The persistent smog across Northern China this year has caused growing concern, with people willing to pay any price for a breath of fresh air. Recently, reports of Canada "selling" fresh air to China have become a hot topic. The air on sale is said to be from the shores of Lake Louise near the town of Banff in the Rocky Mountains, marketed as "the freshest, cleanest air with notes of a mountain lake breeze." This has piqued the curiosity of many: what kind of place is Banff exactly? Many people who immigrate to Canada have traveled to Banff to see for themselves. The Global Times has also visited the lush, picturesque, and bird-filled town of Banff multiple times to experience its heavenly, fairyland-like charm.
Once a Paradise for Indigenous Buffalo Hunting
The Rocky Mountains are located in Western Canada and run almost the entire length of the country from south to north, dividing Western Canada into the warm, pleasant Lower Mainland of British Columbia and the distinct continental climate of the "Prairie Provinces." Historically, they served as a natural barrier separating the Pacific coast of Canada from its heartland. Before the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was completed, traveling from New Westminster (the capital of British Columbia at the time) to Ottawa or Toronto required a detour through the United States. Connecting to the CPR was a condition for the province to join Canada. Banff was a product of the completion of the CPR in 1885: this small town deep in the Rockies was originally just a paradise where indigenous people hunted buffalo. The railway passed through here, allowing people to eventually discover its unique resources.
Both the town of Banff and Banff National Park were established in the same year the railway was completed. Initially, it covered only 26 square kilometers, primarily protecting local ancient human heritage sites. Two years later, the park expanded to 674 square kilometers and was officially designated a "National Park." It was the second national park in North America and the first in Canada. At its largest, the park spanned nearly 20,000 square kilometers, and today it covers 6,641 square kilometers.
Banff is dubbed the "most diverse national park." It originally gained fame for its ancient human sites, indigenous tribes, and unique local hot springs. Subsequently, people developed nearby glaciers, icefields, pine forests, and mountain tours, making it the most famous scenic area in Western Canada.
The town of Banff has a population of only about 8,000, filled with exquisite, unique, and colorful detached wooden houses. Standing in the street, you can look up and see snowy peaks in the distance and, closer by, continuous coniferous forests at the foothills. During the off-season, it appears very quiet, with many restaurants and shops closing early and few visitors in the various unique museums. Familiar tourists (especially those from the Greater Vancouver area) choose to visit during this time because, once the busy summer season hits, the town becomes incredibly lively, with one interesting street event after another, queues for restaurants, and difficulty even finding a parking space.
Hollywood Films Filmed Here
Traveling more than 50 kilometers west along the clear Bow River, you arrive at Banff's "iconic attraction"—Lake Louise, home to the famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, where many celebrities have stayed. Not far from the hotel are the famous Bow Falls, where the classic Hollywood film *River of No Return* was shot; today, people can experience the thrill of kayaking or canoeing on the rapids. Traveling a little further brings you to Lake Louise itself. Like hundreds of other mountain lakes in the Rockies, it is calm, clear, and shimmers with a mysterious glow. What makes it unique, however, is the exceptionally graceful silhouette of the snowy mountains reflected in the lake, a mirror image often hailed as the "perfect combination of lake and mountain scenery" and "better than Switzerland, though not Switzerland." The most beautiful reflection of Lake Louise is widely recognized as being at its satellite lake, Moraine Lake. This reflection was once used as a Canadian "landmark", printed on the 1969 version of the 20 Canadian dollar banknote.
Upstream along the Bow River lies the 230-kilometer-long Icefields Parkway. This road takes visitors over the Sunwapta Pass at an altitude of 2,023 meters, delivering them to what is touted as the "most accessible mountain glacier attraction"—Jasper National Park. Because the altitude is high and the temperature difference is significant, and it is only suitable for visiting in the summer, visitors are always warned to "prepare winter clothing." Based on the reporter's experience, even wearing a thick down jacket, thermal hat, scarf, and gloves during midsummer, one can only stand in the open air at the pass for a short while; otherwise, they simply cannot withstand the bone-chilling winds from the icefields.
Because Banff and Lake Louise are so famous and are a mandatory stop for "group tours" from mainland China to Western Canada, those "selling air" deliberately use Banff and Lake Louise as a gimmick. In reality, their company is hundreds of kilometers away in Edmonton. Although they claim to "go to Banff every two weeks to collect fresh air from a secret spot by the lake," locals say they have "never seen them." Therefore, rather than saying the town of Banff is "selling air," it is more accurate to say that someone is leveraging the great name of this famous Canadian "landmark."
Once Deemed "The Dirtiest Air in Western Canada"
In fact, as some Canadian media have noted, for locals who know their history, the air around Lake Louise is not so "desirable"—because this was once the site of the famous Canadian coal mines of Lake Minnewanka and Bankhead. From 1887 to 1926, coal mining here lasted for nearly 40 years, and at the time, it was known for having "the dirtiest air in Western Canada." Fortunately, the local government and indigenous tribes later reached a consensus that "the beauty of the lakes and mountains is more valuable than coal mines," and they closed the mines at the risk of the town of Banff going "bankrupt."
Perhaps for this reason, the PM2.5 annual average index that our Chinese compatriots worry about is 5.8 in Banff. This is, of course, far better than most parts of Alberta where the "air-selling" company is located (e.g., Edmonton is 10, and Calgary, the province's largest city, is 11) and the WHO safe level (25), and certainly cannot be compared to Beijing and other Northern Chinese cities. However, it is slightly behind the Greater Vancouver area and Whistler, which hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics skiing events; these two cities are known for having better air quality in Canada, with a PM2.5 annual average index of 4.