Members of a federal environmental committee recently stopped in Jasper and Banff on a fact-finding mission to find out what works and what doesn鈥檛 work in Canada鈥檚 national parks.
The Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development held private meetings, Sept. 21, with the municipality, major businesses like Brewster, members of the O鈥機hiese First Nations band鈥攍ocated in Rocky Mountain House鈥攁nd Parks Canada officials.
鈥淏anff and Jasper have unique challenges with higher attendance numbers鈥攖hey鈥檙e hitting their limits,鈥� said Deborah Schulte, chair of the all-party committee and a Liberal MP in Ontario.
鈥�(In Jasper) you鈥檝e got a village trying to pay for double its size in terms of sewage and garbage and it鈥檚 all being thrown on the backs of the few people who actually live there.鈥�
After talking with different groups and organizations in town she said the committee has a much better understanding about the issues facing Jasper and Banff National Parks.
鈥淲e knew there was a problem, but you don鈥檛 really understand the complexity without spending the time talking about it and being able to ask questions from a variety of sides,鈥� Schulte said.
Despite the challenges, she said local organizations and residents also need to recognize that the tourism industry is a 鈥済ift.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 why you鈥檙e all there and can remain there. Locals were saying they respect the fundamentals of the park and the natural beauty that keeps bringing people to the parks鈥攕o there needs to be a balanced solution,鈥� Schulte said. 鈥淭here were a lot of creative solutions discussed at these meetings, but we鈥檙e not there to find the answer to a specific problem. We鈥檙e there to make sure we can provide a framework where things can be worked out by all these different groups.鈥�
On a similar note, the committee鈥檚 vice-chair and local Yellowhead MP Jim Eglinski said one of the biggest concerns he heard from almost every discussion he had was about Canada鈥檚 150th birthday next year, when admission to Canada鈥檚 national parks and historic sites will be free.
鈥淏anff and Jasper are both already feeling the pinch of vehicle traffic ... what we鈥檙e looking at is ways to address that鈥攄o we want to take land and start making more parking lots or do we want to start looking at alternative ways of transportation?鈥� said Eglinski, suggesting that major tourism companies should have more bus services, ferrying people back and forth from tourist hotspots.
鈥淚nstead of everyone taking their cars to the hot springs perhaps there could be a bus, or instead of everyone driving their cars into the parks perhaps there could be a parking lot just outside the gates and people could get bussed in,鈥� Eglinski added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very workable solution without taking more of a footprint from our parks.鈥�
After speaking with some of Jasper鈥檚 tourism companies, the committee stopped by the SkyTram. Eglinski said it was during this visit that he spoke with some of the park鈥檚 tourists.
鈥淚 wanted to know if we were doing the right thing with our national parks鈥攊f all these attractions are really worth it,鈥� Eglinski said, adding the committee also stopped at the Glacier Skywalk on its way to Jasper.
鈥淧eople seem to really appreciate the significance of the walkway and the SkyTram.鈥�
However, not everyone shares that same appreciation.
In June, when details emerged about a proposal to build a 107-km bike trail from Jasper to the Columbia Icefield, five environmental groups voiced their opposition to the project, fearing the paved trail will damage habitat that is crucial for endangered species.
鈥淪ometimes we need to build things to be able to address a broad range of visitors,鈥� said Eglinski, referring to tourism-based infrastructure projects. 鈥淪ome of these things are good, but we need to be really careful鈥攖hat鈥檚 the message I got from locals and Parks officials.鈥�
Aboriginal groups near Banff and Jasper also voiced their concerns about the future of the parks鈥� ecosystems.
鈥淲e had some excellent discussions with First Nations groups. There鈥檚 still a lot of history that鈥檚 not great, but there appeared to be a willingness to move forward on a common ground鈥攖hat ground being protected spaces,鈥� Schulte said. 鈥淭hat was a revelation to me鈥� rather than fighting about who owns the land, it seems that everyone wants to move forward and start protecting the land together.鈥�
On a municipal level, the committee had an hour-long meeting with Jasper鈥檚 municipal council. During that meeting, Mayor Richard Ireland gave a presentation on some of the dynamics and difficulties of running a municipality within a national park.
鈥淣obody seems to be looking for more land鈥擨 never heard that. What I did hear was that the municipality wants more stability in terms of zoning ... They want some flexibility so they don鈥檛 have to go to Parks with every little request,鈥� said Schulte.
鈥淚t seems Parks understands the principals of having a national park, but they also understand that there are municipalities that need to be run.鈥�
While the committee鈥檚 meeting with Jasper鈥檚 municipal council was brief, Ireland said he felt it was time well spent.
鈥淲e talked about the ongoing discussions over jurisdiction with regards to land use, planning and development and how that impacts our ability to plan for a sustainable future for the town, which impacts the sustainable future of the national park,鈥� Ireland said. 鈥淲hat it will lead to remains to be seen, but we鈥檙e certainly optimistic that there will be good outcomes.鈥�
Schulte said all of the information they heard will be taken back to Ottawa, where the committee will draft a report with recommendations to the federal government this fall.
鈥淔rom the meetings I saw nobody digging in their heels and saying it had to be their way or no way. What we did see was a need to move forward and a need to protect these spaces,鈥� Schulte said.
鈥淭here are lots of opportunities for improvement now there needs to be a formula that everyone is comfortable with.鈥�
Kayla Byrne
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