Cascade Mountain towers over the Town of Banff, as seen from busy Banff Avenue. With a population of just over 7,000 residents, this community accommodates some four million visitors each year. While humans have lived in the area for over 11,000 years, Banff was established in 1883 when the trans-continental railway was built through the Bow River valley. Two years later, Banff National Park became Canada’s first national park. In 1996, the Town of Banff became the first municipality incorporated inside a Canadian national park.