The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the union of Waterton Lakes National Park in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and Glacier National Park in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. 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, funga, or features of geologic ...

s by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

and their union as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

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 played 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 Park, Alberta, Canada. It is within Waterton Lakes National Park, overlooking Lake Waterton, Upper Waterton Lakes. It was designed by and built for the Great Northern Railway (U. ...

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, Member of Parliament for

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

, and American Congressman from Montana Scott Leavitt. The 72nd United States Congress passed ''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 a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

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 between

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

and

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

. 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 othe ...

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 14th ...

. The ceremony for the Canadian side was delayed by the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, and finally took place in July 1936, with Lieutenant Governor of Alberta William L. Walsh overseeing the ceremony and dedicating a

cairn A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...

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 DarkSky International, formerly the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), is a United States–based nonprofit organization incorporated in 1988 by founders David Crawford, a professional astronomer, and Tim Hunter, a physician and amateu ...

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