Contribution to assist Alberta Improvement District No. 9 in construction of a new Lake Louise Fire Hall in Banff National Park 2023 Grand total contribution: $5 M

Banff National Park

Banff National Park is renowned for its dramatic mountain landscape of peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls and canyons. It 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 western Canada’s tourism industry, receiving over 4 million visitors annually. Banff National Park is also home to five national historic sites including: Howse Pass; Skoki Ski Lodge; Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station; Banff Park Museum; and Cave and Basin National Historic Sites. Parks Canada also administers the community of Lake Louise in Banff National Park.

Parks Canada is responsible for overall emergency strategic planning for Banff National Park and provides wildland fire risk reduction and response, and technical mountain rescue in Banff National Park. In the community of Lake Louise, Parks Canada is also responsible for all municipal services related to land-use including land leases and licenses of occupation, development and building permits, business licensing, waste management, water and sewer services, and transportation infrastructure including maintenance and snow removal.

Improvement District No. 9 (ID9) is a provincially appointed government body for Banff National Park responsible for areas outside of the corporate limits of the Town of Banff. ID9 collects taxes for the purposes of providing community services such as the Lake Louise Sport and Recreation Centre and the Lake Louise Fire Department (LLFD).

The Lake Louise Fire Department provides structural fire protection, road rescue services, and first-response medical assistance in Banff National Park, outside of the corporate limits of the Town of Banff, and to neighbouring jurisdictions through mutual aid agreements.

Infrastructure Contribution

Parks Canada is ID9’s largest rate payer and provides approximately one-third of the ID9 operating budget through annual Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILT). This is the mechanism by which federal properties in Canada, although exempt from taxation, share costs equitably with communities. The funding announced here is in addition to PILT and will be administered by ID9. Questions about total project costs, as well as locations and timelines, may be directed to ID9.

Project name: Lake Louise Fire Hall 
Location: Banff National Park, Lake Louise Area
Parks Canada contribution: $5M
Total estimated cost: TBD

Project information: To assist ID9 in construction of a new fire hall in the community of Lake Louise in Banff National Park. The new fire hall will provide the Lake Louise Fire Department with improved facilities for administration, training, operations and equipment storage. This will enhance emergency preparedness and response in a key tourism destination for Alberta and Canada.

Currently, the Lake Louise Fire Department is housed in a Parks Canada facility. This space will be repurposed for national park operations.

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