The Yellowhead Pass is a

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...

across the Continental Divide of the Americas in the Canadian Rockies. It is on the provincial boundary between the Canadian provinces of

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

and

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, and lies within Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park. Due to its modest elevation of and its gradual approaches, the pass was recommended by Sir

Sandford Fleming Sir Sandford Fleming (January 7, 1827 – July 22, 1915) was a Scottish Canadian engineer and inventor. Born and raised in Scotland, he immigrated to colonial Canada at the age of 18. He promoted worldwide standard time zones, a prime meridian, ...

as a route across the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

for the planned

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

. The proposal was rejected in favour of a more direct and southerly route, through the more difficult

Kicking Horse Pass Kicking Horse Pass (el. ) is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Americas of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta–British Columbia border, and lying within Yoho and Banff national parks. Divide Creek forks onto both ...

, which was opened in 1886. Later the Grand Trunk Pacific and Canadian Northern Railways used the Yellowhead Pass for their main lines, built c. 1910–1913, and the main line of their successor, the Canadian National Railway, still follows the route. Via Rail's premier passenger train, the ''

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

''; the Jasper – Prince Rupert train; and the Jasper section of the '' Rocky Mountaineer'' use the Yellowhead Pass, which is now used also by the Yellowhead Highway. It is believed that the pass was named for Pierre Bostonais (nicknamed '' Tête Jaune'', French for "yellow head", because of his blond hair), an Iroquois-

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

trapper employed as a guide by the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

. Bostonais led one of the first expeditions for the company to what is now the interior of British Columbia through the pass in 1820.

References

External links

* *
Jasper Alberta Yellowhead Pass HistoryYellowhead Pass and its People. Valemount Historic Society
{{Canadian Rockies Mountain passes of Alberta Mountain passes of British Columbia Great Divide of North America Canadian National Railway facilities Rail mountain passes of Alberta Rail mountain passes of British Columbia National Historic Sites in Alberta National Historic Sites in British Columbia Jasper National Park Borders of Alberta Borders of British Columbia Landforms on the National Historic Sites of Canada register

See also

References

External links