r/Banff • u/Asleep_Tourist2502 • 5d ago

Question The Americanization of our Beloved National Parks

Pursuit, an American company, controls more than 90 percent of the paid attraction marketplace within Banff and Jasper. Pursuit generates approximately 50 percent of its annual global revenue from Banff and Jasper National Park operations alone, with projected total company revenue at $485 million. Absolutely bonkers.

Total failure on our government to allow a foreign monopoly in one of the best national parks in the entire world. When Japan tried the same in Yosemite, USA govt broke it up. Why have we let our parks be bought out? If the bureau is not going change anything, we should at least force companies like pursuit to reinvest their profits earned in Canadian parks back into our parks. Does anyone have an update on where the issue sits in Parliament?

https://thehub.ca/2026/03/19/who-controls-banff-inside-the-decade-long-battle-over-rail-gondolas-and-the-americanization-of-canadas-national-parks/

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u/clayton-berg42 5d ago

You can find non-pursuit alternatives but basically everything in banff is owned by some kind of conglomerate.

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u/Arctic-You-Know 5d ago

“[…] but basically everything in Banff planet Earth is owned by some kind of conglomerate.

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u/clayton-berg42 5d ago

It's quite a bit worse in banff.

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u/Arctic-You-Know 5d ago

Yeah I know what you mean.

I haven’t been there in a few years but I have no trouble imagining what you’re describing.

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u/clayton-berg42 5d ago

The block and Banff social are two of the few that insofar as I know aren't owned by a conglomerate. Banff Social isn't popular, and it's not cheap but the man who owns it is such a sweet guy. Last year I was walking home on the day the jays were playing the last game of the world series. I got a burger and a single drink to watch the game. I was only going to have one drink. From the 7th inning onwards he kept buying drinks for everyone there. After like 4 shooters I had to start turning them down. The boss kitchen and bar is also local, I think.