A drone operator has been slapped with a $287 fine for illegally flying a drone in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park this summer – the first charge of its kind in Kananaskis Country.
In early November, Lok Kwan pleaded guilty in Canmore Provincial Court to illegal use of a drone, also known as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), about four kilometres along the trail to Rawson Lake below Mount Sarrail.
Recreational use of drones is not allowed in Alberta’s provincial parks system, and Crown Prosecutor Bev Shugg said Kwan was caught with the drone near the alpine lake, having ignored clear and visible signage he admitted to seeing.
“He quite readily admitted his mistake,” said Shugg. “Given his guilty plea and his attitude, we’re recommending a $287 fine.”
The court commissioner agreed with the fine, but warned of the dangers. “It is an aircraft, though unmanned,” said traffic commissioner John Szekeres.
Currently, drone use in Kananaskis Country is only allowed with an appropriate permit for research or commercial filming and photography.
Donna Schley, conservation officer with Kananaskis Country, said Alberta Parks is trying to educate people that drones are illegal in provincial parks, including with increased signage, but charges will be laid on a case-by-case basis.
“It’s an emerging problem and it’s something we will be watching for. We’re taking it very seriously,” she said.
“Drones have become so accessible to so many people, the costs have come down so much, and I don’t think people are really thinking about what it might mean in a park setting.”
While drones have proven a useful tool for researchers, concerns have consistently been raised by researchers from around the world about unforeseen and undesirable effects unauthorized drones buzzing around overhead can have on wildlife.
Schley said drones can disturb or stress wildlife.
“Smaller animals like ground squirrels or mountain goat kids are predated on by birds of prey and they are super sensitive to overhead activity,” she said.
“They don’t recognize a drone from an overhead raptor. They can make poor decisions and it may cause undue stress.”
Larger animals like grizzly bears can also be affected, Schley said.
“Would a drone act as an aversion technique and push a bear into making a bad decision, or moving into crowds? You just never know what the consequences would be,” she added.
“We don’t want wildlife like a grizzly bear harmed in any way by a drone. If wildlife can’t be wild in parks, where can they be?”
In addition, Schley said everyone has a sense of what their outdoor experience should entail, noting drones can detract from people’s experiences in parks.
“In campgrounds, we don’t tolerate excessive noise or depreciative behaviour, and now with drones and even boom boxes, which is happening in more remote locations, the experience is changing,” she said.
Drones can also pose a danger to other aircraft, with Schley pointing to issues in B.C. in which drones have caused the grounding of firefighting aircraft in smoky skies.
“What if we had a rescue or a flight out looking for fires?” said Schley.
“We don’t know when rescues occur and it could put someone’s life at risk because a drone comes into a flight path.”
Questionable drone activity in Kananaskis Country can be reported to Alberta Parks at 403-591-7755.
