History

A History of Dragon Boating

The origins of the Dragon Boat Festival date back to over 2000 years ago in China. While competition has taken place annually for more than 20 centuries as part of folk ritual, it emerged in modern times as an international sport in 1976. Like running, horse racing, and marksmanship, the racing of dragon boats is among the oldest of organized competitions and is one of the fastest growing athletic events in the world today!

Contemporary folk tradition commonly attributes dragon boating’s origins to the saving of a drowning Chinese folk hero. Qu Yuan, a patriot and poet, lived from 340 to 278 BC, and found himself out of favour of the king, who refused to listen to his advice on reforms in his home state of Chu. Banished from his home, he wandered the countryside, writing poetry about his home and its people. Upon learning that his home had been invaded, Qu Yuan threw himself into the Mi Lo River as a protest against a corrupt government.

Hearing the news, his devoted followers rushed to the river to search for him. Although they were unable to save him, they splashed wildly with their paddles and beat drums to scare fish away from eating his body.
Although dragon boat racing has changed considerably over the centuries, tradition still has it that dragon boat races were held to honour the beloved poet’s act of courage for his country and its people.

Lake Minnewanka History

Lake Minnewanka has a history quite unlike any other body of water in Banff National Park. It is the largest lake in the Park and the only one that allows the use of powerboats. It is also the only lake in a Canadian national park that has a hydroelectric dam.

In the late 1800’s, the lake was home to Minnewanka Landing, a popular resort community which featured a hotel, fishing guides, boat rentals, restaurants, clipper sailing, and even iceboating. Minnewanka Landing became a popular location due to its proximity to Banff and opportunity to go boating or sailing. When the lake was dammed, the reservoir submerged Minnewanka Landing, which later became a popular location for cold water diving.

Lake Minnewanka has been dammed three times over the last hundred years, raising the water level 25 meters and extending the lake to 8km long. The first dam was built in 1912 for the purpose of generating electricity when a miner’s strike, at the adjacent coal mine at Bankhead, temporarily disrupted Banff’s power supply. The strike caused the town to look for a more stable source of power, and the decision was made to dam the outlet of the lake to generate hydroelectricity. The lake was further dammed in 1922 to supply more power to the burgeoning town of Banff and again in 1941 under the War Measures Act to increase output for the war effort.

The history of how Lake Minnewanka received its name comes from a Stoney legend telling of a half-human, half-fish creature, locally known as the ‘mer-man’ that called the lake home. Legend says this mysterious creature was believed to prey upon unsuspecting boaters who dared to ply the waters of the lake. In reference to this legend, the lake was previously called Devil’s Lake, but was changed in 1888 as it was believed the name was too ominous for visitors. It was renamed Lake Minnewanka, which is translated from the Stoney name Minnee-wah-kah, or “Lake of the Water Spirit”.

Today Lake Minnewanka is a popular summer location for picnickers, hikers, mountain bikers, fishermen, and cross country skiers in the winter. It is also an amazing place to experience the Canadian Rocky Mountain scenery and the abundant wildlife that live along the shores of the lake.