Our Mission

To secure the preservation and ongoing maintenance of backcountry trails in Canada’s national

parks.

Our Vision

Current and future generations of Canadians will be able enjoy authentic wilderness experiences

in national parks such as Banff and Jasper by undertaking multi-day backpacking trips on well-

maintained historic trails into the remotest corners of these iconic parks.

The Issue

For thousands of years, Indigenous and First Nations living on the west and east slopes of the

Rocky Mountains created trails through and across the mountains to hunt and trade. During

the fur trade era, Indigenous guides led legendary explorers such as David Thompson along

these trails, including Howse Pass in Banff and Athabasca Pass in Jasper.

After the transcontinental railway was completed in 1883, the CPR brought Swiss and Austrian

guides to the Rockies to lead American mountain climbers such as Walter Wilcox to visit soon-

to-be classic destinations like Lake Louise, Lake O’Hara, Emerald Lake and Mount Assiniboine.

The CPR also built for its guests trails near the world famous Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau

Lake Louise. At the same time, Banff National Park and later Jasper National Park were created

by the Canadian government and the agency now known as Parks Canada started building trails

for its wardens to use to patrol the backcountry as well as for horseback riding and hiking by

visitors to the parks.

By the 1970s, Banff and Jasper had among the best and most extensive network of backcountry

trails anywhere in the world. Jasper in particular was known as a mecca for long-distance

backpacking.

Unfortunately, beginning in the early 1990s, a succession of federal governments have cut

funding for Parks Canada (spinning it off into a Crown agency responsible for generating some

its revenue) and Parks has made a series of policy decisions to not invest in backcountry

infrastructure (trails, bridges and campsites). Trails which appeared on maps in the 1980s no

longer appear on current maps, as they have been “decommissioned” by Parks Canada. Other

trails which still appear on maps are in terrible shape: choked with deadfall, overgrown with

willows, washed out from floods.

Most seriously, when bridges wash out, which they do, they are not being rebuilt. In some

cases, such as Simon Creek on the Athabasca Pass trail, failing to rebuild a bridge means the

trail can no longer be hiked; the creek is too swift and deep to be forded. Athabasca Pass is

not just in a national park, it is itself a National Historic Site. By refusing rebuild the Simon

Creek bridge, Parks Canada is cutting off access to this historic site.

Failure to maintain hundreds of kilometres of trails in Banff and Jasper is slowly but surely

denying Canadians access to the wildest and best parts of these national parks. Moreover, we

believe the backcountry trail systems in Banff and Jasper are, in their own right, artifacts of

significant cultural value and heritage. It is a tragedy that many of these trails are slowly

disappearing, year by year, because they are not being properly maintained or at all. For these

reasons, the Society is dedicated to advocating for the preservation and proper maintenance of

backcountry trails in Canada.

Strategic Priorities

• The Society will engage with the media, including social media, to bring this issue to the

attention of Canadians and to build support for the Society’s mission and vision.

• The Society will constructively engage with and advocate to Parks Canada and the

federal government to improve funding for maintenance of backcountry trails and

infrastructure.

• The Society will encourage Parks Canada to allow qualified volunteer trail organizations

to maintain trails in the national parks, as is done in Alberta provincial parks, on Alberta

public lands and throughout British Columbia.

• The Society will work with other like-minded organizations with similar goals to achieve

the preservation of backcountry trails in the Rocky Mountain national parks.

• To enable it to accomplish these strategic priorities, the Society will fundraise and solicit

donations, through a website and other practicable means.