Illegal Banff camping on the rise as affordable housing crunch continues

Banff National Park officials say they've seena spike in illegal camping this year, with many of the violations coming from people passing through town and others struggling tofind an affordable place to live.

"They camp on day use areas, along roads, in and around town, on the outskirts of campgrounds," saidTerry Willis,a park warden supervisor in Banff.

So far this year, he said 230illegal campsites have already been discovered, outpacing the214 found in all of 2015.

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Willis said the practice is harmful to the environment and risky to humans.

"I think it's a pretty significant risk," he said. "Bears live here. Wolves live here. Cougars live here."

It can also be a financial risk, with maximum fines for violationsof the park's camping rules running as high as $5,000.

Nevertheless, it's a risk many appear willing to take, especially given how notoriously difficult it is to find cheap places to stayin Banff.

Employment is often easier to come by than affordable accommodation, especially fortemporary foreign workers and post-secondary students spending a session away from school.

But Sharon Oakley with the Town of Banff says they're working with Parks Canada on improving the housing situation by releasing more lots for affordable housing development.

The town has beenadministered by the federal government for more than a century, and was incorporated as an Alberta municipality in 1990.

Still, the town remains a part of Banff National Park, meaning thefederal government retains ownership of all land and the municipalityis subjectto theNational Parks Act.

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