by Bert Archer
Last updated: 11:30 AM ET, Wed July 16, 2025
Visiting national treasures like Banff and Jasper is practically a civic duty—but some recent business dealings by a U.S. company that is run from Canada are clearly causing some local discontent.
The Calgary Herald reports that Adam Waterous, owner of the Mt. Norquay ski resort, is accusing Ottawa of bowing to pressure from Washington in the midst of a tariff war, following the Competition Bureau's quiet decision to end its investigation into the U.S. company, Pursuit.
According to the article by Bill Kaufmann, Waterous received a letter dated April 30 from the Bureau, stating: "Based on the information obtained by the Bureau, it does not appear that the acquisition has resulted or is likely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition... I am therefore writing to inform you that the Commissioner has terminated the investigation."
According to the Herald, Pursuit controls more than 90 percent of the market for paid attractions in Banff and Jasper national parks, including the Banff Gondola, Maligne Lake and Lake Minnewanka cruises, and the Icefields Skywalk. The company also owns 10 hotels in the region, as well as the iconic Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton.
Waterous said: "Canadians are going to be apoplectic that the federal government is not prepared to challenge a U.S. monopoly on national parks," adding: "This tariff war we're in has the federal government not enforcing the regulations it normally would... it's like the digital services tax—it's putting things aside."
The office told the Calgary Herald it found no evidence of violations of the Act and that its decisions were made "independently."
Read the full article here.
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