The former summer resort village of Minnewanka Landing lies beneath the waters of Lake Minnewanka, near Banff, Alberta.
Minnewanka Landing grew around the Beach House log hotel established on the shores of the original Lake Minnewanka in 1886. The village was a popular summer destination, and by 1912 the resort was laid out along four avenues and three streets, with restaurants, hotels, and two cruise boats, Lady of the Lake and Daughter of the Peaks, offering lake tours to visitors.
A small log dam was constructed in 1895 to improve the shoreline for boating, followed by a larger dam in Devil’s Canyon in 1912 to create water storage for a downstream hydro-electric plant, increasing the lake level by 16 feet and claiming part of the village. During World War II, the needs of a growing and energy-hungry city of Calgary were prioritised over national park protections, and a larger dam built in 1941 increased the water level by a further 65 feet, submerging the entire village and the 1912 dam. The remnants of Minnewanka Landing’s structures are well preserved in the icy cold waters, making it a popular scuba diving location.
