Staff favourites in Western Canada

The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site is renowned for its 5,000 vintage natural history specimens. While most visitors are drawn to the bison, wolves, and other large animal exhibits, I’m fascinated with the diminutive items in the collection, including small birds, insects, and the teeny hummingbird eggs.

Each winter, I marvel at the sparkling blanket of frost at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. These fragile ice crystals, formed by the area’s bubbling thermal waters, create a true winter fairy tail and a shimmering world like a million diamonds.

Learning about the Indigenous histories that are tied to all landscapes of Paahtómahksikimi is my favourite part of Waterton Lakes National Park. As a member of the Kainai Nation, it’s an incredible feeling to learn about how my ancestors lived and thrived in the place that I now call home.

Visiting Elk Island National Park’s Living Waters Boardwalk at the break of dawn provides the perfect opportunity to sit on a bench and enjoy the peaceful Astotin Lake as a symphony of birdsong carries over the water. The quiet atmosphere and places to sit make it an ideal place to start my day at the park.

Fall at Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site offers a peaceful retreat with colourful autumn leaves along the scenic North Saskatchewan River. Exploring breathtaking walking trails, you can delve into the site's history and natural beauty. It's an opportunity to capture a stunning sunset from the red chairs, observe the roaming bison, and envision the connections forged here by Indigenous peoples and fur traders.

Working outside at Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site, gives me the opportunity to find special spots and locations that change with every season. One of my favorite spots on site is around the bison lookout at night. The views of the night sky are unobstructed by trees or light and we have a population of fireflies in that area that give a spectacular show mid to late July.

At Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site, I love welcoming visitors from around the world, new Canadians, and especially locals who discover the site for the first time, often amazed by the rich history and natural beauty right in their backyard.

At Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site, it’s a privilege to work alongside our partners like the Asokewin Native Friendship Centre, who encourage and promote the well-being of Indigenous people, and the Confluence Heritage Society, who foster the area’s history. The richness of connection and shared stories is something I truly cherish.

The Moab Lake trail in Jasper National Park is a great cross-country ski trail for all abilities. I love going for a short ski (7km return) to the Whirlpool River that overlooks beautiful Mount Kerkeslin, and taking a break at the Red Chairs. I enjoy watching the American dippers as they fly in and out of the open water all winter long. I never forget to bring a picnic and enjoy the river view!

One of my favourite things to do at Rocky Mountain House is wake up in a Métis Trapper Tent, then go for a stroll amongst the Trembling Aspens. If you’re lucky, in the early morning light the mist rises off the North Saskatchewan River, and you can imagine the hearty souls from years past paddling upstream as part of the once thriving fur trade.

Looking out the windows of the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site Visitor Centre towards the majestic Rocky Mountains over the slowly rolling porcupine hills was a moment I soaked in and forever revisit in my mind. I felt so at home, at peace and inspired.

I love meeting people who have a personal connection to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, watching them light up when a job done by one of their relatives is brought to life through experiencing our replica canning line. My great-grandfather worked here repairing fishing nets in the ‘40s, and I love that I spend my days in the same building, helping people make connections between the community we live in today and the people who helped build it.

My favorite part of the fort is the fire pit located in the centre. Historically, and even today, it serves as a central gathering spot where people come together to share stories and food. I’ve been fortunate to both listen to and share tales that weave together people, events, and experiences. It truly embodies the ever-burning heart of Fort Langley National Historic Site.

The Parapets Viewpoint near the Fire Lookout in Mount Revelstoke National Park gives incredible views of the Columbia River. Driving up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway on a foggy day to end up above a sea of clouds is always a bonus.

The Eva Lake Trail in Mount Revelstoke National Park winds through colourful wildflower meadows and across jagged slide paths of the Columbia Mountains. At the end of the hike, you dig deep to crest the hill – and the beauty of Eva Lake completely takes your breath away. Life is good here.

Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site, the first lighthouse on Canada’s rugged west coast, shines every night since November 1860. Either touched by a morning mist, swathed by a daunting fog or brushed by a sunset’s golden hour, I am forever in awe. No wonder so many come to capture its beauty.

Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site saw generations of soldiers training to fight in the world wars or to stand guard protecting Canada’s west coast. During peacetime, families of soldiers camped inside the fort to be close to their loved ones. With the oTENTik overnight stay and the opportunity to step back in time, I am touched to know families continue to create lasting memories.

I love spending time in Fort Langley National Historic Site’s heritage garden. Watching the garden’s transformation from season to season reminds me of life’s beauty and resilience. In spring, the plots are prepped for seedlings; in summer, blossoming buds sprout into lush crops; in autumn, crops are harvested; and in winter, the seeds go dormant for the cycle to begin again next spring!

I love talking with visitors and hearing their different perspectives on Canada’s history. We find so many points of connection with the story of this place, and unique ways of looking at things. Quite literally – there is a spot in one of our bastion towers where you can look out and see this long, panoramic slice of Fort Langley – I love that!

The most memorable experience I’ve had in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve was participating in the Sea Garden Restoration Project at Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island. It was an amazing experience learning about the history and cultural significance of the sea garden rock wall, as well as helping restore it for future generations.

The Burgess Shale forms part of UNESCO's Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site in Kootenay National Park. These fossil sites in Kootenay and Yoho national parks are some of the oldest and most complex on earth and are still impacting the way we understand early life and evolution. It’s incredible to climb high into the mountains and hold history in the palm of your hand, knowing it has been here for over 500 million years!

The Iceline Trail at Yoho National Park is an all-around favourite of mine. It takes you up high and really close to glaciers on one of the most scenic trails in Canada. It’s a hike to get up there, but once you’ve made the initial climb you can enjoy a long walk with mostly flat terrain and breathtaking vistas.

The rushing water at beautiful Bear Creek Falls in Glacier National Park reminds me of the transient quality of nature. The water there makes its way through the mountains via the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.

I love Raspberry Cove in Houston Stewart Inlet at Gwaii Haanas. The beach is really nice and a bit rocky, and when I visited a few years back it was very serene. While we were there, I saw an octopus in the intertidal zone. At first I didn’t notice but then I saw his eye. It was thrilling and creepy all at once!