Banff NP

From wild bears to stunning snow-capped mountains: Retro photos of Canada's Banff National Park reveal the glory days of summer holidays

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Vintage colour photographs released by Library and Archives Canada capture summer at the stunning park
Banff National Park was recognised as a Unesco World Heritage in 1984, but travellers have flocked for years
The photographs show tourists encountering bears, skiing and painting lakes during the 1950s

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Bear feeding caught on video in Banff leads to $1,000 fine
Parks Canada asking public to report incidents in effort to curb the problem

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Don't feed the wildlife - that's the message Parks Canada is sending out to the public today.
- Feeding pepperoni sticks to a bear 'isn't good,' Parks Canada says
- Tourists spotted baiting Banff grizzlies with meat
- Banff wolves baited with turkey by suspected 'wildlife paparazzi'
There has been a growing number of incidents of people feeding wildlife in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay, according to Parks Canada.
So much so that the public is being asked to report any incidents, and to include details like licence plate numbers and video of any offenders.

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Der Johnston’s Canyon im Banff National Park ist ab sofort bis voraussichtlich Ende Okober für umfangreiche Restaurierungsarbeiten geschlossen.

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Da haben Ramona und Bert ja Glück gehabt, dass sie dort noch rein durften.

Bird's eye view from the top of Banff Gondola

Bison return to Banff national park in Canada

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A herd of plains bison have been successfully reintroduced to Canada's oldest national park, more than 100 years after they were nearly hunted out of existence.

The 16 bison were moved to the Banff National Park in Alberta last week.
On Monday officials said the transfer had gone smoothly and the animals were adapting well to their new home.
The move will restore their role in the park's ecosystem, officials say, and has been welcomed by indigenous groups.
The bison will be kept under observation in an enclosed pasture of the park in the foothills of the Rockies until the summer of 2018, Parks Canada officials say.

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Im Banff NP haben die Park Bediensteten die Nase voll von Besuchern, die die Bären fütten

Parks officials fed up with people feeding bears in Banff

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Bear-feeding incidents in Banff National Park have led Parks Canada officials to voice frustration and concern over heightened wildlife-human contact amid an expected heavier flow of visitors this summer.

In a tersely worded bulletin Thursday, Parks Canada officials stated it’s imperative no more human feeding of black bears in the Lake Minnewanka area occur after one of the bruins accessed food carelessly left at a day-use concession stand.
It’s believed the bear was involved in two previous food incidents in the area in the past few weeks that sent back-country campers fleeing.
“It is absolutely critical these bears do not receive ANY more food rewards in the form of food, garbage or recycling materials which one of them has been actively seeking out,” it states.
Educational efforts seem to have fallen on many deaf ears and could endanger the lives of food-habituated animals, said Parks Canada ecologist Jesse Whittington.
“We spent a lot of time and effort last summer and this spring to make people know how to behave and we’re disappointed,” said Whittington.
He said an expected increase of visitors fuelled by free park passes to celebrate the nation’s 150th birthday has led Ottawa to beef up its conservation and patrolling staff in the mountain parks.

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Parks Canada closes Moraine Lake Road to personal vehicles

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People wanting to access Moraine Lake in 2023 will have to do so by shuttles or commercial buses.

Moraine Lake Road will be closed to personal vehicles year-round due to an unmanageable level of traffic that has been growing over the last several years, Parks Canada announced on Friday afternoon.

Jed Cochrane, a spokesperson for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay national parks, said 900 vehicles a day were able to park this past summer in the limited lots at the lake, but 5,000 were turned away daily. This led to many verbal and sometimes physical confrontations between frustrated guests and park staff.
“The decision to restrict private vehicles on the road is really about improving visitor experience,” he said. “Being clear to visitors before they come that they won’t be able to take their private vehicle up the road and that they should make alternative transportation arrangements if they want to see Moraine Lake.”

No park employees were injured but Cochrane said RCMP often responded to these situations, sometimes resulting in charges being laid.

Cochrane said this has been a growing issue over the last decade with the popularity of Moraine Lake increasing. Park staff have been managing vehicles on the road since 2016 as traffic volume grew to three or four times capacity.

The park has ramped up efforts in recent years to encourage visitors to use shuttles or buses to access the site and other attractions in the park, including Lake Louise, but now it is a requirement for Moraine Lake. Parks Canada will be adding a few more shuttles but there are other issues of concern at the site including general environmental impacts and infrastructure capacity for washrooms and trailheads.

Officials are considering other options to manage traffic and visitor demand, but Cochrane said the parks agency may not be able to build its way out of the problem. Instead, creative ways are being sought to move people in and out of the area.

Lake Louise, five minutes past the turnoff to Moraine Lake Road, has similarly struggled with the crush of traffic in recent years with full lots early in the morning and thousands being turned away daily. There are additional complications with that site including the Fairmont Lake Louise hotel located on the lake.

The same kind of personal vehicle ban has yet to be put in place for Lake Louise but officials are looking for solutions to the traffic issues.

Cochrane said Parks Canada needs to change the mindset of visitors who drive to the park, especially from southern Alberta. He noted the majority of the people who currently use shuttles are from out of country, while the vast majority of personal vehicles are from the Calgary region.

Some of this may be addressed if a passenger train rail line is completed between Calgary and Banff, making it easier to get to the park without relying on a car or truck. For now, the best way to get to Moraine Lake this summer is to book a spot in advance on a shuttle or chartered bus service.

Parks Canada is working with other national parks in Canada and the U.S., like Zion and Grand Canyon national parks, on best practices to address the situation.

“People who are coming from places where mass transit is how you go and see busy places are very quick to jump on our buses and use them,” said Cochrane. “It’s more of our regional visitors, the ones coming from Calgary who are coming still with the idea that seeing Lake Louise and Moraine Lake is the same as it was 10 or 15 years ago.”

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