Concerns over rising tourism and its environmental impacts continue to be the focus as Banff’s main guiding document that outlines the vision for the community for the next several years prepares to cross the finish line.
The polarizing Banff Community Plan is meant to act as a guide for what the town will offer to residents and visitors when the calendar turns to 2040. It will return to elected officials and could be approved as early as Tuesday.
Residents have raised the significant growth in tourism and its environmental consequences, and a possible reopening of the Canada National Parks Act, as reasons to slow the process before giving the plan a thumbs up.
These themes have consistently cropped up since work on the plan began in 2023, and as some residents feel their quality of life has declined.
Passengers ready to board a Roam bus in Banff National Park at the Sulphur Mountain Gondola in this file photo from June 16, 2025. (Helen Pike/CBC)
“We’re going to talk about it and we’re going to figure it out together,” said Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno. “I think that desire is very much being met.”
Banff remains ‘crazy busy’
As more than four million visitors flock from across the world to Banff National Park each year, many inevitably stop in the townsite.
Banff smashed traffic records this past summer. In July and August, 1.76 million vehicles passed through the mountain town.
At a little under four square kilometres, fighting the crowds — and for parking — has made some residents feel like second class citizens.
There have been numerous calls to find ways to cap tourism and better manage the number of people coming to Banff.
“We cannot control demand, but we can, and eventually we must, control visitation,” said Leslie Taylor, Banff’s first mayor.
In 2024, Banff had a plebiscite on its seasonal pedestrian zone that led to the largest voter turnout in Banff’s history. Voters ultimately scrapped the idea.
For some, it became a vote on tourism itself.
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Harvey Locke, a conservationist and long-term resident, said Banff can be “crazy busy” with visitation increasing each year.
In July 2025, there were 729,000 visitors to Banff National Park, while July 2024 saw 684,000.
“We have too many people coming,” Locke said, noting it can bring additional ecological harm.
“We need to start establishing the limits for visitation to the town of Banff and when those are surpassed, the sign goes up: ‘the inn is full.'”
The Town of Banff is known as a popular tourist spot, leading to traffic congestion and parking issues. (Helen Pike/CBC)
Reopening the National Parks Act
Unlike other community plans, Banff’s comes with an extra layer of federal jurisdiction that adds multiple steps to the approval ladder.
The document needs to follow a slew of federal guidelines — like a strict commercial development cap — and ultimately needs approval from the federal minister in charge of Parks Canada.
In an effort to address Banff’s housing shortfall of 750 to 1,000 units, the plan proposes the municipality and Parks Canada work on rezoning areas of the townsite, and that would need the Canada National Parks Act to be reopened. The plan also recommends exploring adding another parking lot.
But some locals worry modifying the Canada National Parks Act could be akin to opening Pandora’s Box.
Ron LeBlanc, a former Parks Canada warden, asked council to remove all mention of reopening the act from Banff’s draft community plan due to the “unforeseen development” it could open the door to.
Locke, the local conservationist, also warned reopening the Canada National Parks Act could lead to a “free-for-all in Ottawa” and the municipality losing some control.
“I don’t think the harmful consequences have been discussed,” agreed Peter Poole, a developer and conservationist.
With numerous interests at play when it comes to Canada’s national parks, Poole warned there are many views on what should be allowed in Banff.
Passenger rail idea at standstill
A passenger rail system connecting Calgary to Banff with several stops along the way has long been discussed as a way to trim congestion in Banff.
Despite being talked about for nearly a decade, it shows no indication of pulling out of the station soon.
If the transit option were to hit the tracks, it would run on CPKC lines or be twinned and add more rail traffic in the region.
Locke noted more train traffic could lead to more wildlife deaths.
“It would cause further harm to this park,” he said.
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With Banff being under the jurisdiction of the federal government, Parks Canada will complete a strategic environmental assessment on the community plan.
Bow Valley Naturalists, a community organization focused on conservation, requested council forego passing the plan until after the assessment is completed.
Randall McKay, Banff’s manager of strategic initiatives and lead on the plan, added the assessment is part of the legislative process and once finished, a 60-day window for public review would be triggered.
“There’s a lot more to come and a lot more consultation opportunities and feedback opportunities built into that [assessment] process … that anyone can weigh in on,” he said.
