New site guidelines that could open the door to summer use activities like mountain biking and via ferrata at Banff’s Mount Norquay are drawing mixed reaction.
Parks Canada presented the draft site guidelines for Mount Norquay at an open house in Banff, Wednesday (Jan. 19). There were questions on how to mitigate environmental concerns and suggestions on how to get the community in Banff involved in the ski hill’s potential future opportunities, but the atmosphere was calm and congenial.
Kevin van Tighem, superintendent of Banff National Park, said the draft guidelines would open up the possibility of some summer use on the ski hill and the potential to expand winter activities, but any expansion of the hill’s activities outside its current development must show a proven ecological gain for the area.
Although still at the draft policy stage, the new site guidelines are able to provide Norquay’s owners with some idea of what their long-range plans could include.
Peter Sudermann, one of the partners in Mt. Norquay, said some of the activities they’ve considered at this preliminary stage include installing a via ferrata route, adding limited mountain biking in the base area, running one lift for a sightseeing operation and opening the tea house for the summer.
“It’s quite spectacular when you get up there. You have great views of the Banff township and the whole corridor,” said Sudermann, who was present at last week’s open house.
The full attendance at the open house offered Sudermann assurance that people care about their local ski hill.
“It was encouraging,” he said. “I think Norquay is very important to the people of Banff and I think they want to see things happen to make sure Norquay remains viable and continues to improve and offer a unique experience.”
There is still a long way to go before any of these activities become a reality at Norquay.
First, the proposed site guidelines need to be approved by Parks. Then, Norquay needs to submit long-range planning documents, environmental assessments and ultimately get approval for these developments. At this point, Banff National Park has yet to decide if it will even allow via ferrata within the park.
Although the open house was a quiet affair, there is still vociferous opposition to the new site guidelines and the process by which Banff National Park is introducing them.
Mike McIvor, president of the Bow Valley Naturalists (BVN), said his group is primarily worried about introducing summer use to Norquay.
“It conflicts with wildlife movement,” he said. “There’s important wildlife habitat up there.”
McIvor also said his group is upset with Parks Canada’s approach to the process, saying that, through a process of public consultation over 20 years ago, Norquay agreed to give up its summer use plans in exchange for expanded winter development.
“The important point has to do with the integrity of the public process and if you have a public process that produces this outcome, what do you do? Just pretend it never happened?” he said.
BVN will submit a written comment to Parks Canada detailing objections to the proposed site guidelines, though McIvor isn’t hopeful about the efficacy of public consultations. He said he’s worried that the people who designed the site guidelines will be the same people who review the public comments and will lack the objectivity to make impartial judgments.
Public comments on the proposed Mt. Norquay site guidelines are being accepted until Feb. 11, 2011.
