Could you please paraphrase this paragraph for me?
The Athabasca River rises in the glaciers of Alberta’s Jasper National Park, one of the most beautiful areas of the canadian Rocky Mountains. For 168 kilometres the river passes below spectacular snow-covered peaks, many rising more than 2,500 metres above the valley floor. Not seen by white men until the early 19th century, the river’s upper valley played a significant role in the development of the Canadian west for more than 100 years. A major fur trade route, the valley also has close connections with the surveying and mapping of western Canada, and with the building of railways and roads which have linked this country from east to west. The Athabasca is accessible by both road and rail from all major centres in Alberta and British Columbia and offers excellent canoeing, kayaking, hiking and rafting with all of the attendant services and facilities usually found in canada’s national parks.
Because of this outstanding natural beauty, historical significance and importance for river recreation, the section of the Athabasca River within Jasper National Park has been nominated as a Canadian Heritage River.
The Athabasca is an important Canadian river.