This year, 2010, celebrates 125 years of National Parks in Canada. It is the 125th birthday of Banff National Park – the first National Park in Canada.
Canada Day in Banff – July 2010
24
Jun
With just one week to go until Canada Day on July 1st, we thought we should update you with what is going on in Banff!
What is Canada Day?
Canada Day is Canada’s birthday! Canada was established as a self governing country in 1867 making Canada 143 years old next week on July 1st 2010.
What is happening in Banff on Canada Day?
There will be lots going on across the country – here is what will be happening in Banff (hosted by Parks Canada):
- 9:00am – 10:30am. Pancake breakfast at the Parks Administration Building, 101 Mountain Avenue.
- 12:00 – 5:00pm. The celebrations including live entertainment will continue at Central Park.
- 5:00pm Canada Day Parade
- 6:30pm – 11:00pm. More live entertainment and fun to be had at Central Park. Fireworks finale at 11:00pm.
With Banff National Park also celebrating it’s 125th anniversary, this Canada Day in Banff is set to be a really awesome day for all.
More Information:
- Entry into Banff National Park is free on July 1st!
- Banff weather forecast is predicting sunny skies and temperatures close to 30°C (86°F).
- More information can be found on Parks Canada’s website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca
More Details from Town of Banff:
9 – 11 a.m.
Parks Canada Pancake Breakfast
Parks Canada Admin Grounds
$3 per person
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sidewalk Art
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Community Art Committee Sidewalk Art
Banff Town Hall
Noon
Central Park Activities Commence
5 – 6:15 p.m.
Banff Canada Day Parade
Banff Avenue
6:30 – 11 p.m.
Central Park Entertainment
11 p.m.
Banff Canada Day Fireworks
View from Central Park or Bow Avenue
Central Park Activities
- 12 noon Opening Ceremonies
- 12:30 p.m. The Hunt Family – Stoney First Nations Dance
- 1 p.m. Mountain Raks Belly Dancers
- 1:30 p.m. Alberta Zirka Ukrainian Performers
- 2 p.m. Steve Harmer’s Motivational Magic
- 2:30 p.m. Banff’s Stupid Pet Tricks
- 3 p.m. Parks Canada Mountain Wit Theatre
- 3:30 p.m. Banff Springs Hotel Filipino Dancers
- 6:30 p.m. Calgary Fiddlers
- 7:15 p.m. Keith Hitchner & Highwood – Country
- 8 p.m. Suds – Country/Rock
- 9 p.m. Suzie Q – High Energy Hits
- 10 p.m. Boneyard – Banff’s Local Rockers
- 11 p.m. Fireworks Finale
What to Bring:
- lawn chair(s) or blanket(s)
- sunscreen and hat
- an umbrella! – this event is “rain or shine”
- cash – no debit or credit cards will be accepted on site
- Share the spirit! Bring flags or wear shirts or hats sporting the maple leaf!
Banff Canada Day Parade Maps
Win a Trip to Banff 2010
26
May
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is holding a contest giving US residents the chance to win an ultimate Canadian vacation. The winner will choose from 5 Canadian adventures, one of which includes a four night stay in Banff National Park.
Description below:
Sea to Sky. Gaze at a glorious sunset from your classy, coastal hotel. Take a deep breath of fresh clear air as you hike a Rocky Mountain trail. Take world-class city stays in Vancouver and Victoria,
British Columbia plus visits to two Alberta mountain resorts, top with serious pampering and luxe lodgings throughout and you have the makings of an unforgettable “sea to sky” experience.
· Three nights at 4-star Vancouver, British Columbia hotel
· Two nights at 4-star Victoria hotel on Vancouver Island
· Return transfer between Vancouver and Victoria
· Ride the Rocky Mountaineer to Canada’s Rocky Mountains
· Getaway in Banff National Park, Alberta including
· Two nights in Banff
· Two nights in Lake Louise
· Transfers and activity passes
Descriptions of the other four travel experiences can be found on the contest site: http://canadaseeitnow.com/
HURRY! This contest runs until May 31, 2010.
Banff Horseback Rides 2010
20
May
All Banff horseback rides are now operating for spring/summer/fall 2010. Giddy up and get yourself out here!
Banff Horseback Rides Spring 2010
15
Apr
Thanks to this beautiful Spring weather the 2 hour Sundance Loop Ride will open tomorrow, April 16th 2010.
With weather and temperatures like this, the 3 hour Bow Valley Loop ride should open before the end of the month. Cookouts and day rides are scheduled to open May 15th and the Spray River Corrals located by the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel should be open for the 1 hour Spray River Ride on May 1st 2010.
This 2 hour Sundance Loop trail ride travels through the woodland, along the Bow River, climbs the backside of Sulphur Mountain over Windy Knoll and loops around the marsh. This ride will depart at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm daily.
The cost for the 2 hour Sundance Loop trail ride is $72 per rider and payment can be made using your credit card. Jeans and a close-toed shoe, like a sneaker or light-hiking boot, are best to wear while riding.
Reservations are recommended for this ride and guests can call 1-888-747-6259 (in North America), 0800-567-7542 (in U.K.) or +1 403-609-0286 direct to speak with a Canadian Rockies based reservations agent or contact us here at Banff Blog.
More snow in Banff National Park – Spring 2010
10
Apr
Mother Nature has been kind to us once again and we have received more fresh snow in Banff National Park over the last 24 hours.
Lake Louise received 18cm (7.01in), Sunshine Village 6cm (2.4in) and Banff Norquay 1cm (0.4in). There is still some last minute hotel availability in Banff.
Banff’s Sunshine Village opens until May 24 2010, Lake Louise May 2 2010 and Banff Norquay (due to it’s elevation) will be closing April 18 2010.
With fresh powder and the sun shining, spring skiing doesn’t get much better than this!
Banff Spring Powder 2010
09
Apr
As predicted by weather experts, after our milder El Niño winter this year, the snow has kept coming in the spring making for great spring powder days at the Banff ski resorts.
The ski resorts in Banff National Park are in excellent shape. Today, Banff National Park is enjoying another POWDER DAY!
In the last 24 hours, Sunshine Village received 25cm (9.8in), Banff Norquay 20+cm (+7.9in) and Lake Louise 13cm (5.1in). These ski resorts are all included in your Tri-Area Ski Lift Pass which includes the frequent ski shuttles to and from Banff.
With extended spring lift opening, you now have more time to play in the powder. At Sunshine Village, lift times have been extended to run until 4:30pm (Jackrabbit 5pm) until season close (May 24 2010).
Contact us at Banff Blog if you require more information!
Bow Falls Photos, Banff
07
Apr
The Bow Falls in Banff are a must for a photo stop. They are located just below the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and can be easily found when you drive up on Spray Avenue towards the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. You turn left on Rundle Avenue at the traffic lights. Most group tours include the Bow Falls in their sights, but if you are driving yourself, you may want to use the Gypsy Guide for guidance.
I like stopping at the Bow Falls in Banff as they look so different at different times of the year. Here are a few pictures below to give you a idea of what to expect!
This photo was taken November 28 2006. This was a particularly cold start to the winter season so they almost froze over completely.
The photo below was taken in June 2007 when a sudden increase in temperature caused a large amount of snowmelt to drain into the Bow River.
The photo below was taken on June 26 2006 when there was a lot of meltwater from the glaciers and snowmelt.
This photo was taken on June 15 2008 for comparison. At this time of year, the Bow Falls always have a good volume of water.
This photo below was taken on November 26 2006. This was a very cold day and you can see the “steam” rising from the cold waters of the Bow River.
This is a typical photo in the fall / autumn time. With the colder nights, the glaciers start to release less meltwater causing the Bow River levels to be low.
Bear safety in Banff National Park
06
Apr
Banff is in the wild and beautiful Banff National Park and so there may be a chance that you are lucky enough to see a bear.
There are two types of bears here: the black bear and the grizzly (or brown) bear. Don’t let the names fool you, you may see a brown or cinnamon coloured “black bear” like the cub with her mother photographed below:
Black Bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear can be identified by it’s distinctive hump on the back of it’s neck.
A grizzly bear is also larger than a black bear.
Each year, people get too close to wildlife especially bears. I personally have seen families stand in front of a bear cub on the side of the road to take pictures. This is not fair for the bear, especially the mother who is watching and may decide to protect her cub at anytime.
Please don’t put bears, or any other wildlife, in this position, it simply isn’t fair.
The bear safety information below has been sourced through Parks Canada:
What should I do if I see a BEAR?
If you are driving: stay in your car, and consider not stopping.
If you are not in a vehicle:
- Stay calm. If a bear rears on its hind legs and waves its nose about, it is trying to identify you. Remain still and talk calmly so that it knows you are human and not a prey animal. Bears may also bluff charge: run toward you and turn away at the last moment. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack.
- Pick up children, stay in a group.
- Back away slowly, don’t run.
- Leave the area. If this is impossible, wait until the bear leaves; make sure it has an escape route.
To reduce your risk of a surprise encounter:
- Make noise. Clap, sing or yell to announce your presence, especially where a bear might not otherwise smell, hear or see you coming. (Bear bells are not very effective.)
- Travel in groups, on established trails, and during daylight hours.
- Minimize odours by proper storage of food, garbage and toiletries.
- Leave the area if you see a bear or fresh tracks, droppings, diggings; or if you come across a large dead animal (a bear may be nearby).
If you surprise a bear and it defends itself:
Use bear spray if you have it. PLAY DEAD, let it know you are not a threat: lie on stomach with legs apart, cover back of head and neck with hands, keep pack on to protect your back.
If a bear stalks you and then attacks, or attacks at night:
Try to escape, use bear spray if you have it. FIGHT BACK, let it know that you are not easy prey. (This kind of predatory attack is very rare.)
After many on-foot bear encounters myself with both black and grizzly bears, the best form of defence is avoidance. If you make lots of noise by talking loudly to your hiking friends, you are very likely not going to see a bear. Be aware of bear presence (scat/faeces), damage to vegetation etc. and leave the area. If you are unable to leave the area, make lots of noise.
Guides are easily available so if you are not comfortable hiking in the wilderness then local experts can certainly take good care of you.
rocky-peak Holidays is a local company based in Canmore, just 5 minutes outside of Banff National Park and can help you find a suitable guide. There are also group hiking tours available.
Have you had a bear encounter you would like to share with us and our readers? Please post it below!
Banff Horseback Rides
01
Apr
The sun is out and the horses are back in town! Time to saddle up and head out for the Bow River Ride!
This 1-hour trail ride travels through the woodland, along the Bow River and loops around the marsh. This ride will depart hourly daily starting at 10am with the last one departing at 5pm.
Reservations are recommended for this ride and you can call +1-403-609-0286 (1-888-747-6259 North America / 0800-567-7542 U.K.) to speak with a local reservations agent. The cost is $40 per rider and payment can be made by Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
Please check in at Warner Stables 10 minutes before your ride’s scheduled departure time. The stables are located at the end of Sundance Road just off Cave Avenue. No shuttle service provided. Gloves and hats are highly recommended for this time of year!
For more Banff Horseback Riding Tours, contact us at Banff Holidays.