Village Squire, 1978-12, Page 52TRAVEL
Where getting into, hot water is a pleasure
BY NANCY COLDHAM
• The soothing waters of hot springs
attract thousands of visitors to Canada's
western mountains each year.
Geologists claim that the waters in these
springs are of surface origin and result
from rain and snow falling on the
mountains, percolating downward through
cracks, fissures and faults and being
heated on contact with hot rock masses at
great depth. Steam, generated by this
heat, rises through cracks in the rock,
condenses into water and gushes out as hot
springs.
Canada's best known hot springs are the
Cave and Basin and Upper Hot Springs in
Banff National Park, Radium Hot Springs
in Kootenay National Park and Miette Hot
Springs in Jasper National Park.
They form part of a chain of springs
which extends southward from Circle in
Alaska, through the Yukon, British
Columbia and the western United States
into Mexico.
The discovery of springs from the slopes
of Sulphur Mountain in the Canadian
Rockies led to the establishment in 1885 of
the country's first national park, Banff.
Most of Canada's spas are located in and
around mountain national parks in British
Columbia and Alberta as well as the
year-round hot springs near Whitehorse in
the Yukon Territory.
The year-round availability of some of
these waters is a plus factor for tourists.
Skiers can enjoy the hot springs after an
invigorating day on the slopes as easily as
summer bathers.
Approximately 1.6 km from the centre of
the Banff townsite in Alberta, the Cave and
Basin springs feed a natural sulphur pool,
which includes a shallower wading section
for children.
The Cave and Basin springs, with a
combined daily flow of 2 587 500 litres
(575,000 gallons), supply a sulphur water
pool at approximately 28 degrees C (80
degrees F) from mid-May to mid-Septem-
ber.
The Upper Hot Springs, situated on the
slopes of Sulphur Mountain about 4.0 km
(2' miles) by road from Banff, supply a
daily flow of 774 000 litres (172,000 gallons)
to a large outdoor pool open year-round.
The water in the pool is maintained at
about 38 degrees C (100 degrees F).
Miette Hot Springs, Jasper, is 43.2 km
(27 miles) north of Jasper townsite. Access
50 Village Squire, December 1978
to the springs is from Poncahontas, 8.0 km
(five miles) from Jasper National Park's
east entrance. The four springs in the
Nfette group are among the hottest on the
continent, 38 degrees to 54 degrees C (100
degrees to 129 degrees F). Open mid-May
to mid-September they appeal to hikers
and trail riders.
Harrison Hot Springs in British
Columbia has made this quiet Canadian
village one of the Pacific Northwest's most
popular destinations. Harrison is open
year-round offering a unique resort
setting.
The centre of resort activity is the
200 -room Harrison Hotel, a 700 -acre
spread that includes a golf course,
secluded gardens, three pools, tennis
courts and an airstrip for private planes.
The two mineral hot springs that support
the tourist activity at Harrison, gush water
at temperatures of 68 degrees to 74
degrees C (155 degrees to 165 degrees F).
The water is cooled at 38 degrees C (100
degrees F) and piped to two indoor spa
pools.
Use of the hot spring pools, at the hotel's
circular Health Pavilion, is free to all
registered guests. The principal salt
present is sulphur, a most relaxing
ingredient.
The development at Radium Hot Springs
is just inside the western entrance to
Kootenay National Park, B.C. The waters
have a temperature of 40 degrees (113.
degrees F) at their source at the base of
Redstreak Mountain in the valley formed
by Sinclair Creek. The hot springs have a
flow of about 2,587,500 litres (475,000
gallons) daily and supply the Aquacourt, a
modern bathing establishment.
The Aquacourt provides two outdoor
pools, dressing accommodation. lockers
and showers year-round, as well as steam
rooms and a massage concession under
qualified supervision.
British Columbia has other lesser known
springs which have given rise to attractive
recreational resorts. There's Fairmont Hot
Springs, 112 km (70 miles) from Calgary,
Alberta with two whirlpool baths in the
lodge. four outdoor pools at 38 degrees C
(100 degrees to 105 degrees F), which are
all fed by natural, ordorless mineral
waters.
A scenic 20 -minute drive north of the
Balfour ferry landing is Ainsworth Hot
Springs, overlooking Kootenay Lake, B.C.
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
FROM
P
4112111/0
GET BACK TO BASICS
for Christmas '78
with Canadian Crafts
WOODEN 101'
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::Hope your
Christmas
is filled with
nice surprises!
Thanks to our
many friends
From
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Jewellers
Main St. Seaforth