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This page refers to the town of Banff in Alberta, Canada. For other places with the name Banff, see Banff (disambiguation) Banff ( 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 (2,949 metres), Cascade Mountain (2,998 metres) and Mount Norquay (2,134 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 (2,281 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) (1,690 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.
History The town was founded by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1880 as a tourist destination. 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 Banff in Scotland. 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. Contemporary issues According to the 2005 municipal census, the town's permanent population was 8,352. However, this figure includes a seasonal shadow population of 1,025. 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. Source: Statistics Canada Image:Banff_Springs_Hotel1.jpg|Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Image:Banff_from_Sulphur_Mtn_2005.jpg|Banff townsite (left) and Tunnel Mountain (right) Image:TunnelMountain.jpg|Stoney Squaw with Cascade Mountain in the background Image:Panorama_Canmore_B&W.jpg|Picture of the Banff and Canmore area See also | ||||||||
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