.png;w=960)
The way visitors access the iconic Lake Louise area is likely to change in order to protect the environment and treasured wildlife, and improve the experiences visitors and residents are having in Canada’s flagship national park.
According to survey results that formed a what-we-heard report, which was released by Parks Canada on Thursday (Jan. 16) at the conclusion of the first phase of consultation about visitor use management in the busy area of Banff National Park, most people are telling Parks Canada to deal with overcrowding and congestion in Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
Parks Canada has previously said limits or quotas for some types of use, in some areas, at certain times, may be necessary in the face of exploding visitation, which hit about 4.3 million park-wide in Banff National Park last year – the busiest year on record – with proposed tactics expected to come before the public in spring as part of the next round of consultation.
Officials say some of the 1,000-plus survey respondents suggested limiting or reducing the number of daily visitors, while others felt that changes could be made to infrastructure and services to improve access and better disperse visitors in the region.
Dwight Bourdin, visitor experience manager for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit, said 62 per cent of survey respondents mentioned overcrowding as a barrier to visiting and enjoying the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake area.
“Most people told us that they wanted to see changes in the way visitors access the Lake Louise area,” he said.
Between 2013 and 2023, visitation to Banff National Park grew by 31 per cent; however, the rise is even greater at some of the park’s main attractions. At Lake Louise, there has been a 70 per cent increase in traffic volume over the past decade, leading to significant congestion.
Traffic congestion on Lake Louise Drive can hinder quick emergency response times, as ambulances and fire trucks struggle to get in and out of busy areas, and Parks has said traffic back-ups would also make the safe and efficient evacuation of visitors, in the case of an emergency such as wildfire, more challenging.
Wildlife are forced to weave their way in and out of development and avoid throngs of people. The increasing number of visitors is also putting strain on Parks Canada’s search and rescue team, which has seen a growing number of calls over the past decade.
Once finalized, the Lake Louise Area Visitor Use Management Plan aims to provide Parks Canada with a long-term approach to managing visitor use in a way that protects nature and wildlife, is safe for visitors and staff, and provides a positive experience for people.
Last year, Parks Canada spoke with staff and local stakeholders to create a set of so-called draft desired conditions, or goals, associated with visitor experience, natural and cultural resources, facilities and operations, and staff and visitor safety.
Some of those goals include continued support for the large number of visitors during daytime hours at Upper Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Visitation to the region would be managed and remain within sustainable levels, but would vary depending on location, season, and time of day.
In addition, day use in the popular Paradise Valley would not increase from historic levels. Managed access to Paradise Valley would remain easy and convenient for visitors.
Under the plan, the health of the Fairview and Whitehorn wildlife corridors – which provide critical habitat for large carnivores like grizzly bears, wolves and lynx to travel through, find mates and food – would not be further compromised by human activity.
Wildlife movement through both corridors on either side of the Trans-Canada Highway would be supported by limiting human activity during sensitive periods, traffic mitigation efforts, and wildlife crossing structures.
Parks Canada took these and other goals out to the public by way of an online survey and also specifically asked participants what they value most about the Lake Louise area and what the primary barriers are to their enjoyment and ability to visit.
Bourdin said overall support for goals was reasonably high at between 62 per cent and 75 per cent, adding Parks Canada took away some key messages from the survey results.
“Firstly, people wanted to see a more relaxed and uncrowded experience; that’s really important to many visitors,” he said.
“Second, outdoor activities are important to visitors, even those people that don’t partake in outdoor activities, but they still wanted to see Canadians and visitors have access to activities like hiking.”
Bourdin said Parks was told that overcrowding in parking lots and on shuttles detracts from the experience visitors are coming for in a national park.
“Visitors are generally in favour of shuttles because it helps to reduce congestion and improve access to the places they want to see, but there are some challenges with overcrowding and booking difficulties and spontaneity,” he said.
“Visitors also felt strongly that local and regional Canadians should have access privileges.”
In the survey, Parks Canada specifically asked what could be done differently to improve access while also maintaining safety for wildlife and people.
The top responses called for limits or reductions to the number of daily visitors to the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake area, increase to transit services and stops and routes, limits to personal vehicle access, and improved access for local residents and priority for Canadian visitors.
A smaller number of people called for an increase or expansion in parking spaces, implementation of a parking pass or permit system or reserved paid parking spaces, and development of a timed entry reservation system or designated window of time for visitors.
Other barriers mentioned by those surveyed included the overall cost of the area in general, the loss of spontaneity when visiting, and poor or disrespectful visitor behaviours. Only two per cent reported no barriers to accessing or enjoying the Lake Louise area.
Bow Valley Naturalists say they are grateful to see the strong level of public support for maintaining or improving ecological issues in the Lake Louise area, but still feel the entire regional planning process remains haphazard.
“On a regional basis, there are a number of moving parts, all of which could have a significant future impact on Banff National Park,” said Reg Bunyan, BVN’s past president and current board member.
Bunyan said there are currently two area specific management initiatives underway, including the Lake Louise and Minnewanka strategies.
In addition, he said the Town of Banff has a number of initiatives, including expanded parking and more potential commercial street development on Caribou Street.
“Overhanging all of this is the regional spectre of passenger rail service, the unknown impacts of the UCP’s new eastern slopes resort development policy, as well as a significant expansion of the Three Sisters Resort in Canmore,” Bunyan said.
“While Parks Canada does not control what happens outside its legal boundary, we remain concerned that Parks Canada’s focus on two relatively small but popular areas of the park is taking away from viewing the bigger picture of visitor management.”
Bunyan said, ultimately, visitation pressures are fluid.
“Both visitor restrictions and expansion opportunities have the potential to displace less tolerant wildlife and visitors elsewhere and there does not seem to be a coherent strategy to manage such an outcome,” he said.
The Association for Mountain Parks Protection and Enjoyment (AMPPE) is calling on Parks Canada for a more holistic approach to transportation and visitor use management in the national parks.
“This is a place that is all connected. There are park boundary lines, but visitors and animals don’t see that so we’re just looking for a more holistic approach,” said Debbie Harksen, AMPPE’s executive director.
Harksen said Parks Canada should also act more quickly on the expert panel’s recommendations in the Moving People Sustainably in the Banff Bow Valley report.
Some recommendations in the panel’s report included reducing private vehicles in the park, creating transportation hubs, and improving and diversifying public transit. For Lake Louise, the panel called for examination of a gondola system and elimination of private vehicles to the upper lake.
Parks Canada, which released the panel’s report in 2022, has committed to delivering a sustainable strategy for moving people by 2026.
“We love that report,” said Harksen. “The task force was drawn to look at these very issues and it’s not being implemented.”
Of the 1,016 people who responded to the online survey, with an additional 19 submissions by email, 79 per cent were from Alberta, including Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore and Exshaw; 18 per cent were from elsewhere in Canada and two per cent live in another county.
The next phase of public engagement, expected to be launched in spring, will focus on potential strategies and actions that could be implemented over the next five years. The plan is expected to be finalized in summer 2025 for the start of implementation in the fall.
