The townsite of Banff was established in 1886 near a Canadian Pacific Railway Station. William Van Horne, then General Manager of CPR, recognized the tourist potential of the area and began the campaign to design a luxury hotel amidst the beautiful mountain scenery of the Canadian Rockies. The Banff Springs Hotel was completed in 1928, and became a world renowned desination for the elite.
Until 1990 the Banff townsite was operated and governed by the Federal Government along with the National Parks. In 1990 Banff was incorporated as a Town through a joint agreement between the citizens and the Federal and Provincial Governments. It is now self-governing, with a Mayor and Council under Provincial Legislation. However, the Federal Government still controls ownership and use through a leasehold title system.
In order to qualify to take possession of residential land ownership in the Banff Park, an ´interest´ must first prove a need to reside or undertake to lease to those who have a need to reside. In addition, in recognition of potential future problems and in an effort to preserve the integrity of the Parks, recent legislation was passed to effectively set limits to future commercial development. The permanent population of the Town of Banff is near 10,000. This is not likely to increase substantially in the future.
Banff remains Canada´s most popular recreational destination, with 4,500,000 visitors annually and steps are continually being taken to preserve its´ beauty.
Today Banff and neighboring Canmore offer are of North America's premier year-round tourist destinations. Surrounded by major ski resorts, championship golf courses, world-class hiking and cross country skiing, Banff and Canmore truly have it all. |
