▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 : ▁In ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁Canada ' s ▁ 1 5 0 th ▁birth day ▁on ▁ 1 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Park s ▁Canada ▁offered ▁free ▁ad mission ▁to ▁national ▁par ks ▁and ▁national ▁historic ▁sites ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁year . ▁ ▁Cre ation ▁and ▁development ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁the ▁Crown ▁Col ony ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia ▁committed ▁to ▁Confeder ation ▁with ▁Canada . ▁Under ▁the ▁union ' s ▁terms , ▁Canada ▁was ▁to ▁begin ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁trans cont inental ▁railway ▁to ▁connect ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Coast ▁to ▁the ▁eastern ▁provinces . ▁As ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Pacific ▁Railway ▁survey ors ▁began ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁land ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁natural ▁resources ▁spr out ed ▁further ▁interest . ▁Ev idence ▁of ▁min er als ▁quickly ▁introduced ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁mines ▁and ▁resource ▁explo itation ▁in ▁Canada ' s ▁previously ▁un touch ed ▁w ilder ness . ▁Ex pl oration ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁hot ▁spr ings ▁near ▁Ban ff , ▁Al berta , ▁and ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Government ▁made ▁the ▁spr ings ▁public ▁property , ▁removing ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁private ▁ownership ▁and ▁explo itation . ▁This ▁event ▁brought ▁about ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁Canada ' s ▁movement ▁towards ▁pres erving ▁land ▁and ▁setting ▁it ▁aside ▁for ▁public ▁usage ▁as ▁National ▁Park s . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁