There’s a lot more to Banff and Lake Louise than meets the eye, and far more colour and depth than you’ll find in any history books. Meet the people who live here and grab some quick but quirky facts.
Encircled by fresh and pure beauty, it’s a vibrant place that defies stereotypes. It’s got glitz and granola, wildlife, and sometimes wilder night life. Moms and Dads jog past pushing baby trailers. Seniors share tales on park benches. Genuine people live here.
Banff and Lake Louise are unique and authentic. They’re dynamic areas with extraordinary natural beauty, wide-open spaces and where people feel free. Life is celebrated here through the natural environment, wildlife, plant life, and clean water.
The community includes every one from ardent athletes to accomplished artists. It ranges from urban professionals who dropped out of the mainstream for lifestyle reasons, to former ski bums who grew up, went “straight” and got full-time jobs. There’s a lively international expatriate collection of college-aged kids who are here for a good time, but perhaps not a long time.
The exclusive views have enticed Hollywood and Buckingham Palace, Arabian sheiks and billionaire tech wizards to relax and rejuvenate. Languages, styles and cultures from around the world mingle on the sidewalks. Take a seat on a bench or a sunny restaurant patio and engage in some head-turning, people watching.
However, the handful of deer and elk who brave the streets of Banff and Lake Louise are the real celebrities here, with their own tourist paparazzi clicking away as the animals serenely stroll past. Like most celebs, they too get snarly when a camera comes too close.
But most of the wildlife in this vast park, including moose, grizzly bears, wolf, and big horn sheep, placidly spend most of their time out in the vast Banff National Park wilderness. Hunters are not allowed in this protected World Heritage site, so animals only have to watch out for their natural predators.
Three million visitors from around the globe each year can’t be wrong ‑ you just know the place has got to be special. Generations of shared memories have brought children and grandchildren back to see for themselves the images in the family photo album.
Banff National Park ‑ Canada’s first in 1885 and third in the world ‑ fascinated and captivated people from the moment the Canadian Pacific Railway began transporting them by ocean liner and luxury coach to these magnetic mountains. Insightful pioneers built grand luxury hotels and spas to tempt the travelers; historic properties with old-world charm that stand today.
A stroll down the streets and lanes of Banff or Lake Louise reveals a heart-grabbing view of a mountain at each corner. A vast eye-snapping, knock-your-boot-off wilderness, the Canadian Rockies stretch as far as the eye can see. People find the bold views both humbling and life-affirming.
The raw physical beauty draws adventurous mountain climbers and hikers tired of following footsteps in busier locales. The colours alone seduce artists, painters and photographers: turquoise blue glacier-fed lakes, endless green forests, delicate wildflowers of every hue, subtle shades of silver-gray, ice-white, and deep ebony on the peaks, and the crimson alpine sunsets. Much of their work can be found in local art galleries, museums, and photography shops.
Hand-crafted souvenirs, technical outerwear, sports equipment and sleek designer goods are the local retail therapy. Expert chefs serve up tantalizing culinary excellence from around the world in a United Nations of food options, all within minutes of each other. Crisp alpine air fuels healthy outdoor pursuits: skiing, hiking, canoeing, horseback riding, and camping. Engaging local guides can take you to the best locations, far off the beaten track.
Residents of Banff and Lake Louise live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and feel privileged to experience the best that life has to offer here. A charismatic and friendly community, the locals graciously share Banff National Park with the world. Just try asking a question – any question.
3 million: the number of people who visit each year.
11,000: B.C., the year that humans discovered Banff, according to archaeologists.
8300: the number of permanent residents in the Town of Banff.
6600: in square kilometres, the size of Banff National Park.
3612: the number, in metres (11,850 feet), of Mt. Forbes – the highest mountain totally within the park – seen from North Saskatchewan River Crossing along the Icefields Parkway.
2600: the estimated number of mountain goats.
1990: the year that Banff became a self-governing municipality within the province of Alberta.
1909: skiing is introduced in Lake Louise and Banff by Swiss and Austrian mountain guides.
1900: the population of the Hamlet of Lake Louise in the summer – 1500 in the winter.
1884: Banff was named after the town of Banffshire, Scotland by Lord Steven, a former CPR director.
1885: the year Banff National Park was established, the first in Canada and third in the world.
1882: Horse outfitter Tom Wilson, with guidance from a Stoney Indian, discovered Lake Louise.
1000: the estimated number of elk.
80: the estimated number of grizzly bears – there are between 50 and 60 black bears.
51: the number of hotels – 5349 beds.
50: the estimated number of wolves.
12: golf courses within a short drive, including the only one in the park at The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
7: the number of national historic sites – the most within any Canadian national park.
3: the number of ski resorts – Banff Mount Norquay, Sunshine Village and the Lake Louise Mountain Resort, with 200 kilometres of trails spread over 7,748 acres.