1. Curling up next to a roaring fire with a good book, watching the snow fall outside
2. Great skiing, if that's your thing
3. Surprisingly excellent food at Masala Authentic Indian Cuisine
4. The gorgeous drive from Calgary into the mountains
5. Relaxing in a thermal spa after a long day
6. Flying down an icy slope in a snow tube
7. Step back in time at the Banff Park Museum
8. Long day exploring the park and the slopes followed by a cozy night in
9. Furry squirrels
33 MORE reasons to love Banff in winter after the slideshow...
10. Spend an afternoon just driving around and be stunned by the beauty
11. How can you not love the word Banff?! Banff, Banff, Banff...
12. Cross country skiing around Lake Louise
13. Journey to the top of the world on the Banff gondola
14. Just two minutes from downtown Banff is Surprise Corner where, well I'll just let you be surprised
15. Learn about the original inhabitants of the area at the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum
16. Mastering the art of après-ski, aka poutine and beer
17. Depending on the time of year, take advantage of one of the many hiking trails near town
18. Shopping at one of the many stores on Banff Avenue
19. I love scenic drives, especially along the Icefields Parkway
20. Chatting with locals who are some of the nicest, most welcoming people anywhere
21. Mushing through virgin snow on a dogsled
22. Stop by an artist's gallery for stunning photography and one of a kind arts and crafts
23. A friendly bear or two. Or three.
24. Be sure to watch a televised curling match with some locals. Let me know if you understand it.
25. Enjoying old world style at the iconic Banff Springs Hotel
26. Remembering to stay hydrated, Banff is at elevation and it's bizarrely dry
27. Tasty fondue at the Grizzly House
28. Head down to the cave and basin to learn more about the railway and check out the natural spa
29. Test your strength and endurance while ice climbing
30. Canadian beer. Poutine. Repeat.
31. Escaping the harsh winter chill inside a coffee shop, enjoying organic pastries and fair trade coffee
32. Get into the Western theme by spending your evening at a saloon
33. More relaxing at the thermal spa
34. Not a skier, maybe take a snowboarding lesson
35. Driving through the park, hoping to catch sight of elk, bear or who knows what?
36. Gourmet burgers at Eddie Burger Bar
37. For whatever reason Banff has a preponderance of fudge and candy shops. Visit them. Eat the candy. Be happy.
38. Walking past sparkly and frozen waterfalls in Johnston Canyon
39. Take a day off from adventure sports and pamper yourself with a massage
40. Walk, hike or dogsled to the Continental Divide
41. I love being in a place where winter actually feels like winter
42. More après-ski
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had been visiting the mountain areas near what is now the town of Banff for many centuries. They hold several areas sacred, and would perform ceremonies, collect medicinal herbs, meet with other (more distant) First Nations people, and engage in various sporting and cultural activities.
The Stoney (Assiniboin) Indians were removed from the Banff National Park during 1890-1920. The park was designed to appeal to sportsmen, and tourists. Officials blamed the depletion of wildlife in the park on the Indians' reliance on subsistence hunting. The exclusionary policy met the goals of sports hunting, tourism, and game conservation, as well as of those attempting to "civilize" the Indians.
Early on, Banff was popular with wealthy European tourists, who arrived in Canada via trans-Atlantic luxury liner and continued westward on the railroad as well as upper-class American and English tourists. Indigenous people had long known about the healing powers of these waters, well before the Europeans came along.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=I3kDYAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
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Theodore Binnema, and Melanie Niemi, "'Let the line be drawn now': Wilderness, Conservation, and the Exclusion of Aboriginal People from Banff National Park in Canada," Environmental History (2006) 11#4 pp 724-50
http://envhis.oxfordjournals.org/content/11/4/724.abstract
1700's- The first Europeans arrived along with the introduction of guns, horses and European diseases, which led to a shift in power, as well as bloodshed, among the native tribes. The introduction of smallpox demolished three fifths the population of the western Aboriginal peoples.
1885- A federal reserve of 26 square kilometers was set aside surrounding the hot springs. In 1887, the area was increased to 673 square kilometers and named "Rocky Mountains Park". This represented the first footsteps of Canada's National Park system and the birth of tourism.
1899- Swiss guides were brought by the CPR to the Rockies to lead tourists to the summit of the mountains.
http://www.gotobanff.com/history.php
http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2011/04/18/calgary-banff-hot-springs-water.html
It takes 200 years for thermal water to be made. Firstly, the snow melts into stoic old Mount Sulphur ; then the water soaks into porous layers of sedimentary rock; after which it trickles zen-like, unhurried, down a million cracks and fissures, until it swells up from two kilometres beneath the ground where it channels puddles and plugs into the 1.5-metre deep pool, sitting just opposite Mount Sulphur.
As the steam dances off the pool, it mingles in the icy cold air, before being elevated back into the ether from where it was born. The magic of nature is conjured again and again, as the plump clouds roll by and as snow falls in the brilliant silence. And all the while they were being nourished by this "mountain medicine" — doses of magnesium, sulphate, calcium, potassium and hydrogen sulphate.
http://www.stoney-nation.com/government/item/355-the-stoney-nakoda-nation-is-welcomed-back-to-banff-national-park.html?tmpl=component&print=1
To see pictures:
http://hikingwithbarry.com/2010/05/04/eiffel-lakes-and-wenkchemna-pass-%E2%80%93-banff-national-park-%E2%80%93-september-29-2008/
on the QT... Indians were "BANNED" from National Parks in both Canada & USA..( especially the ones that lived there PRIOR to settlers' invasion )
That said, if you want to get away from the crowds, without giving up the the mountain town experience, then hit up Jasper. Banff's convenience (1 hour from Calgary) is also its curse - it's a zoo on pretty much any long weekend, and many of the attractions you list are overflowing (especially the hot springs). Even the hiking trails around the town have a large numbers of visitors. Jasper (4 hours from Edmonton) makes it easier to enjoy nature.