Editor: Re: ‘Aerial gondola unlikely outside of Banff townsite’ (July 21 RMO) and ‘Lake Louise braces for weekend’ (July 28 RMO).
Anyone else find it a tad ironic that Parks Canada has a mandate to increase visitation to Banff National Park every year, will approve the development of attractions that involve large-scale construction in our natural areas to assist this mandate, but is steadfast in not allowing development outside of the Town of Banff boundaries to ease the congestion the increased visitations are causing because “... solutions outside town boundaries would pose significant legal and environmental challenges?”
Having increased visitation is already causing environmental challenges, with more vehicles and people in the towns and natural areas, not to mention the likelihood of increased human-animal encounters. Parks Canada seems to be comfortable with these challenges.
If they are pushing hard to get everyone here, Parks Canada needs to be more proactive in helping the municipalities of Banff and Lake Louise in handling the increased loads that visitors put on them.
Like any business looking to expand, and there is no doubt Parks Canada now has a large business component to it, it should be required to ensure it has the infrastructure in place to handle the increases, like enough bathrooms, parking, etc.
If that can be addressed and solutions created, then I am all for more people coming here to support our business owners and to experience the natural beauty of this park. But, if it can’t be solved, Parks Canada needs to stop working to draw more people here until it is solved.
The Town of Banff is looking at solutions to make this work for the town and the visitors coming here, whether they are the right solutions or not; Parks Canada needs to step up as well and help in the creation of these solutions.
This is not just a town issue, it is a Parks Canada issue as well, because 2017 is just around the corner and with free access to the park for everyone, this is not going away any time soon.
Chris Neve Canmore
