Two separate appeals against a decision by Parks Canada to conditionally approve plans for Sunshine Village to develop a new Goat’s Eye Lodge have been dropped.
Both the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and Sunshine appealed the decision of Banff Field Unit Superintendent Dave McDonough to approve the application for development on Nov. 27.
“It was determined that judicial review in federal court, rather than through Parks Canada’s development appeal process, was the appropriate mechanism for any review of the decision,” McDonough said. “The two parties were informed accordingly. Neither party elected to pursue a judicial review of the superintendent’s decision in the federal court.
“As the period for applying for judicial review expired, Parks Canada issued a permit for the development (with conditions) of Goat’s Eye Day Lodge in accordance with the superintendent’s November decision on Feb. 20, 2014. It now rests with the proponent to complete the development process by applying for building permits and submitting the necessary documentation.”
Sunshine appealed the decision based on concerns over some of the conditions set out by McDonough. As part of the approval, Parks required the ski hill meet Mountain Parks Leadership Standards for phosphorous levels at a wastewater treatment plant proposed as part of the development.
Parks also set out in the approval that the lodge can only be used during current seasonal use and hours of lodge operations – in other words, during the winter ski season and daylight hours only.
At the time of the approval, National Parks Ski area Association president Crosbie Cotton indicated those conditions put the project at risk.
At a Development Advisory Board meeting to consider the project, officials with Sunshine stated the phosphorous targets required by Parks would add $3 million to the total cost of the lodge.
CPAWS objected to the approval, citing an inadequate environmental assessment and flawed public consultation process.
Anne Marie Syslak, Alberta Chapter executive director, said at the time of approval the organization wants the approval to be withdrawn altogether and reconsidered as part of Sunshine’s required site guidelines and long-range plan. She said CPAWS does not object to a day lodge per se, but wants to make sure Parks is assessing the ski hill in its entirety.
Syslak said piecemeal development makes it impossible to assess cumulative impacts on the ecosystem and Parks projects should be held to the highest standards of process and environmental review.
The new day lodge is planned as a three-storey, 3,300-square-metre building that would replace several ATCO trailers and a spring tent that have been on site since 2007.
The new lodge would have the same footprint as the trailers, but will require increased infrastructure for water, wastewater, propane, power and fibre optics. Inside the lodge, proposed services include food, a daycare, ski school, rentals, lockers, washrooms and retail space. It is expected to accommodate 2,000 people and has 540 seats.
An environmental impact assessment by Golder and Associates found the proposal would have minimal changes to the environmental conditions of the area.
