THE CASCADES OF TIME
BY JACKIE GOLD FOR THE BANFF CRAG & CANYON
Standing vigil over Banff is a lasting reminder of what a town can accomplish, even in the midst of a depression. The Banff National Park Administration Building, which overlooks downtown Banff from its cozy nest, was designed by Ontario architect Harold C. Beckett. Beckett, who held an avid interest in geology, wanted to create a testament to both the park's natural beauty and the geological forces that had made it that way.
He envisioned a garden that represented the geological history of Banff , with rocks of different geological periods being used throughout the grounds. When the Public Works Construction Act was put into place a budget of $40 million was available nationwide, as long as preferential treatment was given to married men with dependents looking for work.
Banff was given a hefty chunk of the budget, and asked Beckett to come up with the design for the park garden.
Having designed homes for the wealthy in the United States , as well as in Ontario , Beckett was more than up to the challenge of creating a serene and beautiful garden, especially given the canvas that he had been given to work with.
Beckett designed the east gate, the administration building and the surrounding gardens. Though his initial drawings were quite elaborate, calling for statues of dinosaurs and cavemen among other things, they were never fully realized as the funding provided for the project dried up before these final touches could be added.
Despite that however, the gardens remain a source of pride for Banff National Park . The siltstone facing on the administration building and all the rocks on the grounds come from within the park and are a testament to the dedication of Beckett and those who worked with him to bring the project to fruition.
" Banff is to have a geological garden, which will be the only one of its kind in the world. It will depict, in rock, plants and models, the evolution of life... and it will be named The Cascade of Times," wrote the Banff Crag & Canyon in 1934, as construction was approved for the project.
While the name of the gardens was to be The Cascades of Time originally, when it was discovered that errors had been made when transporting and distributing the rocks in the construction phases, the name was changed to the Cascade Gardens .
Victorian in style, the Cascade Gardens is also a heritage garden in many ways. While the lines and general layout are considered to be European in nature, the types of plant life chosen reflected the style favoured in 1935.
Wanting to improve the presence of the government in Banff and fully aware that it was a stomping grounds for international and national tourists, the administration building was the first official building in Banff National Park that represented the federal government.
Beckett maintained a similar feel to other government structures, using local materials for both the exterior and interior of the building. The result was a siltstone building that has stoically withstood the test of time.
The design of the building, as well as its ties to the surrounding area, through Beckett's efforts has not gone unnoticed and all these factors combined led to the administration building being designated as a recognized federal heritage building.
The gardens are open from June to September, and preparations have already begun for this year's opening, with 50,000 flowering plants being prepared for the garden. <<back
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