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57-886: Banff Sunshine Village (formerly Sunshine Village ) is a ski resort in western Canada , located on the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies within Banff National Park in Alberta and Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park in British Columbia . It is one of three major ski resorts located in the Banff National Park. Because of its location straddling the Continental Divide, Sunshine receives more snow than

114-438: A 3.5% change from its 2011 population of 7,584. With a land area of 4.77 km (1.84 sq mi), Banff had a population density of 1,645.9/km in 2016. Parks Canada enforces requirements that individuals must meet to reside in the town, in order "to ensure that a broad supply of housing types are available for those who work and raise families in the community". Several mountains are located immediately adjacent to

171-559: A Downtown Pedestrian Zone . The Banff Town Council said the pedestrian zone would stay in effect until at least 2023. The town is surrounded by mountains, notably Mount Rundle , Sulphur Mountain, Mount Norquay , and Cascade Mountain , and is situated above Bow Falls near the confluence of the Bow River and Spray River . Soils are calcareous and usually imperfectly to poorly drained in their natural state with textures from very fine sandy loam to silty clay loam. Banff experiences

228-595: A high-speed quad with heated seats and bubbles . This chair was constructed in 2015 and is known as Teepee Town XL. The annual snowfall is up to thirty feet (over nine metres). The Sunshine Mountain Lodge, an 84-room hotel is located in the "village" at tree line 7,200 feet (2,200 m) above sea level. It is the only ski-in/ski-out lodge in Banff-Lake Louise. Guests can purchase a Marmot Card to receive discounts on lift tickets. This card allows guests to ski at

285-433: A subarctic climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfc ) that borders on a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb ). Winter temperatures range from an average low of −13.5 °C (7.7 °F) to an average high of −0.5 °C (31.1 °F). Summer temperatures in the warmest month are an average high of 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) and an average low of 6.8 °C (44.2 °F). Snow has been recorded in all months of

342-524: A basic first aid facility, and some kind of ski patrol service to ensure that injured skiers are rescued. The ski patrol is usually responsible for rule enforcement, marking hazards , closing individual runs or areas as conditions require, and removing (dismissing) dangerous participants from the area. The typical ski area base includes a ticket office, ski lodge , ski school , equipment rental/repair shop, restaurant/bar, shopping, shuttle bus stop and parking. Some ski resorts offer lodging options on

399-498: A boardwalk (Banff Skywalk) beginning from the upper terminal connects to Sanson Peak. Sulphur Mountain is also the location of the Banff Upper Hot Springs . Lake Minnewanka located six minutes north of the townsite is a day-use area with a variety of activities. Mountain biking, hiking, and fishing are allowed in this part of the park. A Lake Cruise, motor boat rentals, and a small food concession are available at

456-409: A bubble high-speed quad containing heated seats. Banff Sunshine now hosts some 500,000 skiers and snowboarders annually over a ski season that stretches from early November to late May. In 2019, Parks Canada and the resort reached an agreement over future expansion and leasehold area. The resort and Parks Canada agreed to a 42-year lease with an agreement to then give Sunshine Village Ski Resort to

513-646: A derivation of the Old Norse skíð via Norwegian , the choice of French is likely attributed to the early popularity of such activities in the French Alps , with which it was then linked. As rising temperatures, receding glaciers and declining snowfall affect the environment, resort development and operations also have an environmental impact on land, lakes, streams, and wildlife. Amenities and infrastructure such as concrete buildings, ski lifts, access roads, parking lots, and railways have contributed to

570-485: A discounted rate at both Banff Sunshine and Marmot Basin in Jasper and includes a number of free ski days. Due to its location in Banff National Park and the development restrictions that apply, parking at Banff Sunshine has long been in limited supply. When the main parking lot fills, visitors park along the access road and use a shuttle bus to get to the base lodge. This has been a source of friction with Parks Canada over

627-683: A high-speed quad, the Wolverine Express, and the Fireweed T-Bar was replaced with a fixed-grip quad, Jackrabbit. In 1985 the resort hosted women's legs of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup with two downhills, a Super-G and downhill leg of the Alpine Combined. In 1991 the resort hosted Downhill and super -G events for the 1991 Winter Deaflympics . In 2001, the aging gondola that had brought guests up to

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684-540: A land area of 4.08 km (1.58 sq mi), it had a population density of 2,035.5/km in 2021. The population of the Town of Banff according to its 2017 municipal census is 8,875, an increase of 5.4% from its 2014 municipal census population of 8,421. In the Canada 2016 Census conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Banff recorded a population of 7,851 living in 2,543 of its 2,729 total private dwellings,

741-740: A large slope. They also need to receive sufficient snow (at least in combination with artificial snowmaking , unless the resort uses dry ski slopes ). High concentrations of ski resorts are located in the Alps , Scandinavia , western and eastern North America , and Japan . There are also ski resorts in the Andes , scattered across central Asia , and in Australia and New Zealand . Extreme locations of non-indoor (at least one ski lift outside) ski resorts include: The ski industry has identified advancing generations of ski resorts: The term ski station

798-813: A local service route within Canmore. The railway came to Banff when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) line from Calgary opened in 1883. The current station building was opened by the CPR in 1910, and was declared a heritage railway station by the Canadian federal government in 1991. Via Rail long-distance trains no longer serve Banff, but the railway station remains in use by the Rocky Mountaineer and Royal Canadian Pacific tour trains. The nearest airport to Banff with major service

855-513: A mix of gentle tree-lined beginner slopes, wide open above tree-line intermediate and expert terrain. Visitors to the resort will often access one of the eight adjacent backcountry terrain such as 'Wawa Ridge' or Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park in British Columbia. Avalanche rescue equipment is recommended for most backcountry areas. Rescue equipment is a requirement for access to the freeride zones of Delirium Dive and Wild West where

912-401: A vast expanse of high alpine meadows. In March 1929, Cliff White and Cyril Paris, two local extreme sports enthusiasts, created a plan to use the CPR cabin as an overnight point in their ski trek over the great divide. Unfortunately they could not find the cabin that night and were forced to sleep in a dug-out in the snow. Upon waking in the morning they discovered that they had only just missed

969-486: A very large crowd of crazily dressed spectators, jump onto a pool of water (approx. 50'/ 15m long & 8' / 2.5m deep) and skim across the pool to the other side. All successful participants get raucous applause and bragging rights. Sunshine just celebrated its 90th Slush Cup in May 2018. Banff Sunshine has hosted many alpine ski and snowboard events. Banff Sunshine offers terrain for all levels of skiers and boarders. It offers

1026-483: Is a destination for outdoor sports and hiking , biking , scrambling and skiing . Sunshine Village , Ski Norquay and Lake Louise Ski Resort are nearby ski resorts within the national park. The area was named Banff in 1884 by George Stephen , president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, recalling his birthplace near Banff , Scotland. The Canadian Pacific built a series of grand hotels along

1083-450: Is a term for entertainment, nightlife or social events that occur specifically at ski resorts. These add to the enjoyment of resort-goers and provide something to do besides skiing and snowboarding . The culture originated in the Alps, where it is most popular and where skiers often stop at bars on their last run of the day while still wearing all their ski gear. Though the word "ski" is

1140-455: Is also used, particularly in Europe, for a skiing facility which is not located in or near a town or village. A ski resort which is also open for summer activities is often referred to as a mountain resort . Ski areas have marked paths for skiing known as runs, trails or pistes . Ski areas typically have one or more chairlifts for moving skiers rapidly to the top of hills, and to interconnect

1197-537: Is named for one of its members. Everything changed with the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway and its arrival in Banff in the late 1880s. Bill Peyto may have been the first person to bring real tourists through the Sunshine area. The eccentric Peyto was a trapper and prospector . He was also a competent guide , as his rugged life gave him the skills required to face the often harsh realities of nature. In

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1254-505: The Cave and Basin hot springs and began promoting the area as an international resort and spa as a way to support the new railway. In 1887, the reserve area was increased to 673 km (260 sq mi) and named "Rocky Mountain Park". This was the beginning of Canada's National Park system. The Banff townsite was developed near the railway station as a service centre for tourists visiting

1311-1106: The Crag and Canyon newspaper , built the King Edward Hotel and the Lux Theatre, and founded the Sign of the Goat Curio Shop, which led to the development of the Luxton Museum of Plains Indians, now the Buffalo Nations Museum. He and his family helped organize the Banff Indian Days and the Banff Winter Carnival. In 1976, the International Astronomical Union 's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (IAU/WGPSN) officially adopted

1368-612: The Trans-Canada Highway , 126 km (78 mi) west of Calgary , 58 km (36 mi) east of Lake Louise , and 1,400 to 1,630 m (4,590 to 5,350 ft) above sea level . Banff was the first municipality to incorporate within a Canadian national park. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership . Banff is one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations . Known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs , it

1425-549: The rail line and advertised the Banff Springs Hotel as an international tourist resort. Banff was first settled in the 1880s after the transcontinental railway was built through the Bow Valley. In 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway workers stumbled upon a series of natural hot springs on the side of Sulphur Mountain . In 1885, Canada established a federal reserve of 26 km (10 sq mi) around

1482-411: The urbanization of mountainous zones. In recent years, the use of snow cannons by many ski resorts has increased to compensate for reduced levels of snowfall. In order to sustain good quality snow coverage, snowmaking requires large amounts of water and sometimes the creation of artificial lakes . Snow cannons also introduce a noise element. The required infrastructure can affect erosion through

1539-548: The 1890s Peyto would guide tourists through the Sunshine Meadows to the base of Mt. Assiniboine , the highest peak in the Southern Continental Ranges of the Canadian Rockies . By the 1920s, Sunshine Meadows had become a popular camping site. Pat Brewster, the youngest son of dairyman John Brewster, was the first to regularly bring tourists for overnight camping at Sunshine Meadows. This area

1596-450: The CPR cabin. These two men were the first to ski what is now known as Banff Sunshine. In 1934 Jim and Pat Brewster leased the cabin from the CPR and began offering ski vacations. They bought the lodge in 1936. In 1939 they hired Swiss guide Bruno Engler as the first ski instructor. In 1941 a rope tow was built. The Brewster's owned the area until 1951 when it was sold to George Encil, who also owned nearby Mt. Norquay. He added "Village" to

1653-592: The Crown for $ 1, or sever and remove every facility and return the land to its natural state. Banff Sunshine has 3,358 acres (13.59 km) of skiable terrain in Alberta and B.C. Its top elevation is at 2,730 m (8,960 ft), its base elevation is at 1,660 m (5,450 ft), and it is 1,070 m (3,510 ft) tall. The primary skiing area around Banff Sunshine is based at 2,160 m (7,090 ft), providing 570 m (1,870 ft) of vertical terrain to

1710-698: The Sunshine area was Governor George Simpson of Hudson's Bay Company . His party passed through the area in 1841 seeking new quicker routes into the Columbia District . His diary noted "Hole in the Wall" Goat's Eye mountain and he left a blaze in a tree that has since been preserved in the Banff Natural History Museum. The next significant exploration party was the Palliser Expedition in the late 1850s; Mt. Borgeau,

1767-491: The Sunshine area. Banff Sunshine was utilized as a task destination for the season-ending episode of the popular American reality television show The Amazing Race 5 (original broadcast date September 2004). In the final 13th leg of this race, the three remaining teams took taxicabs from the Calgary International Airport to Banff Sunshine. After riding the gondola to the base of Lookout Mountain,

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1824-558: The United States. Banff and nearby Canmore played host to the 2014 Alberta Winter Games . Banff also hosted the 1991 Winter Deaflympics . For several years there has been an annual long-distance relay run between Banff and Jasper, Alberta (formerly known as the Jasper to Banff Relay ). Banff has a long history of hosting Team Canada hockey training camps, including Canada's 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships team when

1881-850: The contestants donned snowshoes before making the approximate 2,000 vertical foot hike to the top ridge of the Great Divide (elevation 8,900 feet). Sunshine regularly host the Marjoe Gortner Celebrity Sports Invitational charity ski events to raise money for charities such as the Dream Foundation and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 's Waterkeeper Alliance . [REDACTED] Media related to Sunshine Village at Wikimedia Commons Ski resort Ski resorts are located on both Northern and Southern Hemispheres on all continents except Antarctica . They typically are located on mountains , as they require

1938-487: The entrances are via a gate that remains locked at all times unless it detects a working avalanche transceiver on each person that passes through it. The entrance for Wild West is located on Goats Eye Mountain while the entrance to Delirium Dive is located near the Great Divide. Sunshine also features a 5km ski-out which brings guests from the village to the gondola base. Banff Sunshine 10 has chairlifts, and 2 magic carpets . Many movies and TV specials have been filmed in

1995-633: The event was held in Alberta and the 1984 Canada Cup squad which practiced there, before the start of the tournament. In June 2008, the Banff council launched a local bus system called Roam , with three routes connecting the town, Tunnel Mountain, the Banff Springs Hotel, and the Banff Gondola. The service is operated using four hybrid Nova buses, each decorated with scenes from the National Park. Many bus stops along

2052-416: The increased area of impervious surfaces , redirecting the flow of water runoff . Many resorts are taking steps to reduce their energy and water consumption and waste production, increase recycling, and restore habitats. Initiatives aimed at addressing environmental concerns include: Banff, Alberta Banff is a resort town in Banff National Park , Alberta , Canada, in Alberta's Rockies along

2109-609: The internment camp were used as slave labour to build the infrastructure of the national park. In 1985, the United Nations declared Banff National Park , as one of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks , a World Heritage Site . Banff remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada. One of the most notable figures of Banff was Norman Luxton , who was known as "Mr. Banff". He published

2166-466: The marina. Tunnel Mountain (formerly known as Sleeping Buffalo Mountain) (1,690 m (5,540 ft)) is situated within the townsite and has a summit that can be scaled in less than half an hour. It was named Tunnel Mountain because surveyors initially wanted to make a tunnel for the Canadian Pacific Railway right through the mountain, instead of following the Bow River Valley. Located on

2223-473: The modern era with the opening of the first gondola, which replaced bus access to the ski area, in 1980, In 1981, the resort was purchased by Ralph T. Scurfield of Calgary. Following his death in 1985, his sons, Ralph , Sergei, and John ran the resort and made many improvements. In 1988, the resort's first high-speed quad opened with the construction of the Angel Express on Lookout Mountain. In 1995,

2280-589: The mountain since 1980 was replaced with a modern gondola built by Poma, reusing the same line and many of the original towers. At the same time, the WaWa T-Bar was removed and a fixed-grip quad was built by Poma to replace it. In 2003, the Standish double chairlift was upgraded by Leitner Poma to a high=speed quad, providing high-speed lift service to Mount Standish. In 2010, the Strawberry triple chairlift

2337-510: The name Banff for a crater on Mars, after the town in Alberta. The crater is at latitude 17.7° north and longitude 30.8° west. Its diameter is 5 km (3.1 mi). In 1991, Banff hosted the 1991 Winter Deaflympics , the first Deaflympics hosted in Canada , and the only Deaflympics held in Canada since then. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic , the town chose to temporarily close portions of its main street to vehicle traffic to create

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2394-651: The name and made numerous improvements including the addition of a "Ski-Kuli" lift. In 1961 the resort was purchased by local Banff businessman Cliff White, Jr. and his wife Bev. Their vision has shaped the resort. Partnering with Power Corporation Resorts, they built the Sunshine Inn (now Sunshine Mountain Lodge), the Daylodge and opened up the slopes of the Continental (Great) Divide Chairlift. He ushered in

2451-478: The neighbouring ski resorts. The Sunshine base area is located 15 km (9 mi) southwest of the town of Banff . By car, it is about a ninety-minute drive from the city of Calgary ; the Sunshine exit on the Trans Canada Highway is 8 km (5 mi) west of the town of Banff. Banff Sunshine ski runs and lifts are accessed via an eight-person high-speed gondola . It moves passengers from

2508-582: The park. Services, such as St George-in-the-Pines church, were constructed through the late 19th century. It was administered by the Government of Canada's national parks system until 1990 when the Town of Banff became the only incorporated municipality within a Canadian national park. An internment camp was set up at Banff and Castle Mountain in Dominion Park from July 1915 to July 1917 mostly imprisoning Ukrainian immigrants. The prisoners of

2565-445: The parking lot (or bus terminal) to Goat's Eye mountain in 10 minutes and to the upper Village area in 18 minutes. There are 9 chairlifts and 134 trails within the alpine valley formed by the three mountains (Mount Standish, Lookout Mountain, and Goat's Eye Mountain ) that constitute Banff Sunshine. In summer, the resort runs a shuttle bus service to its attractive walking trails and alpine meadows. The first explorer that passed through

2622-409: The resort expanded onto Goat's Eye Mountain , constructing a Poma high-speed quad to service the new terrain. A year later, the Great Divide double chairlift to the summit of Lookout Mountain was replaced with an extended high-speed quad, also built by Poma. In 2000, Poma replaced the two chairlifts on the mountain between Goat's Eye and Lookout Mountains. The Wheeler double chairlift was replaced with

2679-423: The routes have screens that tell passengers exactly how many minutes before the next two buses arrive. In December 2012, the bus system was expanded to include the hourly Route 3 service between Banff and Canmore. As of January 2024, Roam Transit offers 10 routes, the majority serving destinations within Banff or to national park locations nearby. In addition, Roam also offers two routes to Lake Louise , as well as

2736-777: The side of Tunnel Mountain is the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, which hosts events, including outdoor concerts, dance, opera, and theatre. Banff is home to the Banff World Television Festival , Banff Mountain Film Festival , Rocky Mountain Music Festival, and Bike Fest. The town is also the starting point of the 4,417 km (2,745 mi) Great Divide Mountain Bike Route , which terminates at Antelope Wells, New Mexico in

2793-413: The slopes themselves, with ski-in and ski-out access allowing guests to ski right up to the door. Ski resorts often have other activities, such as snowmobiling , sledding , horse-drawn sleds , dog-sledding , ice skating , indoor or outdoor swimming and hot tubbing , game rooms, and local forms of entertainment, such as clubs, cinema, theaters and cabarets . Après-ski (French for after skiing )

2850-406: The top of Lookout Mountain. There are 134 named runs spreading out over three mountains ( Goat Eye's Mountain , Lookout Mountain and Mount Standish ) and the two provinces, ( Alberta and British Columbia ). Lift service includes a gondola , several chairlifts , a high-speed quad with heated seats and bubbles and magic carpet lifts . Banff Sunshine is the first ski resort in Canada to feature

2907-534: The tourist-friendly railway. This cabin was certainly not the first lodge built in the region (Bill Peyto’s cabin near Simpson’s pass was built more than 30 years earlier), but it is now the oldest building at Banff Sunshine and is known as the Old Sunshine Lodge. Housing Mad Trapper's Saloon and Bruno's Bistro , the OSL is situated at the timberline above what was then known as Wheeler’s Flats and just below

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2964-493: The townsite, including Mount Rundle (2,949 m (9,675 ft)); Cascade Mountain (2,998 m (9,836 ft)); and Mount Norquay (2,134 m (7,001 ft)). Mount Norquay has a ski slope as well as mountain biking trails on the Stoney Squaw portion, and Via Ferrata (an assisted climbing experience). A tourist attraction, the Banff Gondola, is available to ascend Sulphur Mountain (2,281 m (7,484 ft)) where

3021-499: The various trails. Rope tows can also be used on short slopes (usually beginner hills or bunny slopes). Larger ski areas may use gondola lifts or aerial tramways for transportation across longer distances within the ski area. Resorts post their trail map illustrating the location of lifts, trails, services and the ski area boundary, and during the ski season issue a daily snow conditions report listing open trails, operating lifts and weather status. Ski areas usually have at least

3078-430: The year. The annual snowfall averages 183.8 cm (72.4 in). The highest temperature ever recorded was 37.8 °C (100 °F) on June 29, 2021, during the 2021 Western North America heat wave . In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , the Town of Banff had a population of 8,305 living in 2,930 of its 3,287 total private dwellings, a change of 5.8% from its 2016 population of 7,851. With

3135-561: The years, due to Parks Canada's concern about avalanche risks along the road. In 2017, a court overturned a Parks Canada imposed ban on access road parking. In the summer of 2021, the parking lot was expanded and 250 new spots were added. The ski season begins in early November and traditionally ends in late May, on the Victoria Day long weekend, with an event called the Slush Cup. Slush Cup participants attempt to ski down in front of

3192-563: Was nicknamed Tee Pee Town on account of the many tents that overnight campers would set there. Upon reaching the top of the Tee Pee Town chair lift today, one is looking over the same Sunshine Meadows that were busy with campers those many decades earlier. In 1928, the Canadian Pacific Railway built a log cabin lodge for the use of The Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies , a club of horse enthusiasts who were sponsored by

3249-476: Was removed and replaced with a used Doppelmayr CTEC high-speed quad. The Strawberry Express had originally been built as a temporary lift at Whistler Blackcomb in 2009 for the 2010 Winter Olympics to transport spectators from the Creekside base area to the finish line on the downhill course. In 2015, the last remaining double chairlift on the mountain, Tee Pee Town, was removed and replaced by Doppelmayr with

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