Page 375 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

GAME PRESERVES AND LAWS IN CANADA 353
of American bison that was purchased in Montana in 1909. It now contains 1,052 head of bison, 20 moose, 35 deer, 7 elk, and 6 antelope.
The Elk Island Park is near Fort Saskatchewan and Lamont, and at this date (1912) it contains 53 bison, 28 elk, 30 deer and 5 moose. The bison subsist entirely by grazing, and upon hay cut within the Park.
Jasper Park, established in 1908, is on the Athabasca River and the GrandTrvmkPacificRailway,nearStrathcona. Sixtymilesoftherail- waylineliewithinthePark. vScenically,JasperParkisarivalofRocky Mountains Park, and undoubtedly possesses great attractions for travellers who appreciate the beauties and grandeur of Nature as ex- pressed in mountains, valleys, lakes and streams.
Waterton Lakes Park is situated in the extreme southwestern corner of Alberta, in the Rocky Mountains surrounding the Waterton Lakes. At present it is nine miles long from north to south and six miles wide, with its southern end resting on the international boundary, and adjoin- ingourGlacierPark. Itisthehomeofafewbandsofmountainsheep that carry very large horns. Through the initiative of Frederick K. Vreeland, the Camp-Fire Club of America two years ago represented to the Government of Alberta the great desirabihty of enlarging this pre- serve, toward the north and west, the better to protect the mountain sheep and other big game of that region. The suggestion was received in a friendly spirit, and there is gcod reason to hope that at an early date the enlargement will be made.
British Columbia.—This province has made an excellent beginning inthecreationofgamepreserves. Thefirstagitationonthatsubjectwas begun in 1906, by two sportsmen whose names in connection w^th it have longsincebeenforgotten. OnNovember15,1908,theLegislativeCoun- cil of British Columbia issued a proclamation that created a very fine game preserve in the East Kootenai District, between the Elk and Bull RiversandnorthwestwardthereoftotheWhiteRivercountry. Byan unfortunate oversight, the new preserve never has been officially named, but we may designate it here as
The Elk River Game Preserve.—This preserve has a total area of about 450 square miles, and includes a fine tract of mountains, valleys, lakesandstreams. Itcontainedin1908about1,000mountaingoats,200 sheep,afewelkanddeer,andabout50grizzlybears. Allthesehave notably increased during the period of absolute protection that they have enjoyed. It is probable that this preserve contains more white mountain goats than any other preserve that thus far has been made. It was in this region that Mr. John M. Phillips and Prof. Henry Fairfield Osborne made the first mountain goat photographs ever made at close range. Itistobehopedthattheprotectionofthispreserve,bothasto its wild life and its timber, will be made perpetual.
Eraser River Preserve.—Next after the above there was created in British Columbia a game preserve covering a large portion of the moun- tain territory that rises between the North and South Forks of the FraserRiver. Itisabout75mileslongby30mileswideandcontains