Parks Canada closes dog rescue service in Banff National Park

The federal agency Parks Canada is closing its 55-year-old search and rescue dog program in Banff National Park. The move is part of a government cost-cutting plan that will see the agency eliminate about 500 positions across the country. A total of 2,917 park service employees are being notified of potential job cuts or layoffs.

Specialized dogs have been used since the early 1970s to search for missing hikers, rescue avalanche victims and assist law enforcement. Former park dog handler Mike Henderson said the dogs have responded to more than a thousand calls during his time there and helped find 10 people buried in snow without avalanche sensors. The unit's last dog handler, Logan Bennett, was forced to return the dog to the RCMP kennel shortly after completing a lengthy training course.

The agency says the restructuring is aimed at aligning operations with available funding while maintaining conservation and visitor services as priorities. However, the park workers' union is concerned that reducing staffing at parks, which are experiencing an increasing influx of tourists, will put an undue strain on other emergency services.