Marmot Basin is seeking public feedback on the four projects outlined in its first long range plan.
Those projects, which were deemed acceptable by Parks Canada in the 2008 Marmot Basin Site Guidelines, include increased snowmaking for the mid-mountain area, expanded parking lots, an expansion and renovation of the Caribou Chalet, and glading鈥攖hinned forests鈥攐n Milk Run, Elevator Chutes and Little Chicago.
The public consultation period began June 9 with the release of the 2014 Long Range Plan, as well as the project鈥檚 detailed environmental impact analysis, and it will carry on until June 30. In that time, there will be two open houses, one in Edmonton on June 23 and one in Jasper on June 24.
Although the projects were approved as 鈥渁cceptable鈥� six years ago, Marmot Basin is required to have a public consultation.
According to Shawn Cardiff, manager of integrated land use planning for Parks, that鈥檚 because the site guidelines only set out the broad perimeters for the projects, while the long range plan looks at the specific details.
So, said Cardiff, people who have extensive knowledge of the mountain might have some insights on the four projects to add for consideration.
鈥淪nowmaking is our number one priority,鈥� said Dave Gibson, president and CEO of Marmot, during an interview June 9. 鈥淭he bottom part of the mountain is fairly well taken care of, now we need to go up to the top and build a reservoir, capture some water鈥� and make some snow for Paradise, Marmot Run, Basin Run and Roll Out.
Marmot began snowmaking in 2006, ensuring an opening day as early as Remembrance Day weekend each year. Before that time, Gibson said the hill didn鈥檛 have a consistent opening date, it could be anywhere between mid-November and two days before Christmas.
鈥淚鈥檝e done them all,鈥� he said, noting that there is a significant economic impact on the entire town when the hill doesn鈥檛 open on time.
鈥淭he difference between us opening in early November and just before Christmas has an impact of almost $18 million on the community of Jasper,鈥� he said referencing a third-party study commissioned by Marmot. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all the wages, it鈥檚 the taxes, it鈥檚 the secondary spending, it鈥檚 hotels that aren鈥檛 full, bars that are empty鈥攊t鈥檚 a huge economic impact.鈥�
To secure the season and to ensure that revenue for Jasper businesses, Marmot needs to expand its snowmaking, said Gibson.
鈥淭he projects that we鈥檙e proposing in our first long range plan, it鈥檚 not just going to benefit Marmot Basin, we鈥檙e talking the whole community.
鈥淪kiing, according to the long range plan that we have and Parks agrees to this, is the cornerstone of winter tourism in Jasper. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, there鈥檚 lots of other things to do, everything from cross-country skiing, to skating, to snowshoeing, but it鈥檚 the skiing that brings in the true bread and butter.鈥�
As well as the snowmaking, Marmot hopes to expand and renovate the lower mountain Caribou Chalet, to allow room for more offices and storage space to replace the accounting and food storage trailers that are currently located at the north end of the chalet. That expansion would also include increasing the size of the cafeteria by covering the existing outdoor patio.
Another project is to expand the mountain鈥檚 parking lots, which on a good day accommodate 1,000 vehicles.
The plan is to increase that number by at least 400 stalls and to widen Marmot Basin Road from the chalet up to parking lot four. The widening of the road would allow for mass transit, which is a project that will be addressed in Marmot鈥檚 2016 Long Range Plan.
The final project is to glade the slopes west of the mid-mountain chalet. That area was gladed 35 years ago, but hasn鈥檛 been maintained since then.
Following the public consultation period, all of the feedback that is collected will be compiled and given to Parks. It will then be up to Supt. Greg Fenton to make a determination on whether or not there should be changes to the long range plan. If he comes up with a positive determination, the plan and the detailed environmental impact analysis will then be sent to Minister of Environment Leona Aglukkaq, who is tasked with making a decision as to whether these projects should move forward.
If Marmot gets the greenlight, Gibson said his best guess is construction would start on the snowmaking system in the summer of 2016.
To hear more about the projects or to provide your feedback, attend the Jasper open house at the Lobstick Lodge from 4 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. June 24.
To read the 2014 Long Range Plan and detailed enviornmental impact analysis, visit www.skimarmot.com. To provide feedback on either document, email it to [email protected]. You can also send them to Parks at [email protected].
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
