, with

Lieutenant Governor of Alberta The lieutenant governor of Alberta () is the viceregal representative in Alberta of the . The lieutenant governor is appointed in the same manner as the other provincial viceroys in Canada and is similarly tasked with carrying out most of the m ...

William L. Walsh William Legh Walsh (January 28, 1857 – January 13, 1938) was a Canadian lawyer and judge. He served as the fourth lieutenant governor of Alberta from 1931 to 1936. Walsh was born in that portion of the colonial Province of Canada which woul ...

overseeing the ceremony and dedicating a cairn for conservation advocate Kootenay Brown.

Later history

The two parks are administered separately and have separate entrance fees. In 2007, the International Dark-Sky Association named Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park the International Dark-Sky Park.

Border crossing

The Chief Mountain Border Crossing, reached by Montana Highway 17 from the American side and by Alberta Highway 6 from the Canadian side, is the only road border crossing within the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. It is one of only two on the US-Canada border that are closed in winter ( Poker Creek - Little Gold Creek Border Crossing is the other).

References

Citations

Works cited

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External links

UNESCO World Heritage Site Entry
{{Authority control Glacier National Park (U.S.) History of the Rocky Mountains Parks in Alberta Peace parks Transboundary protected areas Waterton Lakes National Park World Heritage Sites in the United States World Heritage Sites in Canada 1932 establishments in Montana 1932 establishments in Alberta Protected areas established in 1932