The idea of a road connecting
Banff with the Columbia Valley originated in 1910 by Robert Bruce, a businessman from Invermere, Bristish-Columbia, so he could transport fruit from an orchard industry he hoped to established in the valley. A deal was made and split in two. The road between
Banff and Vermillion Pass would be build by the Federal Department of the Interior. The remainding would be build by the Province of British Columbia and CPR.
Construction began in 1911 and went over budget rapidly. By 1914,
Banff and Vermillion Pass were connected but only two difficult stretches had been made in B.C. totalling less than 30 KM.
With WWI the project was suspended.