Visitors fined for leaving garbage for wildlife to eat in Banff National Park

“Ravens, squirrels, chipmunks, bears, coyotes, you name it, they show up and then that’s a problem and then the place gets closed because there’s a bear sighting and then no one can go there, so this is why it needs to be taken seriously.”

BANFF – Several Calgary picnickers and a camper who carelessly left food and garbage unattended in Banff National Park were slapped with fines and given a stern warning in Canmore court about protecting wildlife and people.

In the Alberta Court of Justice in Canmore on July 16, nine men who left food and garbage readily available for wildlife to get into at Cascade Ponds were each fined $50 while a camper at Johnston Canyon was fined $250 for leaving food and garbage accessible to wildlife.

Justice Karl Wilberg told the nine picnickers that he hopes “you will do better in the future.”

“Cascade Ponds is very popular. It’s a beautiful place but if you leave your food out and go away –  half an hour is a long time – the animals in the Bow Valley are very hungry and they will be there in five minutes or less,” he said.

“Ravens, squirrels, chipmunks, bears, coyotes, you name it, they show up and then that’s a problem and then the place gets closed because there’s a bear sighting and then no one can go there, so this is why it needs to be taken seriously.”

Amandeep Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Amrinder Singh, Jattana Singh, Gurjit Singh, Dhillon J. Singh, Mann Singh, Dhillon T. Singh and Ramandeep Singh all pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving food and garbage accessible to wildlife at Cascade Ponds under the Canada National Parks Act.

Federal prosecutor Ken McDonald said a park warden received a call from a wildlife officer at 9 p.m. on May 17, 2025, about an unattended picnic table at the popular day-use area just north of the Banff townsite.

He said the men were gone for at least 30 minutes from the picnic table.

“There was a large volume of picnic items – food, open alcohol, and garbage… they had to clean that all up,” he said.

“There were also multiple bear sightings in the area and trail closures, not that there was any indication that animals had gotten into the food at this stage, but I emphasize the danger that was present for everybody.”

The crown sought a $50 fine from each of the nine men. The fines will be paid into the environmental damage fund.

“Added together that would come to $450 and normally for one individual I seek $300. It’s just a little bit higher because there were nine people,” said McDonald. 

Janice Taylor, duty counsel at the courthouse, said a number of options were offered to the nine men, but each felt more comfortable taking responsibility for their part.

“I think these men all understand now why there are regulations about leaving food out at picnic areas and campgrounds in a national park,” she said.

“It’s to protect the wildlife and the other people who are users of the park as well as residents who live in Banff.”

Also in Canmore court on July 16 was Calgarian Vihai Bhalavat who pleaded guilty after he was part of a group that left garbage containing food scraps and garbage hanging in a garbage bag on a tree at a campsite at Johnston Canyon on May 1 this year.

McDonald said a park warden was called to the campground around 2:30 p.m. after wildlife attractants were spotted hanging in the garbage bag in a tree, with no campers at their site.

“The photo shows dirty used plates, cups, chip bags, coffee cups, egg shells and other refuse,” he said.

“There was some evidence that wildlife had accessed some garbage bags.”

Taylor, who also represented Bhalavat as duty counsel, said he did take steps to put away food and plates, but simply forgot to take the garbage bag when the group went for a walk for about 40 minutes.

“They left the garbage. It was attached to a tree and that’s what got torn apart, I suspect by crows or magpies or some other bird,” she said.

The prosecutor asked for a $300 fine but Wilberg dropped it to $250, considering Bhalava had missed a day of work and used vacation time to attend court in person to deal with the matter.

“I take into account also that you took some steps, you did some clean up, but, of course, the problem is you can’t leave the garbage unsecured,” he said.

These tickets under the Canada National Parks Act do not result in a criminal record.