Bigfoot boom in Banff?

www.calgarysun.com...

If nothing else, the news is bound to make big strides with the Banff tourism industry.

No longer will Alberta’s best-known mountain park depend solely on breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife to impress visitors and lure overseas tourists.

And no more envy towards other famous vacation spots like Loch Ness and Lake Okanagan, where legendary creatures are rumoured to lurk.

Banff now has Bigfoot. Lots and lots of Bigfoots, in fact.

Yes, it’s an allegation that would have Ripley wondering whether to Believe it or Not, and P.T. Barnum reaching for his cheque book, but the mountains west of Calgary are a hotbed for the huge-footed primates.

That’s the assertion of a dedicated bigfoot research organization based near Calgary, which claims not only to have video and photo evidence of the mythical beast, but DNA proof as well.

“When I first started, I was a skeptic, but not anymore — now I’m a wholehearted believer in the species,” said Todd Standing, spokesman for the Sylvanic Bigfoot group.

Standing’s allegations of a Bigfoot colony living near the border of Banff and Kootenay national park will raise many eyebrows, but his evidence has piqued the interest of the Discovery Channel.

This week, crews from “Finding Bigfoot,” a hit show on Discovery’s Animal Planet channel, are filming in the Calgary area, and Standing says the upcoming episode will be centred upon Sylvanic’s discoveries.

“We’ve had exceptional results and we’re working with people doing DNA analysis,” said Standing.

He says preliminary results from hair samples sent in for testing suggest an unknown species of primate, while video and photographs suggest a creature larger than a gorilla, with human-like features.

Of course, it’s that latter evidence that’s bound to have the skeptics taking sasquatch-sized swipes at Standing, particularly the photographs he says are proof of Bigfoot.

Paranormal footage, as a rule, is supposed to be grainy, badly-focused and jittery, as if the camera was assembled by Fisher-Price and mounted to the bumper of a gravel truck.

Not Sylvanic: Standing boasts a collection of sharp video clips and crisp photographs of Bigfoot, showing far, far more than the usual hirsute primate dashing behind the nearest bush.

Instead of blur, we get full-face portraits of the creature, peering from behind trees.

“I’ve had multiple interactions with them, and I’ve filmed them and photographed them on many occasions,” said Standing.

“It’s a real, living breathing animal, which I got within 60 or 70 yards of.”

What the producers of Finding Bigfoot make of all this remains to be seen, as their quartet of sasquatchologists examines the Alberta evidence to see if it’s on solid footing.

The show has gone across North America investigating sightings of the creature, with the network “committed to looking for the Bigfoot until it’s found.”

Standing says he has — though he knows his belief in Bigfoot and the proof he produces from the Banff backwoods opens him to mockery, derision and the suggestion he should sober up.

But he accepts the skeptism, because he originally joined the Sylvanic team with the intent of disproving the ancient story of an ape-like creature hiding in the wilderness of North America.

“I thought it was a combination of hoaxes and mistaken identities, and I wanted to prove it wasn’t true,” said Standing.

Now, he says Bigfoot is a fact — and with weeks, he hopes to have the DNA evidence to prove it.

“We hope to have results by October,” said Standing.

If that’s the case, tourism officials in Banff will surely be thrilled. As it is, they welcome the attention of the popular television show, saying any link with Bigfoot is a bonus for visitors.

“Anything interesting that attracts people is a good thing — it seems like some harmless fun,” said Mary Morrison, spokeswoman for Banff Lake Louise Tourism.

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to see a Bigfoot?”

I would be really interested to see the high res photo's and videos the guy claims to have. I have never really been a beleiver but this is very close to my area and it would be really cool if it is true. Im going to assume that the discovery show will leave more questions than answers but it does seem there are alot of sightings recently.

anyway enjoy

reply to post by Meekbot2000


The picture they show could be anything. A bear is what it looks like to me. I would love to see the videos and dna results. If I had evidence of a real bigfoot I would make sure everyone saw it immediatly, unless I was in it to make money and in that case would probably be lying anyway lol. just sayin

Standing has claimed to have DNA since 2005....all the vids and still picks associated with Sylvanic I have seen look suspect....there are good people doing good work to show THE BIG FELLA is real but in my opinion this guy is shady.... he acts the part but nothing ever ever comes to fruition with Mr. Standing.....to bad

reply to post by Meekbot2000


I was born and raised in Calgary, moved away for a few years to attend school, came back and bought property in Canmore (about 40km from Banff). All around the area you can find people discussing Big Foot. Most of the time its the "outdoorsy" people talking, like hikers, horse back riders, campers and mountain climbers. Most of the sharing involves stories.

One of my favorites was when I was out camping in the Upper Spray Lakes got talking to a group of climbers that had just come back from a day on the side of a mountain, they said they kept seeing a Big Foot or "something" watching them from behind trees and bushes as they were preparing their gear for the climb. As they were climbing they claimed they were able to see a "large figure" from above moving around in the bush. When they got to the top they apparently spent about 15 minutes cooling down, congratulating themselves on a safe climb and taking pictures. They jumped down and when they reached the bottom the gear they had left at the bottom had been rearranged and they claimed there were tracks around the area.

I remember seeing some of the pictures they took both from the bottom of the cliff, half way up, then again from the top. They also took after pictures of their gear and the tracks. Honestly the pictures of the tracks were poor and really showed nothing (at least IMO as I have no experience viewing tracks). Their gear on the other hand had been moved around and knocked over.

Of course to play devils advocate they could have hoaxed it all.

-Lightrule

reply to post by Meekbot2000


This is awesome!! Living in Calgary myself I have been out to banff and kananaskis many of times and there is plenty of spaces for a large primate to live. I always go out and take all my photography gear just praying to see something, I even bring my video recorder just in case.

I had no idea about this man and do not know the credibility of said individual, so I cannot comment on that but did they not have DNA proof from that one monster quest episode out in Ontario? I could have sworn they had a non-human primate DNA return from their tests.

If though, and this is a big if, he has 'perfect' photos of Bigfoot, why not just release them? I never understood that. Even if you wanted money and to be famous, you would get it regardless for having good photographs/videos of Bigfoot.

Pred...

awesome pic



Oh and there is no way THAT is a black bear. You can clearly see eyes position, nose, and mouth. I want more pics.

reply to post by DaRAGE


Agreed. There is no possible way anyone could think this is a bear, and if they do they need their eyes checked. This is a typical Bigfoot. Awesome photo, if real.

Pred...

This is the same Todd Standing that brought us this?
www.ghosttheory.com...

And given the revelations about the production of the show 'Finding Bigfoot' I wouldn't be waiting to watch it.
I'm guessing they have nothing. Known hoaxers normally have nothing.

sylvanic.com...

Originally posted by DaRAGE
awesome pic [...] Oh and there is no way THAT is a black bear. You can clearly see eyes position, nose, and mouth. I want more pics.

It certainly looks like a Sasquatch of some kind. Of course, the proof is in the Bigfoot pudding (so to speak). There's no hurry.

reply to post by Meekbot2000


Can you say 'latex and fun-fur'? Because this photo, and in particular the one he published earlier are pretty obviously made from these materials. The Cryptozoological community has dismissed TS years ago - and judging from his latex masks, with good reason. Here's TS's earlier attempt:




Does THAT look like a living creature to you??

reply to post by DaRAGE


Nope, that's a bear. I totally believe in bigfoot. But only as those close to the earth know him. Sasquatch
is just one of the names they have for him. He is a spirit of the land much like the spirit of a lake or a spirit of the sea. He will always be yet he will never be found.