Banff National Park's 140th birthday comes at a moment when its purpose is being tested.

What began on Nov. 25, 1885, as a place for people to use freely for pleasure has transformed into a leader in conservation management.

But huge crowds are now challenging that progress, and Parks Canada is exploring new ways to manage how people visit the park in the years ahead.

François Masse, the Parks Canada superintendent for Lake Louise, said the founders of Banff would be shocked by the scale of visitation today.

“Back in the 1880s, only a small number of people could make the trip,” particularly to Lake Louise, Masse said. “It was either a two-day horseback riding trip from the Town of Banff or a short jaunt on the rail."

Banff Avenue, sometime between 1903 and 1919, with a few tourists w

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