The spectacular beauty of the Crowsnest Pass is underscored by the depth of its history. From the oldest archaeological deposit in the Canadian Rockies to the legacy of the boom-town coal miners, the region boasts a rich past.
An affluence of diverse stories and characters fill the chronicles of the Pass; including those of run-rummer baron Emelio “Emporer Pic” Picarellio, a daring train robbery in Bellevue, the largest mining disaster in Canadian history and the only elected Communist Party in Canada. Many small towns in Alberta have a story to tell, but the stories of the Crowsnest Pass could fill volumes.
Southwest Alberta boomed at the beginning of the twentieth century. The Pass coal rush began with the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Crowsnest Line in 1897. Blairmore began as a railway outpost in 1898, Frank was founded as a coal mine community in 1900, Bellevue, Hillcrest and Coleman followed soon after. The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass was created in 1979 by the amalgamation of these five communities.
Today, one can experience the history of the Crowsnest Pass in many different ways; community heritage events, heritage trails, walks, and drives are all readily available through the Crowsnest Pass Heritage Initiative.