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"Many improvements will be made in the various national parks throughout the west this year," said Howard Douglas, superintendent of national parks, in an interview.
"There are eight national parks in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The area included in all the parks would probably make 20,000 square miles.
"Buffalo park at Wainwright has 74 miles of fence around it and it has been said by many hunters who hunted for game up near Wainwright last year, that the geese would invariably fly over the fence and settle down in the park for protection. Twenty-six deer, and several elk which were not released in the park by the authorities, were found there last year. They have found their way to it from the wilds of the north and have enough shelter and protection. A dozen moose will be placed in Buffalo park this year.
"Each of the eight national parks in the three provinces is under Dominion park regulations. In these parks game is protected and the forests are preserved.
"There are 635 head of Buffalo at Wainwright, 48 head at Lamont, in the Beaver Hills, and 15 head at Banff. And up to the 15th of January not one pound of hay had been fed one of the buffalo. They all herded in the open. In 1908 and 1909 several herds were brought to the Canadian west from Montana. This year the outlaws, or rather the balance of the buffalo in the States which the Canadian government was unable to secure last year, will be shipped to Banff.
"The government has set aside a new park in Southern Alberta, in the Kootenay Lakes, 18 miles south of Cardston on the boundary line. It will consist of four townships which were formerly set aside as forest reserve. A township will be started there this spring for a summer resort. Moose Mountain park, in Saskatchewan, will also be set aside by the government as a resort. Moose Mountain is just south of Regina. The park comprises four townships and the government is putting in four small herds of Buffalo in the spring.
"Last fall I visited Jasper park with R. H. Campbell, of the Indian Department. It is 230 miles west of Edmonton on the Grand Trunk Pacific. Considerable improvements will be made there this summer when a survey will be made.
"It is the object of the government when the G. T. P. is built to have a round trip line in Canada. Tourists will be able to go to the coast by the C. P. R. and visit Banff, Glacier and Yoho parks, Elk Island, Jasper and Buffalo parks on the G. T. P.
"Jasper park will be equal of Banff when all improvements are completed. The weather is quite mild there all the year round and there is little snowfall."