Tunnel Mountain What’s in a Name / La Signification d’un Nom - Banff, AB, Canada - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Why is this small mountain near the Banff townsite called Tunnel Mountain if it doesn’t have a tunnel in it? The reason has to do with the early history of the railroad.

Sign text:

“Tunnel Mountain - What’s in a Name

“The original survey for the railroad provided for a tunnel through this small mountain which appeared to obstruct the Bow Valley. A subsequent survey rerouted the railway to the north, thus the need for the tunnel was eliminated. Although the surveying was completed in 1882, the name Tunnel Mountain remains to this day, another small link with our railroad history and the part it played in our Canadian heritage.”

“Tunnel Mountain - La Signification d’un Nom

“Le levé initial de la ligne de chemin de fer faisait prévoir la construction d’un tunnel à travers cette petite montagne qui semblait obstruit la vallée Bow. Un levé ultérieur déplace la ligne de chemin de fer vers le nord, éliminant ainsi la nécessité de construire un tunnel. Bien que le levé ait été réalisé en 1882, la nom Tunnel Mountain est resté jusquã ce jour; il est lié à l’histoire de nos chemins de fer et au rôle qu’ils ont joué dans notre patrimoine Canadien.”

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The îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda) name for the mountain is “Eyarhey Tatanga Woweyahgey Wakân” or “Sacred Buffalo Guardian”, often roughly translated as “Sleeping Buffalo.”

REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

CBC News: “Alberta First Nation lobbies for Indigenous name for Tunnel Mountain:
Stoney Nakoda wants Banff mountain renamed Sacred Buffalo Guardian”, 4 Oct 2016 (visit link)

Town of Banff: Indigenous Peoples (visit link)

Canadian Encyclopedia: Stoney-Nakoda (visit link)

Stoney Nakoda Nations: People of the Mountains (visit link)

Group that erected the marker: Parks Canada URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Tunnel Mountain Road, between Tunnel Mountain Village 2 and Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court Banff, AB Canada T1L 1B2

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