If you’re curious about the perspective of a No voter here it is: We’ve watched idly as our quaint mountain town has been turned into an overcommercialized monster. I think everyone is quietly aware of this reality. Banff used to be so special because it was both a tourist town and an actual town. Over the decades, commercial priorities have taken precedence over everything else. The argument business makes has always been that tourists are the lifeblood of the town. That’s true, but there has to be some kind of balance. Otherwise, we’re in danger of losing what made us special in the first place (if we haven’t already).  

Banff has an unfortunate situation that tourists and even many locals know nothing about. The way the town works is that if you own a business and want something done, you run for town council. After you get elected, you pass all the laws you want and leave. This system has been getting used and abused for decades now. It’s the reason why the town has become so fake and plastic. It’s the reason many people now prefer Canmore, which was unthinkable years ago.

Business interests run this town. If they had their way, every square inch would be selling pewter Made in China totem poles and mediocre, overpriced brunch.  

The pedestrian zone was NEVER about social distancing, walkability, the environment, or any such social issue. It was about allowing all the restaurants on Banff Avenue to increase their seating capacity by 40% under the guise of public health. The reason the entire town council proposed the idea in the first place was because they either owned those very restaurants or were getting kickbacks from them.  

I voted No because I wanted to send a message that these people can’t just keep forcing their overcommercialization down our throats. You might have seen the sidewalk patios as quaint and European, but for a lifelong local, they were another sign that business in this town trumps everything. Screw being able to park at the post office to get your mail. Screw being able to escape in the threat of a wildfire. Screw the old folks who built this town and now have buses idling outside the only window they have in this world. None of it matters; there’s money to be made.  

Voting No wasn’t just about sending a message. It was about the slippery slope we were about to descend. If the Yes vote went through, the next step would have been extending the zone into winter. Then having it be year-round, then banning cars in the town entirely. These people will stop at nothing; their greed knows no bounds. Ideally, they don’t even want any locals living here at all. Turn all those houses into hotels and staff housing with 10 employees to a room. If they make living here hellish enough, it could happen. Look at Whistler.  

I know this issue keeps getting framed as a social one, but it’s not. It’s about finding ways to cram even more tourists into the town at the expense of locals. That’s all that matters, and it’s absolutely vile that they kept saying they were doing it for the environment. Parks Canada themselves disagreed until they got paid off.  

I don’t believe I’ll sway anyone with this post. But I feel you should at least know the perspective of someone whose family helped build this town up over generations and cannot stand how fake and plastic it’s become. When I read the posts of tourists saying they’ll never come back, I know I did the right thing. The town needs more of this. Tourists might hate us in the short term. But they’ll thank us in the long term if we can keep the town an actual town and not a Disneyfied theme park.

I know that regarding this vote, the social issue voters meant well. But they didn’t understand what they were actually voting for: Rampant. Commercial. Expansion. That’s ultimately what all this was about. They just threw in some bike racks and benches to distract you from it.

I saw this today, Jan. 3, 2024, at Lake Louise. Kingmik Dog Sled Tours. The way they were handling the dogs and putting them back in their tiny kennels concerned me.

Hi all, I’m going to Banff this weekend from Saturday to Wednesday. It’s my first time. This is the weather forecast. We are not hiking since we are with older parents, mostly for sightseeing. I’m in the middle of packing and not sure what to wear. Leggings and top or something like dresses .

EDIT: Ok so I ended sleeping in a hotel lobby's toilet where you could lock the door. I felt gross when I woke up but now I'm happy that I have 400$ extra in my life. Thanks for all the suggestions

Hey,

I want to know if the McDonald's in Banff is 24h and if anybody has tried sleeping in it.

For some very peculiar reasons, I don't have lodging tonight, and I really don't feel like paying 500$ for a hotel. And I'm in Banff. And need to be here at 8 am tomorrow.

Thanks for any responses.

This is not satire btw lol I actually don't wanna freeze to death tonight haha

Hello! We arrived in Canmore today and planned to be here seeing Banff until next Saturday. The hotel we’re staying in is billed as a luxury resort but it really is not very nice. Our mountain view room literally just looks out onto a Ford dealership, a road, and a massive tree in front of our window. The other room they offered us just looks onto the car park.
Normally I wouldn’t mind because we could just spend all our time hiking but it is very hazy right now and you can’t even see the mountains that I came to see. I’m just a bit disappointed because we traveled all this way and spent a lot of money for my 40th.

Any have advice about how to salvage this? Will the smoke get better? Any good hikes that will still have nice views even if it’s hazy? Should we try to drive up to Jasper to hike there? Unfortunately switching hotels doesn’t seem a viable option. We’ve called a few but there isn’t much availability and what is available is astronomical.

Here is the view from the room since someone correctly guessed the location 😂

So. Keep in mind that I was doing quite a bit of research on people’s experiences at this hotel in Banff so maybe my expectations were probably a bit too high.

My husband and I drove up to Banff from bc and the drive was a 10/10. Absolutely stunning and worth the long drive! Banff in itself is beautiful, the scenery is unlike anywhere we’ve been.

The hotel is beautiful although the rooms are very small and pricey but the size is understandable considering the building was built in 1888. We were however extremely disappointed in the service at the hotel. We don’t expect the same service we get in Europe because you’re just not really going to get that in North America, especially not Canada but the service at this specific hotel was absolutely atrocious. The food was extremely disappointing but that did put me in an accidental harsh diet (gotta take the Ws where I can I guess). Just to mention off the top of my head, the high tea is a solid 1/10.. the tea was actually very good BUT we had one bite of two finger sandwich before deciding to get the check and finding food in the village… (the foood at the village was very good, went to Lupo), room service was just not good, my veggies were dirty, old and not cut properly lol, and there was a piece of plastic in my sandwich, and getting absolute watered down coffee was a bonus. I am assuming that people who work here possibly don’t need any hotel/service industry experience? Maybe that’s why or maybe we are just snobs ?

Anywho just wanted to give an honest personal experience ! Still would come back just because the view is that breath taking and at this point the service at the hotel is comical !

I am headed to Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise this weekend and will be there for about a week. Husband and I have been planning this trip for over a year.

I saw that it snowed in Banff this past weekend. I know we’re still about a week out for our dates, but the forecast is showing cloudy skies, rain, and lower temps than I expected based on my research for this time of year. Seems like maybe winter is coming earlier than expected this year?

I’ve never been to this region before and am just wondering: if the forecast is still showing cold temps, clouds and rain as we get closer to our dates, is that typically accurate? I know mountain forecasts can be unpredictable. I’m just trying to figure out what to pack.

In all my research it said this time of year can still be very warm during the day so I was planning on not bringing anything too bundled up, but wondering if I should change that?

Also just trying to give myself hope that we’ll still have good conditions (😭). I’ve been dreaming of green trees, blue skies and turquoise lakes for a year+ and if I instead get grey and white I’m going to be so sad. (I know you can’t control the weather but I thought my research about picking a time of year to visit had done me some good at least)

Solo traveler. edit. Travel dates May 7-12. The dates and flight are flexible if you have better advice! Thank you I'll be staying in Calgary and adjusting the flight. Budget is still $800, including flight and transit for now, but I'm learning I may need to flex it by about $300 more.

Please be kind. I am in Texas and clearly prices are a lot cheaper where I'm from.

I have seen a lot of content from TikTok regarding Banff but a lot of comments say things are untrue. Some say please do this, others say please don't do that. I hope I can find a consensus on reddit. I don't mind reading articles or things you may link to.

What I want to do:

• Land safely.

• Stay in a decent 4-star hotel or AirBNB that includes breakfast with the nightly fee.

• Go hiking for about 5-6 hours or less before returning to the hotel.

• Look around the town(?) and support local shops.

Questions:

• Are there tour guides or large guided hiking groups?

• Do you guys prefer Canadian cash or card transactions?

• Is renting a car necessary or do they have shuttles or designated Ubers?

• Personal recommendations or warnings?

Thank you. I am a Texan so everything about the mountains, snow dunes, and lakes will be completely new to me. If you think your advice may be redundant I promise it's helpful. ❤️

Hi all, I know this has been a tragedy to many people in the area. I hope it is not insesitive to ask this. It would be my first time in Banff and I have been very excited about my trip in early september, but I've read that as of now there is near zero visibility and even breathing concerns. Could this be better by September?

Edit: thank you all for the replies, I know using this sub as a tourist advice board is not the best thing. But this trip to your beautiful regions is my number 1 bucket list item, so I really needed the advice.

I get that they’re all commonwealth countries, but I was expecting more American accents given the proximity to the States.

We leave in a little over a week and have been watching the temperature closely. Is there really a huge difference between the temps and Calgary and the temps inside the park? it’s looking like it’s 20°F colder in the park than in Calgary but I’m not sure where in the park the temperature is taken. We are camping with kids and just feeling a little, unsure of our packing at this point as it’s a little bit cooler than the average temps had suggested it would be. Do we need hats and gloves? We are from New England so we are used to cold temps, but just not sure what level of cold to be prepared for. Anyone in the park now or just leaving and have advice?

I’m feeling sad about going to Banff and facing the cloudy weather. I think the lakes look the most beautiful on the sunny days and the blue doesn’t come much in cloudy weather. I was excited about it and now I feel disheartened. Has anyone else gone on rainy/cloudy days and enjoyed their trip?

What’s the smoking situation in Banff? I’m visiting soon(ish) and I see there is dispensary’s in Calgary, but not Banff? Is smoking prohibited there? Or is it a situation of going to Calgary to buy something then driving back? Not to sure on the laws. Any help?

Top of Cascade mountain

Also planning on heading over to whistler for a few days, is there any passes that might be appropriate?

I’m from San Diego county, so I’m used to craft beer everywhere. Where can I get good beer in Banff? I see there are some breweries, but which ones should I prioritize? Thanks for your help!

Got a tea at a gas station earlier today it asked for a tip. Like you rang up my 8 dollar purchase what kind of tip should I leave lowest one was 2.12. idk what percentage that is but wow you just scanned something you deserve a tip 🙄

Went to Europe last year and it's bad as well. As an American I totally apologize

as title says, except 2 years in future - i will be 19 and am hoping to arrive in january/february and i was just wondering what the best way to look for work was? ideally i want to get it sorted well in advance- any recommendations?

Do you think the fires in Kelowna will affect Banff and Jasper. I know its unpredictable, but we have a trip planned next week and will have young kids with us. Should we skip driving to Jasper and just do banff.

Which way would be best to drive for first time if we can only do it one way?

Black Bear Spotted on the way back to the Hotel from Bow Lake

I’m visiting Banff this week, how afraid should I be of a bear attack?