Parks Canada; the federal agency managing national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas; has evolved through four distinct eras. That evolution shapes how Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, and the Lake Louise Ski Resort are governed today.

Pleasure Ground (1885–1930). Canada did not create parks to “save the planet”; it created them to pay for the CPR. When hot springs were claimed at Banff in 1885, the government saw a way to attract wealthy tourists. The land was treated as a stage for tourism; Indigenous peoples were forcibly removed; hunting was banned. In 1911 Canada became the first country to create a dedicated parks branch, the Dominion Parks Branch, led by James B. Harkin. Nature was a product to sell.

Infrastructure (1930–1970). As cars replaced trains, the agency shifted from serving elites to mass accessibility. This was the era of scenic drives, highways (the Icefields Parkway), golf courses, ski hills, campgrounds, and townsites like Banff and Jasper. Nature was a “Wilderness Playground”; get as many people in as possible.

Crisis and Pivot (late 1980s–1998). Two forces collided: a new law and a budget gutting. The 1988 amendments to the National Parks Act, for the first time, prioritised ecological integrity over tourism; if a choice had to be made between a ski lift and a grizzly’s habitat, the bear had to win. In 1994 the government slashed Parks Canada’s budget by 25% (~$100 million). The agency stopped maintaining hundreds of kilometres of trails; it “decommissioned” them to save money, protect wildlife corridors, and avoid liability on rotting bridges. In 1998 Parks Canada became a separate agency; higher entrance fees, user-pay funding, less dependence on parliamentary appropriations. The defeat of Village Lake Louise (1972) had foreshadowed this turn.

Reconciliation (1993–present). Starting with Gwaii Haanas (1993), Parks Canada moved toward co-management with Indigenous nations; shared decision-making instead of unilateral control. By 2024–2026 the agency treats Indigenous knowledge as equal to Western science in park management. National Urban Parks (Rouge, Ojibway) aim to “bring the park to the people” for Canadians who cannot afford trips to the Rockies.