The province of Alberta has announced another $239 million in funding for the provincial parks system over the next five years.
The funding announcement, said to offset historic underfunding, was made on Friday (Aug. 12) by Minister of Environment and Parks Shannon Phillips.
“With nearly a million people moving to Alberta in the past decade, funding for parks barely covered routine maintenance and left little room to invest in new parks and amenities to meet increasing demand,” Phillips said.
“Our unprecedented investment in the provincial parks system is an investment in the well-being of Albertans, supports our move toward a diversified economy through increased tourism, and will create hundreds of jobs.”
The investment into Alberta Parks supports implementation of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (which includes Kananaskis Country) with $50 million in funding. It will also provide $152 million in facility upgrades and capital maintenance – meaning better facilities for recreational users including campsites, hiking trails, shower buildings, playgrounds, picnic tables and day-use areas. It will also go towards work below ground, said provincial officials, such as water line replacements.
Alberta has more than 100 provincial parks, provincial recreation areas and day-use areas in five regions. Each region will benefit from the funding announcement. This year there is more than $38 million in projects underway or at the beginning phases of planning and design.
The 2016-17 fiscal year for Alberta Parks includes $16.22 million for maintenance funding (doubling next year), $10 million for South Saskatchewan Plan commitments, $5 million for lower Athabasca Regional Plan commitments, $5.12 million for flood mitigation for the Kananaskis Country Golf Course and $2 million for planning.
The 2016-17 Alberta Parks capital program is online and lists all projects including those for the South Saskatchewan Plan area.
Major projects for the region include: Barrier Dam day use and trailhead redevelopment, Bow River Campground densification and modernization, Canoe Meadows whitewater special event and group camp development, lower Kananaskis River day use upgrades and Spray West campground expansion.
