Highway 3 has existed in Alberta on generally the same alignment since the 1910s, with only relatively minor changes made to a rough road called the Red Trail that had been carved from Medicine Hat to Crowsnest Pass. Difficult terrain on the south shore of Crowsnest Lake was a major obstacle in connecting the road to the British Columbia border. On April 29, 1903, a major rockslide buried the town of Frank and killed dozens, blocking the existing Red Trail.: Work immediately began to clear the railway of debris, but a new trail north of the slide was created, connecting Frank and Bellevue.: By 1906, a road had been carved through the rock to the south of the railway, replacing the temporary trail.: A formal opening of the highway was held on October 8, 1917 in Blairmore. Officials had aimed for the ceremony to be held in September, but final work on the road had been delayed by the Canadian Pacific Railway who were unhappy with the location at which the highway crossed the railroad, causing the originally surveyed route to be altered. Minister of Public Works Charles Stewart had travelled from Edmonton for the event and stated that the highway was the only natural route for a trans-Canada highway, and would be in better condition if not for the difficult economic times. Canada was embroiled in World War I which ended in 1918, and gravelling of the highway began in the following years.