Banff, Alberta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This page refers to the town of Banff in Alberta, Canada. For other places with the name Banff, see Banff (disambiguation)
| Town of Banff | |
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Banff Avenue against Cascade Mountain
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| Area | 4.85 km² |
| Population | 6,700 (2005) |
| Population density | 1381.7/km² |
| Location | |
| Altitude | 1463 m m |
| Incorporation | 1880 |
| Province | Alberta |
| Census division | 15 |
| MP | Myron Thompson |
| MLA | Janis Tarchuk |
| Mayor | John Stutz |
| City manager | Robert Earl |
| Governing body | Banff Town Council |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| Postal code | T1L |
| Area code | +1-403 |
| Banff.ca | |
Banff (2006 Town Population 6,700; UA population 6,700)( Elevation: 1463 m/4800 ft) is the largest town in Banff National Park, located in southwestern Alberta within the Canadian Rockies, making it the town with the highest elevation in Canada. The town is situated above Bow Falls near the junction of the Bow and Spray Rivers. Banff is located about 135 kilometres (85 miles) west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway. It is also 58 km (36 miles) east of Lake Louise. The town is now a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership, making it the westernmost municipality within Greater Calgary.
The resort town is a very popular tourist destination and is known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs. It is a major destination for outdoor sports and features extensive hiking, scrambling and skiing areas within the region. Two ski resorts are located in close proximity: Sunshine Village and Mount Norquay ski resort.
There are a number of popular mountains located immediately adjacent to the townsite. They include Mount Rundle (2949 metres), Cascade Mountain (2998 metres) and Mount Norquay (2134 metres), which has a ski slope as well as mountain biking trails on the Stoney Squaw portion. A gondola lift is available to ascend Sulphur Mountain (2281 metres) where a boardwalk beginning from the upper terminal takes visitors to Sanson Peak. Sulphur Mountain is also the location of one of Banff's most popular attractions, the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Tunnel Mountain (formerly known as Sleeping Buffalo Mountain) (1690 metres) is situated within the townsite and is very popular for quick hikes; one can reach the summit in less than half an hour. It was named Tunnel Mountain because surveyors initially wanted to make a tunnel for the Trans-Canada (Canadian Pacific) Railroad right through the mountain, instead of following the Bow River Valley.
Banff is home to the well-known Banff World Television Festival as well as the Banff Festival of Mountain Films.
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[edit] History
The town was founded by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1880 as a tourist destination[1]. The original location of the settlement was where Lake Minnewanka currently is, and was called Siding 29 (on the CPR line). There are still remnants of the nearby mining town of Bankhead - situated between Lake Minnewanka and the current Banff townsite. It was named after the burgh of Banffshire in Scotland, the birthplace of two CPR directors[2]. The Railway built a series of grand hotels along the rail line and advertised the Banff Springs Hotel as an international tourist resort. Banff remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada. In 1985, the United Nations declared Banff National Park, as one of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, a World Heritage Site.
[edit] Contemporary issues
According to the 2005 municipal census, the town's permanent population was 8352. However, this figure includes a seasonal shadow population of about 1000. The town's growth in recent years has led to concerns by environmentalists who fear the town's growth will harm the wilderness of the surrounding national park. The federal government has attempted to address these concerns by restricting development in the town, and mandating that only people who are employed or otherwise have ongoing business in Banff (plus their immediate families) may take up permanent residence in the community.
According to the Canada 2006 Census:
| * Population: | 6,700 (-6.1% from 2001) |
| * Land area: | 4.85 km² |
| * Population density: | 1381.7 people/km² |
| * National population rank (Out of 5,008): | Ranked 544th |
| * Median age:† | 29.4 (males: 30.0, females: 28.7) |
| * Total private dwellings: | 2,844 |
| * Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: | 2,568 |
| * Mean household income:↑ | $35,651 |
References:
Footnotes: ↑ The data has not yet been released and is based on 2001 Census.
 Banff townsite (left) and Tunnel Mountain (right) |
 Stoney Squaw with Cascade Mountain in the background |
 Picture of the Banff and Canmore area |
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 View of the River by the town of Banff |
[edit] See also
- Parks Canada
- Banff National Park
- Banff Centre
- Alberta
- People from Banff, Alberta
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official Website of the Town of Banff
- Banff.com - Online Guide to the Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park
- Banff Lake Louise Tourism
- Crag and Canyon - Local newspaper
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Lake Louise | Mount Norquay ski resort Cascade Mountain |
Lake Minnewanka | |
| Sunshine Village |  |
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 Town of Banff  |
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| Radium Hot Springs | Sulphur Mountain | Canmore |
 Subdivisions of Alberta |
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| Regions | Calgary Region · Edmonton Capital Region · Calgary-Edmonton Corridor · Central Alberta · Northern Alberta · Southern Alberta |
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| Other | School districts · Regional Health Authorities |
