Gosh town is hidden in the bed of the lake

Minnewanka is one of the most beautiful lakes of Banff national park, but not many people know a mystery lies in the deep ground of it: the gosh town. 

During the 1800s, Canada has a village named Minnewanka Landing. Visitors from the nearly Calgary city once rushed to the town to relax. Then It located on the edge of a smaller lake than Minnewanka at present. They took boat crossing the lake, relaxing at hotels, resorts in the summer or enjoying at restaurants...

The lake of Minnewanka lies in the eastern of Banff national park, 5 km away from the Banff town. The lake is long of 21 km and deep of 142 m. Picture: Paul Zizka Photography/Banff & Lake Louise Tourism.

Everything began to change since 1895, according to the Parks Canada government. A damp build in the channel of Devile's Creek to renovate the bank of the lake. After that, another one completed in 1921 on the region of Devil's Canyon. The second damp was built by a Calgary electric company to preserve water. Unfortunately, it made the water level rising to 3,5 m, and the Devil's Creek has been flooded. The authority must build an about 100 m long bridge crossing the channel to maintain the route from Banff to Minnewanka.

To the early time of world war 2, the Calgary company must develop hydroelectricity. According to the law of wartime, the third damp had been built which still exists up to now in the Banff national park. This damp caused the water level rising to 30 m, meaning the whole resort town of Minnewanka, the damp since 1912, and a bridge crossing the Devil's Creek sunk underwater. All have turned to Minnewanka lake spreading around 21 km as today. 

Hotels around the Minnewanka lake in 1890. Picture: S. A. Smyth/Bảo tàng Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.

Bill Perry, the archaeologist at Parks Canada, comments on Smithsonian journalism that, during world war 2, anyone needs electricity. "Calgary city and neighborhood are increasingly developing at that time, so it consumes more electricity. So it is not difficult to anticipate the fate of Minnewanka lake", said Perry. 

Minnewanka Landing today is hidden deep under the lake. Luckily, this abandoned town still unchanged under the cold water from the ice river and smelting snow flowing into the center of the lake. It becomes a unique destination for people who favor snorkeling to watch at hand the summer relax houses, hotels, remnants of harbors...that used to be busy for a while. Each year, about 8.000 visitors are coming to Minnewanka lake to watch the gosh town underwater.