Travel Planning

• Canadian Tourism Commission
• www.canada.travel
• Official tourism website for all of Canada.

• Tourism British Columbia
• www.hellobc.com
• Learn more about the province, plan your travels, and order tourism literature.

• Travel Alberta
• www.travelalberta.com
• Similar to the British Columbia tourism website, but includes information on Banff and Jasper National Parks.

Parks

• BC Parks
• www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks
• This department oversees management of provincial parks in British Columbia. The website details facilities, fees, and seasonal openings of each park.

• Parks Canada
• www.pc.gc.ca
• Official website of the agency that manages Canada’s national parks and National Historic Sites. Website has information on each park and historic site, including fees, camping, and wildlife.

• Parks Canada Campground Reservation Service
• www.pccamping.ca
• Online reservation service for national park campgrounds.

Government

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• www.cic.gc.ca
• Check this government website for anything related to entry into Canada.

• Environment Canada
• www.weatheroffice.gc.ca
• Five-day forecasts from across Canada, including dozens of locations throughout the Canadian Rockies. Includes weather archives such as seasonal trends and snowfall history.

• Government of Canada
• www.gc.ca
• The official website of the Canadian government.

Accommodations

• Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts
• www.crmr.com
• Small chain of four upscale Canadian Rockies’ resorts.

• Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
• www.fairmont.com
• Lodging chain that owns famous mountain resorts such as the Banff Springs, Chateau Lake Louise, and Jasper Park Lodge.

• Hostelling International–Canada
• www.hihostels.ca
• Canadian arm of the worldwide organization.

Conservation

• Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley
• www.biosphereinstitute.org
• Canmore-based organization mandated to gather and circulate information on management of the Bow River watershed. Online references include studies, publications, and human-use guidelines for the region.

• Bow Valley Wildsmart
• www.wildsmart.ca
• This nonprofit organization has put together a wealth of information on how to stay safe in the Bow Valley watershed, including reported wildlife sightings.

• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
• www.cpaws.org
• Nonprofit organization that is instrumental in highlighting conservation issues throughout Canada. The link to the Calgary chapter provides local information and a schedule of guided walks.

• Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation
• Initiative www.y2y.net
• Network of 800 groups working on conservation issues in the Canadian Rockies and beyond.

Transportation and Tours

• Air Canada
• www.aircanada.ca
• Canada’s national airline.

• Brewster
• www.brewster.ca
• Banff-based operator offering day trips, airport shuttles, and package tours.

• Rocky Mountaineer Vacations
• www.rockymountaineer.com
• Luxurious rail service from Vancouver to Banff and Jasper.

• VIA Rail
• www.viarail.ca
• Passenger rail service across Canada.

Publishers

• Gem Trek
• www.gemtrek.com
• You can pick up basic park maps free from local information centers, but this company produces much more detailed maps covering all the most popular regions of the Canadian Rockies.

• Lone Pine
• www.lonepinepublishing.com
• Respected for its field guides, this company has books on almost every natural-history subject pertinent to the Canadian Rockies.

• Rocky Mountain Books
• www.rmbooks.com
• Check out the catalog of this Calgary publisher, and you’ll surely be impressed by the list of outdoor recreation guides.

• Summerthought Publishing
• www.summerthought.com
• If you plan on doing lots of hiking, you’ll want a copy of the authoritative Canadian Rockies Trail Guide by this Banff publisher.

© Andrew Hempstead, from Moon Western Canada, 3rd Edition