The Liberal candidate for this region is voicing some concerns about proposed expansion and development at the Lake Louise ski resort, while the sitting Conservative MP is in full support.
Marlo Raynolds, Liberal candidate for Banff-Airdrie, said a three-week comment period for the draft Lake Louise site guidelines – a blueprint for development and use over the coming 10 to 15 years – was too short for meaningful public consultation and response.
“When almost a dozen very senior former parks staff raise very legitimate questions and concerns, I think we have to stop, take pause and really listen to that and think about how to get this right,” said Raynolds, noting the Liberals recently launched their environmental platform.
“These are our national parks and we only have one opportunity to get things right. Ecological integrity has to be the number one priority, and this type of expansion and proposal has to have due process and good science.”
Blake Richards, the Conservative MP for the riding, declined an interview, but sent an email statement voicing support for the Lake Louise ski area site guidelines. It was the same statement he issued in a press release when the guidelines were released June 1.
“Our government was pleased to offer Canadians the opportunity to share their voice and vision to help shape the future of the Lake Louise Ski Area and Banff National Park,” he wrote in the statement.
“We are proud of the proposed Lake Louise ski area guidelines, which will help restore important wildlife habitat, improve conservation in and around the Lake Louise ski area, and provide Canadians with exceptional opportunities to connect with Banff National Park through improved services and world class experiences.”
In exchange for development, the draft ski area guidelines for Lake Louise propose to reduce the area’s leasehold by 669 hectares, with the return of Wolverine Bowl, Purple Bowl and lands in the Whitehorn wildlife corridor to protected wilderness zones.
The document also proposes to allow the development of new ski terrain outside the lease, including in West Bowl and Hidden Ridge. These areas are currently wilderness and would be operated under a licence of occupation.
In addition, there would also be new ski terrain inside the current lease, but outside the current developed boundary, at Richardson’s Ridge, complete with a ski lift, ski runs and glading, and new ski terrain at West Juniper.
The guidelines also call for construction of a new lodge at the top of Whitehorn, where summer sightseeing would be based. There is also consideration in the guidelines for an extension of summer hours.
Ski hills officials say these proposals, if approved by Parks Canada in a future long-range plan, would happen over many, many years.
Dan Markham, who is the director of brand and communications for Lake Louise ski resort, said he understands Parks Canada has received about 1,300 comments on the draft ski area guidelines.
“We believe the public consultation that Parks Canada did was more than sufficient and everyone had lots of opportunity on both sides of the fence to give feedback,” he said.
Markham said he believes the environmental gains are a win-win, noting the net reduction in the lease, relocation of the summer sightseeing operation out of Whitehorn wildlife corridor and potential construction of a reservoir to store water.
He also defended the science behind the guidelines.
“There are very good people who have been working on this program for a while and I certainly think are more than qualified to be doing this,” said Markham. “I think there are exceptional environmental gains to be had.”
Eleven former senior Parks Canada managers have called for suspension of any further consideration of expansion of the Lake Louise ski resort beyond its current boundaries to allow for workshops with the public on what a good plan for the area would include.
The managers include former Banff National Park superintendent Kevin Van Tighem, Parks Canada’s retired chief scientist Stephen Woodley, and Nikita Lopoukhine and Bruce Amos, who both held the position of national parks director general.
They said the science used in the strategic environmental assessment is outdated and incomplete, and because of a reduction in Parks Canada’s science capacity, much of the information is not based on the collection of new site-specific information.
“The current plan is simply an enormous ask from a private development interest, an assault on policy and legal protections that the people of Canada should be able to count on, and lacks perspective and balance,” they said.
“The scale and scope of the proposal are unprecedented in a national park and at odds with the park’s purpose.”
Parks Canada had no comment. They were not able to say when they hoped to be finished reviewing the public comment submissions, or when a decision on the Lake Louise guidelines could be made.
“Parks Canada does not comment on statements made by political parties,” said Parks Canada spokesperson Tania Peters.
Currently, there are no NDP or Green party candidates for this riding.
