Touristic Development and Water Sustainability in Banff and Canmore, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

During the past decade the towns of Banff and Canmore, located in the Bow Valley Corridor of Alberta, Canada, have faced intense touristic, recreational and residential developmentpressure.Both communities have experienced significantinvestment and obvious growth in residential, resort and other tourism infrastructure. These changes have stimulated concerns regarding ecological,economic and social impacts of touristic development and triggered questions regarding its sustainability. This paper outlines the nature of touristic development activities in the Bow Corridor and, in particular, identifies water supply and waste water treatment issues related to touristic and residential growth in the towns of Banff and Canmore. Efforts of local municipal officials to deal with the impacts of residential and visitor demand on water supply and treatmentinfrastructure,including demand-and supply-side managementactions, are noted. Sustainability principles for water management, produced by the Canadian Water Resources Association, are used as touchstones to identify the incorporation of sustainability concepts and principles in planning and management of water resources in the Bow Valley Corridor. The paper concludes with comments concerning efforts to attain sustainable water managementas a componentof sustainable tourism in the Bow Valley Corridor.