Lingering in the warm mineral waters of Banff’s Upper Hot Springs pool, surrounded by jagged mountain peaks, is pure pleasure.
BY TAMARA NOWAKOWSKY
"There is a feeling of having caught Nature unawares at her work of creation. Here was purity and dignity and measureless peace." – Renowned 19th-century Canadian geologist A.P. Coleman on Banff, Alberta, and its mountain surroundings.
In 1884, as the railway that would join Canada from coast to coast was pushing steadily ahead, Canadian Pacific Railway workers William McCardell and Frank McCabe stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Until then, only the Stoney Indians had known about and used these waters, which they held to be sacred and infused with healing properties.
Looking into the waters nearly 120 years ago, the railway labourers saw opportunity reflected back. They wished to develop the hot springs as a tourist activity and destination, knowing that the much sought-after European market would especially appreciate the soothing properties of the warm mineral waters. It was a dispute over the ownership of these hot springs that prompted the creation of Banff National Park – Canada’s first national park – in 1885.
The springs are still rumoured to have healing properties. While, the Cave and Basin springs at the foot of Sulphur mountain are now a national historic site, today most visitors to the national park – whether they're here to enjoy outdoor adventures like mountain climbing or skiing, to attend corporate meetings, to participate in educational programs, or to wheel and deal at one of the local film, TV or book festivals – eventually make their way to the current hot springs site, Banff Upper Hot Springs.
Modern-day explorers experience the same benefits as their counterparts of the past, though it can be difficult to determine what plays the biggest role in the rumoured healing – the warm mineral waters, or the scenery. The stress relief gained by simply slowing down and spending time in the pool, surrounded by jagged mountain peaks, is invaluable. In a setting like Banff, soaking up the view as you soak in the waters, the pressures of life seem to evaporate. You'd have to go a long way to find anything like the restorative qualities of these hot springs, open to the scenery and the elements.
Banff Upper Hot Springs are open year-round, and if you enjoy one season, chances are you'll be captivated by the next. Perhaps the most incredible time to visit the springs is winter – the cool air and gently falling snowflakes melting on your face as you sit in the warm water adds yet another degree of charm.
Reverence for Banff's rich history is another of the park's attractive qualities. One of the most interesting aspects of the hot springs, for instance, is to be found not at the current springs, but at the original site. For a full experience that puts it all in perspective, visit Cave and Basin first before heading for Banff Upper Hot Springs.
At the Cave and Basin springs, which have been preserved as an interpretive centre, a short walk through a rocky tunnel leads into the earliest developed hot springs site. You can't soak in this water, and even dipping a finger into it is strongly discouraged, so as to safeguard the remaining habitat of the rare and threatened Banff Springs Snail, a tiny creature found nowhere else in the world. The endangered Banff Springs Snail (Physella johnsoni), which lives in five of Banff National Park’s natural hot springs, is found nowhere else in the world. The largest of these snails are about the size of an average small fingernail. They live in warm water, clinging to algae at the water’s surface. The Cave and Basin Hot Springs contains a protected pool for the snails because if people were to bathe in the water or merely dip their hands into it, the resultant waves would disturb the algae mats where the snails feed and lay eggs. Chemicals, deodorants, and insect repellents on people's skin also harm the snails and their habitat.
Outside the exhibit building, history comes alive. Stepping into the area of the reflecting pool and fountain in the former Bathing Pavilion is like stepping back in time. The open-roof structure, with stone arches and windows in the surrounding walls that look out onto the scenery, makes you yearn for the days of such beautiful architecture. Gazing at historic photos, you might find yourself straining to hear gleeful laughs from the past.
The more recent springs location is a short trip from the Cave and Basin site. The main building at Banff Upper Hot Springs was refurbished in 1995, in homage to its original 1932 appearance. Today the heritage bathhouse offers the kind of services modern travellers have come to expect, including interpretive exhibits, a restaurant and boutique, and the recently renovated Pleiades Massage and Spa. Staff at Pleaides use only handmade, all-natural products in their massages, facials, salt scrubs and other treatments.
When you finally immerse yourself in the hot springs, you'll discover that though the modern world is fast-paced, the mountains surrounding the site are ages old, and the experience of the waters is timeless.
A.P. Coleman's words still ring true in this little corner of the world. In large and traffic-heavy cities it might seem impossible, but in its development of Banff Upper Hot Springs, Parks Canada found a way to ensure that the purity, dignity and measureless peace Coleman spoke of nearly 120 years ago still exist today.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more information on Alberta
BY TAMARA NOWAKOWSKY
"There is a feeling of having caught Nature unawares at her work of creation. Here was purity and dignity and measureless peace." – Renowned 19th-century Canadian geologist A.P. Coleman on Banff, Alberta, and its mountain surroundings.
In 1884, as the railway that would join Canada from coast to coast was pushing steadily ahead, Canadian Pacific Railway workers William McCardell and Frank McCabe stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Until then, only the Stoney Indians had known about and used these waters, which they held to be sacred and infused with healing properties.
Looking into the waters nearly 120 years ago, the railway labourers saw opportunity reflected back. They wished to develop the hot springs as a tourist activity and destination, knowing that the much sought-after European market would especially appreciate the soothing properties of the warm mineral waters. It was a dispute over the ownership of these hot springs that prompted the creation of Banff National Park – Canada’s first national park – in 1885.
The springs are still rumoured to have healing properties. While, the Cave and Basin springs at the foot of Sulphur mountain are now a national historic site, today most visitors to the national park – whether they're here to enjoy outdoor adventures like mountain climbing or skiing, to attend corporate meetings, to participate in educational programs, or to wheel and deal at one of the local film, TV or book festivals – eventually make their way to the current hot springs site, Banff Upper Hot Springs.
Modern-day explorers experience the same benefits as their counterparts of the past, though it can be difficult to determine what plays the biggest role in the rumoured healing – the warm mineral waters, or the scenery. The stress relief gained by simply slowing down and spending time in the pool, surrounded by jagged mountain peaks, is invaluable. In a setting like Banff, soaking up the view as you soak in the waters, the pressures of life seem to evaporate. You'd have to go a long way to find anything like the restorative qualities of these hot springs, open to the scenery and the elements.
Banff Upper Hot Springs are open year-round, and if you enjoy one season, chances are you'll be captivated by the next. Perhaps the most incredible time to visit the springs is winter – the cool air and gently falling snowflakes melting on your face as you sit in the warm water adds yet another degree of charm.
Reverence for Banff's rich history is another of the park's attractive qualities. One of the most interesting aspects of the hot springs, for instance, is to be found not at the current springs, but at the original site. For a full experience that puts it all in perspective, visit Cave and Basin first before heading for Banff Upper Hot Springs.
At the Cave and Basin springs, which have been preserved as an interpretive centre, a short walk through a rocky tunnel leads into the earliest developed hot springs site. You can't soak in this water, and even dipping a finger into it is strongly discouraged, so as to safeguard the remaining habitat of the rare and threatened Banff Springs Snail, a tiny creature found nowhere else in the world. The endangered Banff Springs Snail (Physella johnsoni), which lives in five of Banff National Park’s natural hot springs, is found nowhere else in the world. The largest of these snails are about the size of an average small fingernail. They live in warm water, clinging to algae at the water’s surface. The Cave and Basin Hot Springs contains a protected pool for the snails because if people were to bathe in the water or merely dip their hands into it, the resultant waves would disturb the algae mats where the snails feed and lay eggs. Chemicals, deodorants, and insect repellents on people's skin also harm the snails and their habitat.
Outside the exhibit building, history comes alive. Stepping into the area of the reflecting pool and fountain in the former Bathing Pavilion is like stepping back in time. The open-roof structure, with stone arches and windows in the surrounding walls that look out onto the scenery, makes you yearn for the days of such beautiful architecture. Gazing at historic photos, you might find yourself straining to hear gleeful laughs from the past.
The more recent springs location is a short trip from the Cave and Basin site. The main building at Banff Upper Hot Springs was refurbished in 1995, in homage to its original 1932 appearance. Today the heritage bathhouse offers the kind of services modern travellers have come to expect, including interpretive exhibits, a restaurant and boutique, and the recently renovated Pleiades Massage and Spa. Staff at Pleaides use only handmade, all-natural products in their massages, facials, salt scrubs and other treatments.
When you finally immerse yourself in the hot springs, you'll discover that though the modern world is fast-paced, the mountains surrounding the site are ages old, and the experience of the waters is timeless.
A.P. Coleman's words still ring true in this little corner of the world. In large and traffic-heavy cities it might seem impossible, but in its development of Banff Upper Hot Springs, Parks Canada found a way to ensure that the purity, dignity and measureless peace Coleman spoke of nearly 120 years ago still exist today.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more information on Alberta
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