In the Shadow of the Rockies: Diary of the Castle Mountain Internment Camp 1915-1917Bohdan S. Kordan, Peter Melnycky It is a little-known fact that during the First World War and in the immediate postwar period (1914-1920), Canadian Internment Operations imprisoned more than 8,000 individuals. The majority of those interned were civilian non-combatants, Ukrainians and other immigrants who had come to Canada from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to work in industry or to settle on western homesteads. Twenty-four receiving stations and internment camps were established across Canada. A camp at Banff/Castle Mountain operated between 1915 and 1917. More than 600 internees were put to work on various projects in Rocky Mountain Park (now Banff National Park), which was being developed at that time as Canada's first national park. The diary of the Banff/Castle Mountain camp provides detailed insight into the practice of Canada's internment policy during the First World War and reveals a unique episode in the human history of Canada's national park system. |
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340 prisoners Alberta April arrived in camp Banff Brett visited camp Brigadier General Cruikshank Calgary camp commandant camp today Canada Canadian Rockies Canmore Captain Hay Captain Spence Castle camp Castle Mountain Cave and Basin Church parade cold at night Collection Glenbow Museum Collection Whyte Museum Colonel Cruikshank Crag and Canyon December discharged District Officer Commanding dull employed on park enemy aliens escort February File Friday June Glenbow Museum internment camp Internment Operations January John Kondro labour Lake Minnewanka last night Lethbridge Major Spence Major Stuart March Mike mild Millican Monday August Monday July names and numbers noon November October Ottawa Otter p.m. Weather park work today prisoners of war Private rain released today reported road Saturday July sent sentries September Sergeant showery Spray River Sunday Thursday troops Tuesday August Tuesday July Ukrainian Ukrainian Canadians unusual occurred Wasyl Weather cool Weather moderate Weather warm windy