Lake Louise, Alberta


Lake Louise is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada, within Improvement District No. 9 Banff.

History

The hamlet is named for the nearby Lake Louise, which in turn was named after the Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, and the wife of John Campbell, the 9th Duke of Argyll, who was the Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883.
The hamlet was originally called Laggan, and was a station along the Canadian Pacific Railway route. It was built in 1890. The rail station building was preserved and moved into Heritage Park in Calgary.

Infrastructure

The hamlet is separated into two communities. The main community, referred to as The Village is at a lower elevation adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway. It has a small shopping centre, Samson Mall, which includes a park visitor centre, grocery store, bakery, deli, grill, bar and sporting goods store. The ski area, Lake Louise Mountain Resort, is located across Highway 1. The second community is at a higher elevation and is centred on the Chateau Lake Louise, adjacent to Lake Louise.
The community is also located on Alberta Highway 1A, and just south of the Icefields Parkway.

Demographics

In 2011, Lake Louise had a population of 691 year-round residents.

Geography

The hamlet is located in census division No. 15 and in the federal riding of Banff—Airdrie. It is administered by the Improvement District No. 9 and is located beside the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Calgary. The background of Lake Louise is filled with views of several snow-capped mountains including Mount Temple, Mount Whyte and Mount Niblock.

Climate

Lake Louise experiences a subarctic climate. Annual snowfall averages 3.3m and winter temperatures below −50 °C have been recorded. Summers consist of frosty mornings and crisp, cool days. Snow can occur in any month of the year. Since lower elevations on said latitude have humid continental climates instead, it may also be described as a subalpine climate. Because of its high diurnal temperature variation and high altitude, the frost-free period averages only 14 days.