The Prince of Playgrounds
BANFF. |
The town of Banff is the business and the chief tourist centre of the Rocky Mountains Park. Eight hotels and six livery stables stand ready to serve the visitors, while guides and packhorses can be secured at a few hours' notice for trips into the mountain fastnesses in any direction the tourist may desire. Here are found outfitting stores where large camping parties may secure supplies, or the single camper stock his modest larder. Fishing tackle, photographic supplies, souvenirs of all kinds may be secured from any one of a number of dealers.
Imperial Bank, Banff.
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BANKS.
The Imperial Bank of Canada has a branch in Banff which puts the visitor in touch with all the important banking systems of the world and drafts or cheques on any regular bank will be promptly honored.
COTTAGES.
In addition to Banff's excellent hotel accommodation there are over one hundred cottages available for renting. These cottages are of various sizes, from the two-roomed building to the commodious eight-roomed house, fitted with modern conveniences. Many of the cottages are fitted with electric light and are connected with the water and sewer systems of the town. They are furnished with everything necessary for housekeeping except cutlery and linen, and the tourist who wishes to spend a month or more in Banff may do so comfortably at a moderate cost. These cottages, situated among the pine trees, afford a delightful and shady residence amid the grandeur and magnificence of the finest scenery and in a climate unsurpassed on the American continent.
Rent during the summer months is from $10 to $50 per month, according to size, convenience and location of the cottage.
Good general stores carry fresh stocks of provisions. A regular supply of fresh fruits and vegetables is received from British Columbia and of meat and dairy produce from Alberta.
CHURCHES.
The religious denominations represented in Banff are: Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican. Church Directories, giving the hours of service, are hung in hotel offices and in the post office. All visitors are given a cordial welcome to any of the places of worship.
Young Mountain Goat. Elevation 9000 ft.
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GAME.
Hunting big or small game in the Canadian National Parks is prohibited at all times, but once outside the limits of the Parks the sportsman finds numerous species of deer and bear, as well as Goat, Bighorn sheep, Mountain Lion and the smaller fur-bearing animals. Few parts of the world offer such a variety of game, and sportsmen from all countries, having once tasted the joys of a hunt in the Canadian Rockies, return again and again. Some of the largest specimens of sheep and goat to be seen in the museums of the American continent were secured in the hunting grounds just outside the borders of the Park. Five species of bear are to be found in these regions, including the much-prized Silver Tip Grizzly. Wapiti and Moose are becoming more numerous every year, and, while the mountains endure, the goat and sheep will never be exterminated. Of the smaller fur-bearing animals, Martin, Mink, Wolverine, Lynx, Ermine, Marmot, and many others are always to he found, affording a variety to the trip. So numerous are this latter class, from which the world of fashion draws its supplies, that many trappers, both white and red, follow their calling as an exclusive means of livelihood, often realizing hundreds of dollars for a few extra fine skins.
The valleys of the Brazeau River, Bear Creek, Siffleur and other tributary streams of the Saskatchewan constitute a veritable sportsman's paradise, and can be readily reached from Banff.
FISH.
The fishing of the Park is fast becoming one of its chief attractions, and the Dominion Government have from time to time stocked the streams and lakes with different varieties of gamey fish. It is a common sight in Banff to see even women and children returning in triumph with strings of fish containing specimens of the beautiful Dolly Varden trout, grey trout and grayling, while the more experienced fisherman can secure a 30 lb. specimen of the land-locked salmon from the waters of Lake Minnewanka. Good fishing is found in the Bow River, Sawback Lakes, Spray River and Lake; and many of the unnamed lakes known to the guides fairly teem with fish, any of which can be easily reached from Banff.
Curling on Banff Ice.
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A WINTER RESORT.
Banff as a winter resort is increasing surely and rapidly in popularity, and the day is not far distant when the Canadian National Park will rival Switzerland as a winter pleasure ground. The climate is very mild considering the latitude, and all kinds of winter sports are carried on, including skating, curling, tobogganing, skiing, snowshoeing, iceboating, sleigh-driving, etc., etc. The mean temperature in the winter months is above that of most towns in Canada and bright clear skies are the rule. Just enough snow falls for good sleighing and snowshoeing, with enough frost to keep the ice in good shape for skating and curling.
The Banff Curling Club has a membership of over fifty and is affiliated with the Alberta Branch of the Royal Caledonia Club of Scotland. The game is played on open rinks situated in a picturesque spot surrounded by evergreens, and quite frequently visiting curlers make use of the ice and are always welcome.
Banff Ladies' Hockey Club
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During the winters of 1907-08 and 1908-09, very successful Bonspiels were held which drew rinks from many towns in Alberta and British Columbia.
The exceptional climatic conditions of Banff's winters will in time make it one of the great curling centres of the world.
Hockey is also played in the open, and visiting teams play with Banff at intervals during the season. Banff also boasts a Ladies' Hockey Team, which has on several occasions made good against visiting teams. Iceboating is a popular sport and is carried on at Lake Minnewanka where a fleet of these speedy craft is kept, and with tobogganing, skiing and snowshoeing, affords many opportunities for the tourist seeking pleasure in a bright, bracing winter climate.
During the winter all the hotels, excepting the Banff Springs and Mount Royal, are open for the accommodation of guests, and most of the liveries are also at the disposal of the tourist. The Government Baths at both the Cave and Basin and the Upper Springs are open the year round, and one of the pleasures of the winter is the novelty of bathing in the open air, in warm or hot water, when the thermometer registers below freezing. The dressing-rooms at the baths are kept well heated so that no inconvenience is experienced by the bather.
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