Editing Yellowhead Pass

{{Short description|Mountain pass on the Alberta/British Columbia border}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2009}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name                 = Yellowhead Pass
| native_name          = 
| native_language      = 
| other_name           = 
| etymology            = 
| image                = CNR Yellowhead.jpg
| caption              = [[Canadian National Railways|CNR]] [[EMD GP9|GP9]] in the Yellowhead Pass
| alt                  = 
| locmapin             =
| coordinates          = {{coord|52|53|33|N|118|27|50|W|region:CA_type:pass|display=inline,title}}
| location             = [[Alberta]], [[British Columbia]], Canada
| area                 = 
| elevation            = {{convert|1131|m|abbr=on}}
| founded              = 
| founder              = [[Canadian Northern Railway]]<br>[[Grand Trunk Pacific Railway]]
| built                = 
| original_use         = [[Mountain pass]]
| current_use          = 
| architect            = 
| architecture         = 
| governing_body       = [[Parks Canada]]
| owner                =
| visitation_num       = 
| visitation_year      = 
| website              = 
| designation1         = National Historic Site of Canada
| designation1_offname =
| designation1_date    = 
| designation1_number  =
| designation2         = 
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}} <!-- Infobox ends -->
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Yellowhead Pass
| photo =
| photo_caption =
| elevation_m = 1131
| elevation_ref = <ref>Flickr. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/canadagood/4123333546/ Yellowhead Pass]</ref>
| traversed = [[Yellowhead Highway]] and [[Canadian National Railway]]; [[Via Rail|Via Rail's]] ''[[Canadian (train)|Canadian]]'', Via's [[Jasper – Prince Rupert train]] and the Jasper section of the ''[[Rocky Mountaineer]]'' using CN tracks| location = [[Jasper National Park]], Alberta / [[Mount Robson Provincial Park]], British Columbia, Canada
| range = [[Canadian Rockies]]
| topo = [[National Topographic System|NTS]] {{Canada NTS Map Sheet}}
}}

{{Location map|Canada British Columbia
|width=220
|lon_dir=W|lat_dir=N
|lat_deg = 52
|lat_min = 53
|lon_deg = 118
|lon_min = 28
|caption = Yellowhead Pass in [[British Columbia]]
}}

The '''Yellowhead Pass''' is a [[mountain pass]] across the [[Continental Divide of the Americas]] in the [[Canadian Rockies]]. It is on the provincial boundary between the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian provinces]] of [[Alberta]] and [[British Columbia]], and lies within [[Jasper National Park]] and [[Mount Robson Provincial Park]].
[[File:Yellowhead Pass gscmcm 0748 e 1901 mn01.pdf|thumbnail|right|Topological map of the proposed, never-built [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] line from East Selkirk to Kamloops, passing through the Yellowhead Pass.]]
Due to its modest elevation of {{convert|1,131|m|abbr=on}} and its gradual approaches, the pass was recommended by Sir [[Sandford Fleming]] as a route across the [[Rocky Mountains]] for the planned [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]. The proposal was rejected in favour of a more direct and southerly route, through the more difficult [[Kicking Horse Pass]], which was opened in 1886.
Later the [[Grand Trunk Pacific Railway|Grand Trunk Pacific]] and [[Canadian Northern Railways]] used the Yellowhead Pass for their main lines, built c. 1910–1913, and the main line of their successor, the [[Canadian National Railway]], still follows the route. [[Via Rail]]'s premier passenger train, the ''[[Canadian (train)|Canadian]]''; the [[Jasper – Prince Rupert train]]; and the Jasper section of the ''[[Rocky Mountaineer]]'' use the Yellowhead Pass, which is now used also by the [[Yellowhead Highway]].

It is believed that the pass was named for Pierre Bostonais (nicknamed ''[[Tête Jaune]]'', French for "yellow head", because of his blond hair), an [[Iroquois]]-[[Métis people (Canada)|Métis]] trapper employed as a guide by the [[Hudson's Bay Company]]. Bostonais led one of the first expeditions for the company to what is now the interior of British Columbia through the pass in 1820.

==See also==

* [[List of Rocky Mountain passes on the continental divide]]
* [[List of mountain passes]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{cite cgndb|id=IAACB|name=Yellowhead Pass}}
*{{cite cgndb|id=JCLOL|name=Yellowhead Pass}}
*[http://albertajasper.com/Jasper-Alberta-Yellowhead-Pass-History.html Jasper Alberta Yellowhead Pass History]
*[http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=6263 Yellowhead Pass and its People. Valemount Historic Society]

{{Canadian Rockies}}

[[Category:Mountain passes of Alberta]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Great Divide of North America]]
[[Category:Canadian National Railway facilities]]
[[Category:Rail mountain passes of Alberta]]
[[Category:Rail mountain passes of British Columbia]]
[[Category:National Historic Sites in Alberta]]
[[Category:National Historic Sites in British Columbia]]
[[Category:Jasper National Park]]
[[Category:Borders of Alberta]]
[[Category:Borders of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Landforms on the National Historic Sites of Canada register]]