thumb|upright|Kananaskis Country highway entry sign

Kananaskis Country (also known as K-Country) is a multi-use area located west of Calgary in the foothills and front ranges of the Canadian Rockies, Alberta, Canada. Kananaskis Country has also been referred to as a recreation area and a park system.

The area's western edge borders Banff National Park and the Alberta-British Columbia border. The region owes its name to the Kananaskis River, which was named by John Palliser in 1858 after a legendary Cree Native. Covering an area of approximately , Kananaskis Country was established by the Alberta Government in 1978 to provide a variety of land uses and designations. Land uses include resource extraction activities (such as forestry, cattle grazing, water, oil and gas), recreation, power generation, and residential communities. Land designations include public land and protected areas.

Explorers and traders entered the area in the late 1700s and 1800s. Methodist missionaries were some of the earliest to arrive. During the expedition of 1857–1860, the explorer John Palliser chose to name the pass he was going to cross Kananaskis Pass, "after the name of an Indian, of whom there is a legend, giving an account of his most wonderful recovery from the blow of an axe which had stunned but had failed to kill him". Palliser also gave the name Kananaskis to a river and two lakes in the region.

The late 19th century and early 20th century saw the development of commercial use such as lumbering, hydroelectric developments, and coal mining in the eastern slopes of the Rockies, which included what is now the Kananaskis region. When control over natural resources and Crown land was transferred from federal responsibility to Alberta in 1930, the province's natural resources were considered to be a source of considerable wealth that would stay within the province. This led to more commercial use and the establishing of a provincial park system. Tourism and recreational demand also increased after the Second World War. The primary reason for Kananaskis Country's establishment, however, was to accommodate recreational pursuits. Not all areas of Kananaskis Country are covered by the same measure of protection and each area has its own permitted activities.

Recreation and tourism

thumb|Cross-country skiing in Kananaskis|alt=

Although Kananaskis Country is a multi-use area, it is noted for recreation and tourism. One of the reasons the area was established was to "alleviate congestion in national parks, and to provide greater recreation opportunities for Albertans"

Natural environment

thumb|Grizzly bear sow and two cubs in Kananaskis Country

Two main landscapes make up the region: the rugged, high mountain peaks to the west, which includes alpine, subalpine and montane zones, and the lower, rolling foothills to the east. Between these two regions is a transitional zone with characteristics of both the mountains and the foothills. Kananaskis Country is the source of several rivers, including the Kananaskis River, the Elbow River, the Highwood River, the Sheep River, and the Livingstone River.

Major wildlife species include grizzly bears, black bears, cougars, bighorn sheep, pikas, elk, moose, wolves, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and golden eagles. Significant plant life includes Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, alpine larch, whitebark pine, lodgepole pine, Canada buffalo-berry, white spruce, Douglas fir, rough fescue, and balsam poplar.

Special facilities

A University of Calgary ecological and environmental research station is located at nearby Barrier Lake. A "Tim Horton Children's Foundation" summer camp is also located in the area. Easter Seals Camp Horizon is located within Kananaskis along Highway 66. A YMCA summer camp, Camp Chief Hector, is located alongside the Trans-Canada Highway near exit 114. William Watson Lodge, a facility for people with disabilities, seniors, and their families is located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

Access

thumb|Highway 40 in the Kananaskis Valley, Alberta

Kananaskis Country can be accessed by several routes. Some of these roads have seasonal closures: This was the second time Canada used a lodge venue for the G8 Summit, after its inaugural 7th G7 Summit at Montebello, Quebec in 1981. The 2002 conference pumped $300-million into the local economy, however, security cost taxpayers in excess of $200-million.

51st G7 summit

On June 16 and June 17, 2025, Kananaskis Country hosted the 51st G7 summit. This annual

summit was held at Kananaskis Village. This was the second such summit meeting to be held in Kananaskis, and the seventh summit held in Canada.

Climate

Kananaskis experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc).

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Image:Bighorn Sheep - Kananaskis.jpg|Bighorn sheep in Kananaskis

Image:View from Kananaskis Village.jpg|View from Kananaskis Village of Mount Kidd

Image:Skiing kananaskis 049.jpg|Kananaskis Country

Image:Barrier_Lake_Kananaskis_Aerial.jpg|Barrier Lake

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See also

  • The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide
  • Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies
  • List of Alberta provincial parks
  • Rocky Mountains Forest Reserve
  • Alberta Mountain forests
  • Camp 130

References

  • Kananaskis Country
  • Kananaskis Improvement District