BANFF – Police have identified the woman they were looking to speak to as part of an investigation into a “potentially suspicious activity” at Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park on Sunday afternoon.
The investigation, however, is still ongoing.
The Bow Valley Parkway, which was closed from Fireside day-use area to Castle Junction due to an "ongoing police situation in the area," reopened on Wednesday morning (Sept. 8). Roam bus service to Johnston Canyon, which was suspended on Monday (Sept. 6) resumed first thing Wednesday too.
Police, who released a photo of a woman they were looking to identify who was at the canyon at the time of this potential incident at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, thanked the public for assistance in helping identify the woman.
Corporal Tammy Keibel, a media relations officer with the RCMP Southern Alberta district, said there are no further details being provided on the nature of the suspicious activity complaint.
“They’ve identified the person and it’s still under investigation,” she said.
“They want to try and determine the circumstances and part of this is to speak to this woman.”
Tim Nokes, whose family owns Johnston Canyon Lodge and Bungalows, said police indicated a 911 call had been made that could involve potential foul play.
“At this stage they are trying to decide whether it’s a prank call or there’s more substance to it,” he said.
Parks Canada had few details, including whether public safety specialists were involved in any searches or whether there were divers in the canyon.
"As requested by the RCMP, Parks Canada is supporting this investigation's efforts by closing the Johnston Canyon Trail to the lower falls and closing the Bow Valley Parkway to public motor vehicle traffic until further notice," said Justin Brisbane, a spokesperson for Banff National Park in an email.
Roam initially suspended its bus service on Monday for Route 9, which includes Johnston Canyon, when the RCMP advised the commission against bringing any passengers to the canyon.
“We will update when the situation changes,” according to Roam on a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon.
