Restrictions could be implemented on visitors to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, as Parks Canada tries to manage record tourist numbers in Banff National Park.
Parks Canada announced Thursday it’s developing a visitor-use management plan for the Lake Louise area, with the rising number of tourists impacting the visitor experience, safety and ecological integrity.
Visitor numbers to Banff National Park rose 31 per cent over the last decade, with the 2023-24 tourist season the busiest on record.
The first part of the Parks Canada plan is to get feedback from Canadians on what they want for the Lake Louise area.
“What are our capacities? What are our pressures? What is a quality visitor experience up there? So that’s why we want to hear from residents, Canadians, to really engage in this survey so that we’re hearing them and managing accordingly,” said Parks Canada’s Dwight Bourdin.
“We haven’t made any decisions. We’re in an information-gathering stage right now… (to) determine what is the desired conditions Canadians want for the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake area,” he said.
Parks Canada already receives visitor feedback to Banff National Park, which helped shape the survey.
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“Leading up to this process through visitor emails, meetings with stakeholders… just a general frustration around not be able to access their intended destinations is a very frequent concern and frustration that we hear,” said Parks Canada’s Zoe Arnold.
Arnold added Parks Canada uses several tools to help manage the level of visitation to Lake Louise.
“For example, traffic control, staff cycling vehicles through a parking lot once it becomes full, or the shuttle is on a reservation system so there is only so many shuttle seats per day that are available,” she said.
“Unfortunately, we are still turning away many, many disappointed visitors every day.”
The survey was first opened to the public on June 17 and will be open until July 28.
The second part of the Parks Canada engagement plan is set to start later this year, and will look at strategies and actions, including visitor restrictions, shuttle services and paid parking.
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