abandoned railway bed would be the ideal
foundation for the road.
As automobile popularity was rising, and
travelling the Yellowhead Trail was difficult
for the average car, the two decided to offer a
challenge to Westerners — anyone who could
traverse the entire road by car would be offered
a prize similar to the one sought by Cariboo
Gold Rush hopefuls: a gold medal. So on June 17,
1922, Charles Neiymer and Frank Silverthorne
departed in a 4x4 and, the following week,
George Gordon and J. Sims left Edmonton in a
Model T Ford. Both pairs arrived in Victoria on
July 4 and were awarded gold medals.
Despite the attention this event created, it
still wasn’t until the Second World War that
the road saw much development. During
the war, displaced Japanese Canadians in
internment camps were forced to work on
the road. Their labour built a path through
Jasper and into the Fraser Valley. With all of
these improvements, the road received more
federal investment and was generally re-built
and paved by 1969. Earlier in 1947, the Trans
Canada Yellowhead Higway Association was
formed to work with the communities along
the highway to help develop the safety and
economies along the burgeoning route. After
many voyages and ventures, the Yellowhead
Highway was officially opened on August 15,
1970, by B.C. Premier W.A.C. Bennett.
Today, the Yellowhead Highway stretches
2,960 km across the four Western provinces
of Canada, containing in its path five national
parks, 90 provincial parks, and countless
national historic sites. The road begins in
downtown Winnipeg where fur traders and
voyageurs met, and continues through the
prairies and Rocky Mountains to the pristine
islands of the Haida Gwaii on the West Coast.
Some incredible adventures have been had
on the legendary Yellowhead Highway — we
hope Go Yellowhead helps you make yours a
memorable one!
goyellowhead.com
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