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Residents gather for Three Sisters info ahead of public hearing

The debate surrounding a massive project for the remaining 80 per cent of developable land in Canmore has garnered increased attention since Town council unanimously delayed first reading of a new area structure plan (ASP) last week.

The debate surrounding a massive project for the remaining 80 per cent of developable land in Canmore has garnered increased attention since Town council unanimously delayed first reading of a new area structure plan (ASP) last week.

That interest was on full display Friday (May 3) when more than 200 people packed the Canmore Seniors’ Centre for a presentation by local experts regarding proposed development in Three Sisters Mountain Village.

“A whole lot of people care a whole lot about this Valley,” said Gareth Thomson at the presentation before introducing the guest speakers.

Following council’s decision to delay first reading of the ASP due to the belief it would not have received a majority of votes from councillors to pass and therefore end the months-long process, residents concerned with the development have stepped up their efforts ahead of a public hearing next Wednesday (May 15).

The main issues local experts, as well as those currently living near the possible development have, surrounds the wildlife corridor adjacent to the proposal and the risks associated with building on undermined lands.

Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative President Karsten Heuer was one of the speakers at the information session that worked with the developer of the project and their environmental consultant prior to the ASP submission.

Since 2009, the developable lands have been in a court-ordered receivership and managed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on behalf of the major creditor, HSBC Bank Canada. Golder Associates is the consultant working with the developer.

“The issues haven’t changed and unfortunately the ASP proposal hasn’t changed either to accommodate them,” Heuer said.

In light of what has been proposed, which could increase the Town’s population by roughly 9,000 people at full buildout, wildlife experts are requesting the corridor on the downslope side at the area known as Site 7 be 600 metres wide and the unfinished golf course in the Resort Centre II area remain as a buffer to the corridor.

According to the ASP submitted to council by PwC, the applicant has proposed pods containing low, medium and high density units and resort hotel/lodge accommodations with open spaces in between in the Resort Centre I and II areas and Sites 7 and 8.

Site 9, located on the eastern side of the property, will be transferred to a conservation society, however, building on that piece of land would have been troublesome for the developer, Heuer noted in his presentation.

“They couldn’t come to an agreement with the Province on corridors in Site 9 and the route they’re going now; they may not come to an agreement on wildlife corridors with the Town on the rest of the property,” the president said.

“If they’re serious about having some level of certainty for what kind of development could happen there by June, as they’ve suggested, I think it’s time to start moving a bit.”

Heuer also pointed out during his presentation the corridor next to the development in question was approved by the Province in 1998 and was based on data from an environmental assessment focused on elk.

The Town’s reviewer of the submitted environmental impact statement by Golder, Management and Solutions in Environmental Science (MSES), pointed to uncertainty as well concerning effectiveness of the corridor and potential impacts, including building a mitigation fence following development.

“The theme of that independent review was this proposal has so many uncertainties it requires a heck of a lot more research or significant widening of the wildlife corridor,” said Heuer.

“To say the corridor and upper slopes are functioning, there’s not enough information to suggest or support the assertion by Golder and PwC that putting 10,000 more people up there and building a fence that squeezes all the wildlife up slope will actually work.”

Former mining engineer Gerry Stephenson, who worked for Canmore Mines Ltd. as chief engineer, also made a presentation at the seniors’ centre concerning the significant amount of undermining in certain areas where development is proposed, predominantly the unfinished golf course in Resort Centre II.

“You can engineer this as much as you like, it can still be a problem,” Stephenson said, adding the golf course was initially put in place due to the risk beneath the ground because of undermining.

Several weeks before the ASP was submitted, PwC held an open house to address the undermining issue where Golder geotechnical engineer Ray Predika indicated it was possible to develop the units after mitigation had taken place.

The engineer suggested one of the techniques that had been used in the past involved pumping non-segregating slurry into the ground. He also stated the proposed development was “absolutely safe” despite the undermining present in the area.

However, at last week’s meeting, Stephenson noted that even with mitigation, there is still a risk factor and vowed to continue persuing the matter when it is back before council at the end of the month.

“There’s no way I’m going to lie down and wreck what I came to in 1968,” he said.

With the public hearing now scheduled, both local experts and members of council are urging residents to attend the event and voice their concerns about what could be a potential game changer for what the town will look like in decades to come.

“There are a lot of veterans in this Valley in terms of working on wildlife corridors and attending public hearings,” Heuer said. “We’ve been working on different sections of this corridor for the last 20 years.

“We don’t want to put all the past work in jeopardy because we weren’t vigilant at this stage,” he continued. “It’s really important to carry through on two decades of work.”

“We’re talking about the most developed landscape where all these species still exist and we’re at that threshold already of what they’ll tolerate. Each bit more that we squeeze and force them through areas they don’t prefer is another potential nail in their coffin.”

Canmore Mayor John Borrowman reiterated the need for the public to get involved and attend the public hearing as it provides council with meaningful input when weighing tough decisions. For this project there is desire for both sides to come up with a plan that accommodates all parties.

“There’s real positive hope we can get a final ASP approval that would meet the needs of the community and the future of our Valley and also assist the landowners with where they want to get to,” Borrowman said.

The public hearing will take place on May 15 at the Radisson Hotel in Canmore at 5 p.m.


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