A Commonwealth Walkway will be created in Banff to mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and celebrate Canada’s role as a member of the Commonwealth.
The announcement was made Thursday, April 21 by Lois Mitchell, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.
Mitchell is the honourary patron of the Banff Commonwealth Walkway project. Bill Fisher, chair of the Banff-Canmore Community Foundation, will serve as chair of a local committee made up of representatives from the Banff-Canmore Community Foundation, Parks Canada, the Town of Banff, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, the Banff Centre, and Banff & Lake Louise Tourism.
Banff’s Commonwealth Walkway will feature bilingual bronze plaques along existing trails and at points of significant local interest. The plaques will bear Her Majesty’s personal Royal Cypher. The plaques will include details about royal connections to the mountain parks and Canada’s Commonwealth history. Potential routes for the walkway are still under development. It’s scheduled to be unveiled in September 2017 as part of events to mark Canada’s 150th birthday.