Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Two groups will set out via motorcoach from Calgary, for an exploration of the Banff area, including the town and the Banff Springs Hotel, a National Historic Site of Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While en route, we will learn about the importance of Canadian Pacific Railway and how it contributed to the building of Canada. As we travel the Minnewanka Scenic Route including Bankhead, an abandoned mining town and relic of Banff’s industrial past, we will see hoodoos and anthracite, notable landmarks and historic places, an underwater village, and learn about native history. We’ll stop at a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the classic Two Jack Lake of the Rockies. The other two groups will explore the Parks at Johnston Canyon, a deep rugged canyon with waterfalls and rushing waters. We’ll see how Johnston Creek has carved down into the limestone on the valley bottom, creating a spectacular and deep canyon. Along the way, we’ll make stops for interpretation, viewing, and photo opportunities. To enable animals to connect their habitats safely and protect motorists, Parks Canada has implemented wildlife crossings – underpasses and overpasses. If we’re lucky, we may spot deer, elk, mountain goats, longhorn sheep, bears, and wolves. Groups will switch activities for the morning of Day 7.
Lunch:
At the Banff Centre.
Afternoon:
We will discover the fascinating history and geology of the Canadian Rockies in a presentation at the center. Today’s glacial landscape was carved over the last 2.9 million years, during which there have been many ice advances and retreats. We’ll learn from a local geologist about mountain building, the different layers of rock and what they mean, and how the geology of the Canadian Rockies differs from the American Rockies. A second presentation will introduce us to the Banff Centre, during which we will learn from a Banff Centre insider about the state-of-the-art design and architecture of the premises as well as the art, its resident artists and leaders. Afterwards, we’ll embark on an in-depth exploration of the center – the artists in residence, recreation facilities, exhibits, and more.
Dinner:
At the Banff Centre.
Evening:
We will meet with an expert biologist and conservationist who will give a presentation on how to share the land with grizzly bears. The Bow Valley is considered an internationally significant wildlife migration corridor, contained within the Lake Louise area, it is notable for its critical grizzly bear, elk, lynx, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat habitat. As protected areas, the mountain national parks make a weighty contribution to grizzly bear conservation in the Rocky Mountain ecosystem. These parks can contribute refuge in the greater landscape but this requires special considerations for the way in which humans share the landscape with bears. During the presentation, we will also hear how Parks Canada is conducting land use and management policies.