Banff Alberta: Encyclopedia II - Banff Alberta - History

Banff Alberta - History

The town was founded by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1880 as a tourist destination. It was named after the burgh of Banff in Scotland. The Railway built a series of grand hotels along the rail line and advertised the Banff Springs Hotel as an international tourist resort. Banff remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada. In 1985, the United Nations declared Banff National Park, as one of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, a World Heritage Site.

Banff Alberta - Contemporary issues

According to the 2005 municipal census, the town's permanent population was 8,352. This figure includes a seasonal shadow population of 1,025 however. The town's growth in recent years has led to concerns by environmentalists who fear the town's growth will harm the wilderness of the surrounding national park.The federal government has attempted to address this by restricting development in the town, and mandating that only people who are employed or otherwise have ongoing business in Banff (plus their immediate families) may take up permanent residence in the community.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki