Banff
The Town of Banff special thing about is its incorporated as a municipality in 1990. And was the first municipality in Canada to be incorporated inside a national park. Because the only other national park community in Canada is the Municipality of Jasper, in Jasper National Park, incorporated in 2001.
Population
The Town of Banff official population is about 8,000 residents. Check out the municipal census for details.
Living in Banff is a privilege. Because we all know how lucky we are to be part of this community inside a national park. And our way of life is more than just skiing and hiking. But there is a lot of that. And it’s also taking care of this special community and respecting our surroundings. Everyone that lives in Banff must meet a “need to reside” requirement regulated by the federal government.
The net result of this is a typical summer day. And visitor Adjusted Population of around 43,000 persons. But this number can increase significantly based on day visitation. And since every 1,000 additional inbound vehicles brings around 2,500 additional people. So on the busiest summer days we estimate our daily visitor adjusted population to be above 50,000. And that is a fact.
Economy
Tourism is the town’s economic driver. And more than 4 million people visit Banff National Park every year. But almost all of them visit the Town of Banff.
The federal government limits the amount of space available for commercial development in national parks.
And commercial space in the Town of Banff is capped at 353,000 square metres (3.8 million square feet). So about 10% of the total area of the townsite. And commercial activities must be consistent with the purposes of the town. Because as set out in the Banff Incorporation Agreement. Find out more about opening a business in Banff.
Banff, Established to Serve Visitors
Because indigenous peoples have lived in this area for well over 10,000 years. And their knowledge of the geography undoubtedly benefited European settlement of the mountain community.
Indigenous Peoples
“Indigenous peoples” is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. Often, “Aboriginal peoples” is also used. The Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal peoples which includes Indians (more commonly referred to as First Nations), Inuit and Métis. Each of these distinct groups of peoples have unique histories, languages, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs. There are more than 630 First Nation communities in Canada, which represent more than 50 Nations and 50 Indigenous languages.
First Nations in Banff
Indigenous peoples have inhabited the area in and around present-day Banff for more than 10,000 years.
Top 10 Local Favourites in Summer and Winter
Summer
- Want to know what the locals do in the summer in Banff? Check out these top 10 tips:
- Ride your road bike along the Vermilion Lakes road. It’s an easy ride that takes you past the beautiful lakes and, if you want to extend your journey, you can connect to the Banff Legacy Trail.
- Take your mountain bike on some trails close to town. Ride the Spray River Loop or head to the Tunnel Bench Loop. Parks Canada has a list of approved mountain biking trails.
- Have lunch on a bench by the Bow River in Central Park. It’s just steps away from downtown Banff is a quiet spot to enjoy a picnic.
- Hike up Tunnel Mountain for a noon-time workout. If you’re looking for an easy introduction to mountain climbing, this is it.
- If it’s a hot day, escape the heat by heading to Johnson Lake. It warms up enough that you can swim in the lake, or just lounge on the shoreline.
- Poke around the alleys and discover hidden entrances to Banff’s great stores. Find a list of shopping locations from Banff Lake Louise Tourism.
- Soothe your tired muscles in the Banff Hot Springs.
- Beat the crowds and do your grocery shopping early in the morning when there’s lots of parking and no lines.
- Play a round of golf at the Banff Springs Golf Course. Locals love hitting the links to play the Tunnel 9.
- Catch a concert or take in a film at The Banff Centre.
Winter
- Visiting in the winter? Here are some of the top 10 things locals love to do:
- Go ice skating on a frozen lake – Johnson Lake, Lake Minnewanka, the Vermilion Lakes, or Lake Louise. There’s even an ice skating rink in downtown Banff at the high school field for part of the winter.
- Grab your cross-country skis and head to the Cascade Fire Road. Find a list of cross-country skiing trails from Parks Canada.
- Take advantage of some amazing deals at local restaurants during A Taste For Adventure.
- Enjoy the many activities of Banff’s winter festival, SnowDays, that’s held January/February. It’s got everything from ice sculpture demos to and ice climbing wall in downtown Banff.
- Ski or snowboard at one or all of the three ski resorts in Banff National Park (Ski Norquay, Sunshine Village, and Lake Louise Mountain Resort)
- Check the online calendar for events, festivals and activities.
- Enjoy après ski in front of a crackling fireplace. Find a list of restaurants in town from Banff Lake Louise Tourism.
- Escape the cold for a few hours and head to the indoor climbing wall at the Sally Borden Building at The Banff Centre.
- Tunnel Mountain Road is closed to vehicles in the winter so it makes for a peaceful walk anytime of the day.
- Enter a team in the Mountain Madness Relay Race. This is a pretty unique race – it starts with a downhill ski portion on Mt. Norquay, followed by a run to the Bow River, then it’s ice skating, classic cross-country skiing and finally snowshoeing across the finish line.
Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy the Rocky Mountains. Banff enjoys extended daylight hours, warm summer days and cool evenings June through September.
Winter Activities
Banff is a great place to enjoy just about any winter outdoor activity you can imagine. We enjoy a relatively long winter recreation season, and although temperatures are often below freezing, we have regular warming trends called chinooks that relieve the cold and bring more snow.
Conclusion
The natural beauty of Banff’s surrounding lakes and mountains made it Canada’s first National Park and the world’s third national park refuge, and part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site.
And more than 4 million people from around the world now visit Banff National Park every year.