Everything about Banff National Park totally explained
Banff National Park is
Canada's oldest
national park, established in 1885, in the
Canadian Rockies. The park, located 110-180 kilometres (70-110
mi) west of
Calgary in the province of
Alberta, encompasses 6,641
square kilometres (2,564
sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous
glaciers and
ice fields, dense
coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The
Icefields Parkway extends from
Lake Louise, connecting to
Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and
Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while
Kootenay National Park is located to the south and
Kananaskis Country to the southeast. The main commercial centre of the park is the town of
Banff, in the
Bow River valley.
The
Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in Banff's early years, building the
Banff Springs Hotel and
Chateau Lake Louise, and attracting tourists through extensive advertising. In the early 20th century, roads were built in Banff, at times by war internees, and through
Great Depression-era public works projects. Since the 1960s, park accommodations have been open all year, with annual tourism visits to Banff increasing to over 5 million in the 1990s. Millions more pass through the park on the
Trans-Canada Highway. As Banff is one of the world's most visited national parks, the health of its ecosystem has been threatened. In the mid-1990s,
Parks Canada responded by initiating a two-year study, which resulted in management recommendations, and new policies that aim to preserve ecological integrity.
History
Throughout its history, Banff National Park has been shaped by tension between
conservation and
development interests. The park was established in 1885, in response to conflicting claims over who discovered
hot springs there, and who had the right to develop the hot springs for commercial interests. Instead, prime minister
John A. Macdonald set aside the hot springs as a small, protected reserve, which was later expanded to include
Lake Louise and other areas extending north to the
Columbia Icefield.
Early history
Archaeological evidence found at
Vermilion Lakes radiocarbon dates the first human activity in Banff to 10,300
B.P. Prior to European contact,
aboriginals, including the
Stoneys,
Kootenay,
Tsuu T'ina,
Kainai,
Peigans, and
Siksika, were common in the region where they hunted
bison and other
game.
With the admission of
British Columbia to Canada on
July 20,
1871, Canada agreed to build a
transcontinental railroad. Construction of the railroad began in 1875, with
Kicking Horse Pass chosen, over the more northerly
Yellowhead Pass, as the route through the Canadian Rockies. In 1920, access to Lake Louise by road was available, and the Banff-Windermere Road opened in 1923 to connect Banff with
British Columbia. With the construction of a new east gate in 1933, Alberta transferred 0.84 square kilometres (207.5 acres) to the park. This, along with other minor changes in the park boundaries in 1949, set the area of the park at 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 sq mi).
Coal mining
In 1887,
local aboriginal tribes signed
Treaty 7, which gave Canada rights to explore the land for resources. At the beginning of the twentieth century,
coal was
mined near
Lake Minnewanka in Banff. For a brief period, a mine operated at Anthracite, but was shut down in 1904. The
Bankhead mine, at
Cascade Mountain, was operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1903 to 1922. In 1926, the town was dismantled, with many buildings moved to the town of Banff and elsewhere.
Prison and work camps
During
World War I, immigrants from
Austria,
Hungary,
Germany, and
Ukraine were sent to Banff to work in
internment camps. The main camp was located at
Castle Mountain, and was moved to Cave and Basin during winter. Much early infrastructure and road construction was done by
Slavic Canadian internees.
In 1931, the
Government of Canada enacted the
Unemployment and Farm Relief Act which provided
public works projects in the
national parks during the
Great Depression. In Banff, workers constructed a new bathhouse and pool at
Upper Hot Springs, to supplement Cave and Basin.
Internment camps were once again set up in Banff during
World War II, with camps stationed at Lake Louise, Stoney Creek, and Healy Creek. Prison camps were largely composed of
Mennonites from
Saskatchewan. In the 1930s, the first
downhill ski resort,
Sunshine Village, was developed by the Brewsters.
Mount Norquay ski area was also developed during the 1930s, with the first
chair lift installed there in 1948. In the 1960s, the Trans-Canada Highway was constructed, providing another transportation corridor through the Bow Valley, in addition to the Bow Valley Parkway, making the park more accessible. Also in the 1960s,
Calgary International Airport was built.
Canada launched several bids to host the
Winter Olympics in Banff, with the first bid for the
1964 Winter Olympics which were eventually awarded to
Innsbruck,
Austria. Canada narrowly lost a second bid, for the
1968 Winter Olympics, which were awarded to
Grenoble,
France. Once again, Banff launched a bid to host the
1972 Winter Olympics, with plans to hold the Olympics at Lake Louise. The 1972 bid was most controversial, as environmental lobby groups provided strong opposition to the bid, which had sponsorship from
Imperial Oil.
During the 1980s, Parks Canada moved to privatize many park services such as golf courses, and added user fees for use of other facilities and services to help deal with budget cuts. In 1990, the
Town of Banff was
incorporated, giving local residents more say regarding any proposed developments.
In the 1990s, development plans for the park, including expansion at Sunshine Village, were under fire with lawsuits filed by
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS). In the mid-1990s, the Banff-Bow Valley Study was initiated to find ways to better address environmental concerns, and issues relating to development in the park.
Geography
Banff National Park is located on Alberta's western border with
British Columbia. Banff is about an hour and half driving distance from
Calgary, and four hours from
Edmonton.
Jasper National Park is located to the north, while
Yoho National Park is to the west, and
Kootenay National Park is to the south.
Kananaskis Country, which includes
Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park,
Spray Valley Provincial Park, and
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, is located to the south and east of Banff.
The
Trans-Canada Highway passes through Banff National Park, from eastern boundary near
Canmore, through the towns of Banff and
Lake Louise, and into Yoho National Park in British Columbia. The Banff townsite is the main commercial center in the national park. The village of Lake Louise is located at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway and the Icefields Parkway, which extends north to the Jasper townsite.
Town of Banff
The Town of Banff, established in 1883, is the main commercial centre in Banff National Park, as well as a centre for cultural activities. Banff is home to several cultural institutions, including the
Banff Centre, the
Whyte Museum, the
Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum,
Cave and Basin National Historic Site, and several
art galleries. Throughout its history, Banff has hosted many annual events, including Banff Indian Days which began in 1889, and the Banff Winter Carnival. Since 1976, The Banff Center has organized the
Banff Mountain Film Festival. In 1990, the town was incorporated as a municipality of Alberta, though still subject to the
National Parks Act and federal authority in regards to planning and development. As of the 2005
census, the Town of Banff has a population of 8,352, of which nearly 7,000 are permanent residents. The Bow River flows through the town of Banff, with the
Bow Falls located on the outskirts of town.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise, a small village located 54 kilometres (32 mi) west of the Banff townsite, is home to the landmark
Chateau Lake Louise at the edge of Lake Louise. Located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Lake Louise,
Moraine Lake provides a scenic vista of the
Valley of the Ten Peaks. This scene was pictured on the back of the $20
Canadian banknote, in the 1969–1979 ("Scenes of Canada") series. The
Lake Louise Mountain Resort is also located near the village.
Icefields Parkway
The
Icefields Parkway extends 230 kilometres (143 miles), connecting Lake Louise to Jasper, Alberta. The Parkway originates at Lake Louise, and extends north up the Bow Valley, past
Hector Lake,
Bow Lake, and
Peyto Lake. The Parkway then crosses a summit, and follows the
Mistaya River to
Saskatchewan Crossing, where it converges with the
Howse and
North Saskatchewan River.
The
North Saskatchewan River flows east from Saskatchewan Crossing, out of Banff, into what is known as David Thompson country, and onto Edmonton. The
David Thompson Highway follows the North Saskatchewan River, past the man-made
Abraham Lake, and through David Thompson Country. At Saskatchewan Crossing, basic services are available, including gasoline, cafeteria, a gift shop, and small motel.
North of Saskatchewan Crossing, the Icefields Parkway follows the North Saskatchewan River up to the
Columbia Icefield. The Parkway crosses into Jasper National Park at Sunwapta Pass at 2,023
metres (6,635
ft) in elevation, and continues on from there to the Jasper townsite.
Geology
The Canadian Rockies consist of several northwest-southeast trending ranges. Closely following the
continental divide, the Main Ranges form the backbone of the Canadian Rockies. The Front Ranges are located east of the Main Ranges. Banff National Park extends eastward from the continental divide and includes the eastern slope of the Main Ranges and much of the Front Ranges. The latter include the mountains around the Banff townsite. The foothills are located to the east of the Park, between Calgary and Canmore. On the other side of the Park, the Western Ranges pass through Yoho and Kootenay National Parks. Still farther west is the
Rocky Mountain Trench, the western boundary of the Canadian Rockies region in
British Columbia.
The Canadian Rockies are composed of
sedimentary rock, including
shale,
sandstone,
limestone, and
quartzite, that originated as deposits in a shallow inland sea. The
geologic formations in Banff range in age from
Precambrian eon to the
Jurassic period.
The mountains were formed 80–120 million years ago, as a product of
thrust faults.
Over the past 80 million years,
erosion has taken its toll on the landscape, with more extensive erosion occurring in the foothills and Front Range than in the Main Range.
Castle Mountain exemplifies a castellate shape, with steep slopes and cliffs. The top section of Castle Mountain is composed of a layer of
Paleozoic-era shale, sandwiched between two limestone layers. Dogtooth mountains, such as
Mount Louis, exhibit sharp, jagged slopes. The
Sawback Range, which consists of dipping sedimentary layers, has been eroded by cross
gullies.
Scree deposits are common toward the bottom of many mountains and cliffs.
Banff's landscape has also been marked by glacial erosion, with deep
U-shaped valleys and many
hanging valleys that often form
waterfalls. Matterhorn-type mountains, such as
Mount Assiniboine, have been shaped by glacial erosion that has left a sharp peak. A number of small
gorges also exist, including
Mistaya Canyon and
Johnston Canyon.
Glaciers and icefields
Banff National Park has numerous large glaciers and icefields, many of which are easily accessed from the Icefields Parkway. Small
cirque glaciers are fairly common in the Main Ranges, situated in depressions on the side of many mountains. As with the majority of mountain glaciers around the world, the glaciers in Banff are retreating. Photographic evidence alone provides testimony to this retreat and the trend has become alarming enough that
glaciologists have commenced researching the glaciers in the park more thoroughly, and have been analyzing the impact that reduced glacier ice may have on water supplies to streams and rivers. The largest glaciated areas include the
Waputik and
Wapta Icefields, which both lie on the Banff-Yoho National Park border. Wapta Icefield covers approximately 80 square kilometres (30.9 sq mi) in area. Outlets of Wapta Icefield on the Banff side of the continental divide include
Peyto,
Bow, and
Vulture Glaciers. Bow Glacier retreated an estimated 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) between the years 1850 and 1953, and is at risk of disappearing entirely within the next 30 to 40 years. Both
Crowfoot and
Hector Glaciers are also easily visible from the Icefields Parkway, yet they're singular glaciers and are not affiliated with any major icesheets.
The
Columbia Icefield, at the northern end of Banff, straddles the Banff and Jasper National Park border and extends into British Columbia.
Snow Dome, in the Columbia Icefields, forms a hydrological apex of North America, with water flowing from this point in to the
Pacific via the
Columbia, the
Arctic Ocean via the
Athabasca River, and into the
Hudson Bay and ultimately into the
Atlantic Ocean, via the
North Saskatchewan River.
Climate
Located on the eastern side of the Continental Divide, Banff National Park receives 472 millimetres (19
in) of precipitation annually. This is considerably less than received in Yoho National Park on the western side of the divide in British Columbia, with 884 millimetres (35 in) annual precipitation at
Wapta Lake and 616 millimetres (26.3 in) at Boulder Creek. The tree line in Banff lies approximately at 2,300 meters (7,544 ft), The montane areas, which tend to be the preferred habitat for wildlife, have been subjected to significant human development over the years.
Wildlife
The park has 56 mammal species that have been recorded.
Grizzly and
Black bears inhabit the forested regions.
Cougar,
Lynx,
Wolverine,
weasel,
Northern River Otter and
wolves are the primary predatory mammals.
Elk,
Mule Deer, and
White-tailed Deer are common in the valleys of the park, including around (and sometimes in) the Banff townsite, while
Moose tend to be more elusive, sticking primarily to wetland areas and near streams. In the alpine regions,
Mountain Goats,
Bighorn Sheep,
marmots and
pika are widespread. Other mammals such as
Beaver,
Porcupine,
squirrel,
chipmunks are the more commonly observed smaller mammals.
In 2005, a total of 5
caribou were counted, making this species one of the rarest mammals found in the park. Woodland caribou, found in Banff, are listed as a
threatened species, as are grizzly bears.
Mountain pine beetles
Mountain pine beetles have caused a number of large-scale infestations in Banff National Park, feeding off of the
phloem of mature lodgepole pines. Alberta's first known outbreak occurred in 1940, infecting 43 square kilometres (17 sq mi) of forest in Banff. A second major outbreak occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Banff and the surrounding Rocky Mountains region.
Tourism
Banff National Park is the most visited Alberta tourist destination and one of the most visited national parks in North America, with 3,927,557 visitors in 2004/2005. During summer, 42% of park visitors are from Canada (23% from Alberta), while 35% are from the
United States, and 20% from Europe. Tourism in Banff contributes an estimated
C$6 billion annually to the
economy.
A park pass is required for stopping in the park and permit checks are common during the summer months, especially at Lake Louise and the start of the Icefields Parkway. A permit isn't required if travelling straight through the park without stopping. Approximately 5 million people pass through Banff annually on the Trans-Canada Highway without stopping.
Human impact
Ecology
Since the nineteenth century, humans have impacted Banff's ecology through introduction of
non-native species, controls on other species, and development in the
Bow Valley, among other human activities.
Bison once lived in the valleys of Banff, but were hunted by indigenous people and the last bison was killed off in 1858. Elk are not indigenous to Banff, and were introduced in 1917 with 57 elk brought in from Yellowstone National Park. The introduction of elk to Banff, combined with controls on
coyote and
wolves by Parks Canada beginning in the 1930s, has caused imbalance of the ecosystem. However, the wolf population has struggled, with 32 wolf deaths along the Trans-Canada Highway between 1987 and 2000, leaving only 31 wolves in the area.
The population of
bull trout and other native species of fish in Banff's lakes has also dwindled, with the introduction of non-native species including
brook trout, and
rainbow trout.
Lake trout,
Westslope cutthroat trout, and
Chiselmouth are also rare native species, while
Chinook salmon,
White sturgeon,
Pacific lamprey, and
Banff longnose dace are likely extinct locally. The
Banff longnose dace, once only found in Banff, is now an
extinct species. CPAWS also put pressure on UNESCO to revoke Banff's World Heritage Site status, over concerns that developments were harming the park's ecological health.
Banff-Bow Valley Study
While the National Parks Act and the 1988 amendment emphasize ecological integrity, in practice Banff has suffered from inconsistent application of the policies. While the two-year Banff-Bow Valley Study was underway, development projects were halted, including the expansion of Sunshine Village, and the
twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway between Castle Junction and Sunshine.
The panel issued over 500 recommendations, including limiting the growth of the Banff townsite, capping the town's population at 10,000, placing quotas for popular hiking trails, and curtailing development in the park.
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