I am a Bow Valley resident who spends more than 100 days a year paddling the lakes and rivers of Banff National Park. The recent notice proposing paddle craft closures at Bow Lake and Lake Minnewanka is deeply frustrating and, frankly, difficult to understand.

Over the past several years, Parks Canada has steadily removed paddling access across the park. Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake are already closed. Now, Bow Lake and Lake Minnewanka are effectively being taken away as well.

Meanwhile, the core issue these closures claim to address — aquatic invasive species — remains largely unaddressed.

For the past four years, Parks Canada has required a mandatory aquatic invasive species self-declaration. I follow that requirement carefully every time I paddle. However, it is widely understood within the paddling community that compliance is inconsistent because there is effectively no enforcement.

Despite being on the water regularly for years, I have never once been asked to produce proof of inspection or a permit.

Closing lakes without enforcing the system already in place is not a solution. It simply shifts paddlers elsewhere while the real pathways for invasive species remain open.

Lake Minnewanka is a particularly troubling example. Canoes and kayaks are being banned while motorized boats remain permitted, despite the fact that water-cooled engines and fishing equipment represent far higher invasive species risks than a hard-shell kayak or canoe.

Even more concerning is that Lake Minnewanka is the only lake in Banff National Park with paddle craft access to backcountry campsites. Eliminating paddle access effectively removes an entire category of backcountry recreation from the park.

If the goal is genuinely to prevent invasive species, there are clear and proven solutions available. Mandatory wash stations already operate successfully in communities such as Invermere, Cochrane and Golden. Every vessel entering the park could be required to stop and be cleaned before accessing any water body.

Practical options include:

A mandatory wash station on the Lake Minnewanka Loop, combined with making the loop one-way, so boats cannot bypass the station.

A mandatory wash station on the Lake Minnewanka Loop, combined with making the loop one-way, so boats cannot bypass the station.

Wash stations installed at both ends of the Icefields Parkway, ensuring no watercraft enters the park without proper cleaning.

Wash stations installed at both ends of the Icefields Parkway, ensuring no watercraft enters the park without proper cleaning.

These measures would directly address the risk of aquatic invasive species rather than disproportionately targeting low-risk users such as paddlers.

The current approach appears to penalize responsible recreationists while leaving the highest-risk vectors largely unchecked. It also undermines public confidence in Parks Canada’s decision-making.

I would appreciate a clear explanation of the scientific evidence and risk analysis supporting a policy that restricts paddle craft while continuing to allow motorized vessels on Lake Minnewanka.

Banff National Park belongs to all Canadians. Responsible paddlers are not the problem, and eliminating access without implementing meaningful prevention measures is both ineffective and unfair.

I urge Parks Canada to reconsider these closures and focus instead on enforceable, evidence-based solutions that protect our waterways while preserving access.

Lawrence Carter is a Banff resident and frequent paddler.

© Calgary Herald