Anyone planning on visiting Banff National Park this summer will have to keep new parking restrictions in mind.
On Friday, Parks Canada announced new roadside parking bans for four areas of the park, including the Minnewanka day use area and the Johnston Canyon trail head.
Greg Danchuk, manager of visitor experience at Banff National Park, said the new rules were made with visitor and wildlife safety in mind, along with reducing congestion and creating smoother traffic flow.
“We’re really looking ahead and being preventative with this. We don’t want to have a situation where someone is injured,” he said.
In a statement, Parks Canada said it’s important to plan ahead and use other services.
“A Park & Ride has been created on the Minnewanka Loop Road and we encourage visitors to carpool, be dropped off and, where available, to use transit services,” the statement read.
“No parking” and “no stopping” signs will be posted in all restricted parking areas. Anyone violating the new rules will have their vehicle towed, and could also face charges.
For a full list of areas under the roadside parking ban, visit the Parks Canada website.
With files from Bindu Suri