There is at least one more Historic Buffalo place that I’ve been wanting to visit in our area of historic Buffalo sites. Or actually two--Buffalo Trails and Buffalo Wallows! My family has been friends for at least 40 years with ranching families who live north on Cedar Creek. For all those years we’ve been invited to drive up and see their buffalo trails and buffalo wallows. Was I always too busy to go? I don’t think so—but somehow it just didn’t happen. Besides, I never thought there’d be so many of them. As their veterinarian, my husband Bert might have seen those historic trails and buffalo wallows, but never described them to me! Now he’s gone—but I had another opportunity. So now I’ve been there! And they are impressive! Honest to goodness Buffalo Trails trod centuries ago, and Wallows rubbed and scratched (and we’re pretty sure, enjoyed) by generations of migrating Buffalo herds. Dozens—maybe hundreds of them! When they got wind of our Buffalo Grande mission, Allan and Virginia...

The Banff buffalo had a dramatic history. And the most famous buffalo of all was Sir Donald, named for his donor Sir Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona. Smith was famous in Canada for helping build the Trans-Canada Railway. Plains buffalo have been in Banff National Park almost from the beginning—in a small pasture by the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. They became famous with tourists and lived there in a display herd along the new railroad for nearly a century, from 1897 to 1997. In 1907 the Canadian government—suddenly realizing they were bereft of buffalo—purchased the Pablo Herd of over 700 from the western plains of Montana. Banff received 77 of these animals, and a new paddock of 300 acres (only!) was built north of the railroad to hold the increasing herd.How Banff National Park BeganIt was a time of railroad building. The Canadian Rails had a major challenge—to link the busy Pacific Coast area, with all its ships filled with Asian produce and returning with high...

At Banff National Park above the tree line the landscape is mostly rocks and ice. In 2017, a small herd of young Plains buffalo was introduced to this mountainous landscape—but in very deliberate steps. The 16 adult buffalo—10 two-year old pregnant heifers and 6 young bulls—stayed in the fenced enclosure in the Panther Valley for 2 calving cycles. In 1 year their numbers increased to 26; in 1.5 years to 36. First they lived for nearly 2 years in a small re-introduction pasture in the Panther Valley. The purpose being for the young buffalo mothers to bond for both years to the place they birth their calves. Twenty calves were born there. Now after 5 years, the wild herd of Plains buffalo—having lived only in the plains up to this point—climbs to the highest peaks and lives high up in the mountains each summer.Unlike other western mountain towns that focused on mining or agriculture, Banff was built as a tourist destination from the beginning. Three to four million visitors come to the...

Final Report on the Plains Bison Reintroduction Pilot 2017-2022 Executive Summary, May 2023Following the 2015 Plains Bison Reintroduction Plan, Parks Canada prepared a draft Report on the Plains Bison Reintroduction Pilot 2017-2022 (the Report). The Report summarizes key learnings of the five-year pilot and was shared with Indigenous Peoples, stakeholders and the public for comment over a 30-day engagement period between November 9th and December 14th, 2022. During the engagement period, Parks Canada sought feedback on results of the pilot and input on what is important for Parks Canada to consider in the future of bison management in Banff National Park. All comments received were documented, read and analyzed. In total, Parks Canada received 56 responses ranging from personal accounts of the importance of the bison reintroduction to specific recommendations to improve the draft Report. Input was received from individuals (Canadians at large), organizations (environmental, industry,...