What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Banff?
Emergency number
911
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: covenanthealth.ca, alpinemedical.ca
Good to know
Good to Know
- Dial 911 for any police, fire, or medical emergency in Banff — it works the same as anywhere else in Canada.
- If you're heading into the backcountry or mountains around Banff, don't rely on cell signal — Parks Canada notes coverage gaps and recommends a satellite communicator as backup.
- For non-urgent health questions (not a 911 emergency), Alberta's free 811 Health Link nurse line is available 24/7 instead of tying up hospital or ambulance resources.
- The Alberta Emergency Alert app is worth installing before you arrive — Banff National Park sees periodic wildfire and severe weather alerts, and the app's 'Follow Me' feature keeps you covered as you move around the province.
- Banff's only hospital, Mineral Springs Hospital, has a 24/7 emergency room but is a small facility geared toward stabilizing patients — for major trauma (serious ski/climbing accidents, car crashes, etc.) patients are commonly airlifted or transported by ground critical-care team to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.
- Bring a valid healthcare card (or travel insurance details) and ID to the ER; non-Albertans and international visitors are billed directly and should expect to pay out of pocket and claim through travel insurance afterward.
- For any life-threatening emergency anywhere in the Banff area, call 911 — this connects to Banff EMS, which operates advanced life-support ambulances 24/7.
Emergency Numbers
- Backcountry Connectivity Note
- Parks Canada explicitly warns that cell coverage is not always reliable in the backcountry or remote areas around Banff National Park, and suggests satellite communication devices (e.g. Garmin InReach, SPOT, Zoleo) as a backup way to trigger an emergency response when hiking or in the mountains.
Fire
- Service
- Town of Banff Fire Department
- Emergency
- 911
- Station Address
- 201 Beaver Street, Banff, AB T1L 1A1
- Administration Line
- 403-762-1256
- Notes
- Also handles wildfire/lightning-strike and unattended-campfire reports, and coordinates 911 emergency dispatch within Banff National Park.
Police
- Service
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) — Banff Detachment
- Emergency
- 911
- Station Address
- 335 Lynx Street, Banff, AB
- Non Emergency Line
- 403-762-2226
- Administration Line
- 403-763-6600
Hospital
- Phone
- 403-762-2222
- Name
- Banff Mineral Springs Hospital
- Address
- 305 Lynx Street, Banff, AB
- Notes
- Provides 24-hour emergency care.
Ambulance EMS
- Emergency
- 911
- Non Emergency Health Advice Line
- 811 (Alberta Health Services Health Link, 24/7)
Search And Rescue
- Line
- 403-762-4506
- Notes
- Relevant for backcountry/mountain incidents around Banff; Parks Canada operates 24/7 emergency dispatch centres for wildlife, wildfire, and backcountry safety incidents inside the national park.
Official Safety Apps
Alberta Emergency Alert (AEA)
- Purpose
- Official provincewide alert system for life-threatening emergencies such as wildfires, floods, and tornadoes, plus AMBER Alerts.
- Publisher
- Government of Alberta
- Notes
- Has a 'Follow Me' feature so travelers moving through Alberta (including Banff) keep receiving location-relevant alerts, and can also receive alerts from other provinces when traveling.
Platforms
- iOS
- Android
Universal Emergency Number
- Number
- 911
- Covers
- Police, fire, and ambulance/EMS
- Details
- 911 is the single number for all emergencies in Banff and across Alberta/Canada. The Town of Banff and Parks Canada both direct all police, fire, and ambulance emergencies to this number.
Hospitals
Banff Mineral Springs Hospital
- Phone
- +1-403-762-2222
- Hours
- Emergency department open 24 hours a day, every day
- Address
- 305 Lynx St, Banff, AB T1L 1H7, Canada
- Trauma Level Designation
- Not a designated regional trauma centre. It is a small rural acute-care hospital with 24 acute care beds, a 24/7 emergency department, on-site orthopedic, plastic and general surgery, X-ray, and lab services, and its own Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with advanced life-support ambulances.
- Notes
- This is the only hospital with emergency-department capability in the town of Banff itself, and it also serves Lake Louise and the surrounding national park. It stabilizes patients and treats moderate injuries (e.g. ski/snowboard injuries, fractures) on site, but serious trauma, major head injuries, and other critical cases are typically stabilized here and then transported (often by STARS air ambulance or ground critical-care transport) to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, which functions as the regional major trauma referral centre for the area, roughly 1.5-2 hours away by road.
Healthcare
Banff Mineral Springs Hospital
- Phone
- 403-762-2222
- Type
- Acute care hospital with emergency
- Hours
- 24/7 emergency department
- Address
- 305 Lynx Street, Banff, AB T1L 1H7
- International Payment
- Accepts Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Interac e-Transfer. Non-Canadian citizens must pay upfront and submit receipts for insurance reimbursement.
Services
- 24-hour emergency department
- acute care (24 beds)
- orthopedic surgery
- plastic and vascular surgery
- diagnostic imaging (X-ray)
- laboratory services
- continuing care unit
Alpine Medical Clinic
- Phone
- 403-762-3155
- Type
- Primary care clinic with maternity
- Hours
- Open daily, 24-hour on-call availability
- Address
- Unit 201A, 211 Bear Street, Banff, AB
- International Patient Note
- Offers hotel room visits exclusively for international patients with 24-hour availability and travel insurance claim assistance.
Services
- comprehensive medical care
- obstetrical and maternity care
- surgical care
- hotel/home visit service for international patients
- all prenatal and international patient support
Banff Community Health Centre
- Phone
- 403-762-2990
- Type
- Public health center
- Hours
- Monday-Friday 8:15 AM-4:30 PM (closed 12:00-1:00 PM)
- Address
- 303 Lynx Street, Banff, AB T1L 1B3
Services
- prenatal/postpartum services
- health promotion and disease prevention
- immunizations
- mental health services
- lactation services
- oral health preventative services
Better Health Canada (Mobile Medical Service)
- Type
- Private mobile clinic
- Note
- Private medical service (not covered by public healthcare), approved for international insurance claims.
Services
- hotel/home visit medical service
- rapid testing (15 minutes)
- on-site examination and prescriptions
- same-day appointments
Pharmacies
Gourlay's Pharmacy Banff
- Phone
- 403-762-2516
- Address
- 220 Bear Street, Banff
- Note
- Locally owned since 1923, voted Best Pharmacy in Banff.
Services
- prescription dispensing
- over-the-counter medications
- travel clinic and vaccinations
- compounding pharmacy services
- health consultation
Banff Value Drug Mart
- Type
- Clinic pharmacy
- Address
- Banff (downtown location)
Services
- prescription dispensing
- minor ailment assessment clinic (pharmacist-led)
- health products and vitamins
- no appointment required
Cascade Plaza Rexall Drug Store
- Phone
- 403-762-2245
- Address
- 317 Banff Avenue, Banff (Cascade Mall)
Services
- pharmacy services
- photo centre
- prescriptions and OTC medications
I.D.A. Neighbourly Pharmacy
- Phone
- 403-762-2245
- Address
- 317 Banff Avenue (Cascade Mall), Banff
Services
- prescription dispensing
- over-the-counter medications
International Healthcare Costs Sample
- Ambulance Transport
- CA$250
For non-residents of Alberta, add $200 CAD ($142 USD) surcharge
- Emergency Room Admission
- CA$843
Includes required lab work and X-rays; doctor fees start at additional $200 CAD ($142 USD)
Pharmacy General Note
Multiple pharmacies within easy walking distance in central Banff. Gourlay's offers extended services including travel clinics and compounding. Pharmacists available for consultations.
Emergency Non Urgent Line
- Phone
- 811 or 1-866-408-5465
- Availability
- 24/7
- Note
- Alberta Health Services non-emergency health advice line
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this emergencies research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.covenanthealth.ca
- 2.alpinemedical.ca
- 3.albertahealthservices.ca
- 4.banff.ca
- 5.en.wikipedia.org
- 6.betterhealthca.com
- 7.banffcentre.ca
- 8.banffvaluedrugmart.ca
- 9.gourlaysbanff.com
- 10.gourlayscanmore.com
- 11.banfflakelouise.com
- 12.banfflakelouise.com
- 13.parkpilgrim.com
- 14.canada.ca
- 15.globalcitizensolutions.com
- 16.tradingeconomics.com
- 17.mtfxgroup.com
- 18.banffcentre.ca
More About Banff
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.