With its breathtaking natural beauty and secluded location, the Banff Springs Hotel in the Canadian Rockies is a haven for the rich and famous. Built in the late 19th century by the man who oversaw the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Cornelius Van Horn, the hotel is one of the world's most luxurious resorts. The Hotel has a long history of hosting royalty, whether from European kingdoms or Hollywood. When the hotel first opened in the late 19th century, it quickly became a favorite for the industrial barons of the Gilded Age. Today the hotel still plays host to some of the most famous guests in the world.

The Grand Tour: The Canadian Rockies would be useful for classes on Canadian History, Geography, World Culture, and Ecology. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

• ambiance
• catastrophe
• enamored
• entourage
• gradient
• grandeur
• hinterland
• magnate
• mundane
• octagonal
• panorama
• pell mell
• renaissance man
• robber baron
• roster
• vindicated

1. The Canadian Rockies attracts tourists of substantial means. Why are the Canadian Rockies a magnet for the rich and famous?

2. The resorts in the Canadian Rockies began as whistle stops. What is a whistle stop? What are the origins of the term? Can you think of any other cities that began as whistle stops?

3. Why was British Columbia on Canadas western coast so vital to Canadas growth and prosperity?

4. The Canadian Pacific Railway had to overcome the obstacle of the Continental Divide. What is the Continental Divide, and why did it pose such a problem to the expansion of the railroad?

5. The Canadian Pacific Railway faced many obstacles to its completion. Discuss what these obstacles were and how they were overcome.

6. What was the origin of the tourist industry along the railroad line?

7. The Banff Springs Hotel was built in the late 19th century at the height of the Gilded Age. Why was this era called the Gilded Age? How did this term define the era?

8. The Banff Springs Hotel was an instant hit. Why was Cornelius Van Horn's hotel such an astonishing success? What set it apart from other hotels and resorts?

9. Compare the opulence of the Banff Springs Hotel with the Titanics first class accommodations.

10. Discuss how the hotel and its clientele have changed over the last century.

1. Create a travel brochure for the Banff Springs Hotel in the Late 19th century and the late 20th century. How would they compare? What would you emphasize in each era to attract tourists?

2. Imagine that you are an architect and you are commissioned by Cornelius Van Horn to design his hotel. Create a blueprint or plan for the Banff Springs Hotel.

3. Imagine that you are a guest at the Banff Springs Hotel at the end of the 19th century. Write a letter or postcard to your friends about your vacation at the hotel.

Air Dates

• January 12, 2004
• June 25, 2004