Park Prisoners

Between 1915 and 1946, the Canadian government put some ten thousand unskilled foreigners, jobless and homeless people, conscientious objectors, perceived enemies of the state, and prisoners of war to work in western Canada's national parks. These men had committed no crimes, but because of war or depression, they were seen as a possible threat to public order and a potential source of civil unrest.

Many of the Banff, Jasper, and other national parks' heritage buildings and roads were constructed through the backbreaking work of the internees in these labour camps. More than 125 archival photographs illustrate this compelling history of how these men lived and worked, how they were treated, and the legacy they left in our national parks.