The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Camp on the Golf Course Meadows in 1920 (Glenbow-NA-2635-22), and the same location in 1996 (CW-1996-10A-20) and 2017 (CW-2017-06-06-066). Only two live aboveground stems exist from an aspen clone that once had thousands of vigorous sprouts and saplings.
The grasslands, riparian zones and aspen groves near today’s Banff golf course were once one of Banff’s most botanically diverse areas. Ongoing management of high elk densities around the town, golf course, and Tunnel Mountain campgrounds has stripped out most palatable woody plants (e.g. aspen, rose, serviceberry), and likely removed a wide range of herbaceous plants.
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