Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Why one of Canada's most popular national parks is clamping down on tourism traffic

Share

As of 2023, private vehicles are no longer permitted at Moraine Lake in Alberta's Banff National Park, in an attempt on Parks Canada's part to handle the overcrowded tourism.

Banff has seen tourism increase in the last decade, especially at Lake Louise, prompting concern among locals and environmentalists about the national park’s conservation efforts.

Harm to the national park may not be caused by the tourists themselves, one expert says, so much as how they get there.

"We have a car problem, not a people problem in our parks," Clara-Jane Blye, an instructor of recreation management at Dalhousie University, told CTV's Your Morning on Monday.

Blye says the overwhelming number of vehicles being driven to Moraine Lake is making the site more crowded without contributing to conservation efforts at the national park.

Parks Canada says 900 personal vehicles are able to park at Moraine Lake each year, but the demand is so high 5,000 vehicles are still turned away annually. While parking is still allowed in designated areas such as the Lake Louise Lakeshore, tourists no longer able to park on Moraine Lake Road will have to take the Parks Canada shuttle bus or use local transit. The only personal vehicles permitted on the road are those with a disability tag.

Blye says, by having tourists rely on the shuttle, it will limit the amount of vehicles while still bringing in people to enjoy the park and not feel so overcrowded when they’re there.

"We need to balance ecological integrity. Parks have a dual mandate of welcoming visitors and welcoming Canadians while also protecting the natural environment that these parks are there to preserve," she said.

Additionally, Blye says tourists should consider visiting other national parks across the country.

"We are so fortunate in Canada to have amazing parks and protected areas. We've got mountains and lakes all over so it doesn't have to be Banff," she said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Pasquale Monaco says he’s debating whether to keep renting out the two-bedroom basement apartment of the Montreal building he owns after it was flooded — again — in August, when the remnants of tropical storm Debby sent four feet of water rushing into the space.

Childhood sleep issues may raise suicide risk, study finds

If your child sometimes has trouble sleeping, it may be easy to chalk it up to a phase they will grow out of one day. But a new study suggests possible serious consequences for this line of thought — such as a higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts when they are older.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.