A couple sits on the shore of a turquoise lake in Lake Louise within Banff National Park/ROAM Creative, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism
Canada has pledged $5 million ($3.7 million USD) to help Alberta Improvement District No. 9 (ID9) construct a new fire hall in the community of Lake Louise in Banff National Park.
The hall will provide the Lake Louise Fire Department with improved facilities for administration, training, operations and equipment storage. This investment will enhance emergency preparedness in a key tourism destination for Alberta and Canada..
Parks Canada collaborates with ID9 to ensure the safety of residents and visitors to Banff. The Lake Louise Fire Department’s firefighters provide structural fire protection, road rescue services and first-response medical assistance in Banff and to neighboring jurisdictions through mutual aid agreements.
As with similar projects, the hall will be subject to a mandatory review process involving rigorous impact assessment and evaluation against regulations, park management plans and related policies. This process ensures the project is consistent with the vision and direction for both the community and the broader national park.
Banff is an internationally recognized symbol of Canada, an integral part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a focal point for Alberta's tourism industry, receiving over 4 million visitors annually. The community of Lake Louise is a key destination inside the park.
ID9 is a provincially appointed government body for Banff responsible for areas outside of the corporate limits of the Town of Banff. It collects taxes for the purposes of providing community services including the Lake Louise Fire Department.
Parks Canada leads emergency strategic planning in Banff and is directly responsible for technical mountain rescue and for wildland fire risk reduction and response throughout the national park.
The fire department is housed in a Parks Canada facility. This space will be repurposed for national park operations.
