The Trans-Canada Highway near Banff has million-dollar overpasses just for wildlife

Banff, Alberta - This Parks Canada shot of an elusive lynx was taken in March 2012, by a motion-sensitive camera at the Redearth Creek wildlife overpass in Banff National Park. The overpass enables wildlife to safely cross above the Trans-Canada Highway. Photo Credit: HighwayWilding.org.

Head west on the Trans-Canada Highway from the town of Banff and before you reach Lake Louise you’ll drive under two unusual tree-covered overpasses. They are 50 metres wide, cost over a million dollars each, and are here solely for use by the park’s wildlife. Here's a great series of Banff wildlife overpass shots, which were published on TheGlobeAndMail.com in December 2011.

Overpasses, a 2.4-metre tall highway fence and 22 underpasses have reduced wildlife road kill and collisions by more than 80 per cent. The overpasses are designed so animals cannot see the highway when crossing. Elk, moose, wolves, deer and grizzly bear tend to use the overpasses. Cougars and black bears like the underground passages. Where: Banff National Park, which covers 6,661 square kilometers of mountains, glaciers, meadows, rivers and hot springs, receives 4.7 million visitors per year. When established in 1885, it was the world’s third National Park. It is one hour west of Calgary.

Photo by Lucy Izon

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email [email protected]. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

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