When given the opportunity to publicly question the proposal to develop a 66-room hotel at Maligne Lake, Nov. 27, Jasperites didnât shy away. The 10 people who spoke up expressed their concerns with Maligne Toursâ conceptual proposal loudly and clearly, while about 40 others watched and listened.
Those apprehensions, voiced during the companyâs second public consultation, ranged from concern over breaking Parks Canada policies to how construction could affect the wildlife that live in the Maligne Valley.
âIf youâre going to do it in the summer time or the spring,â said Jeff Wilson of construction, âyouâve got calving, all sorts of birds in that area, the ducks looking to procreate. In the winter itâs out of the question ... itâs a disruption for them in the winter time when theyâre just trying to survive.â
Brad Kennedy, an architect hired by Maligne Tours, responded by saying, the company doesnât yet know when it would undertake construction because it hasnât reached that stage in the process. âExactly when that timeframe will be, I donât know. I think thatâs where the environmental experts would have to help us.â
The Maligne Valley is home to a number of sensitive species, including woodland caribou, grizzly bears and harlequin ducks.
If Maligne Toursâ proposal makes it past the conceptual stage, Parks will call on the company to do an environmental assessment that will consider the affect redevelopment and overnight accommodation could have on wildlife in the area.
Jill Seaton of the Jasper Environmental Association said that assurance gives her little comfort.
â[These developments] have a way of going through. They get gently pushed through by Parks and thatâs it,â she said, referencing the Glacier Skywalkâa controversial development that was approved by Parks despite large-scale opposition. âThe whole process is wrong and the environmental assessments are wrong too; theyâre a farce.â
The Skywalk, built by Brewster Travel Canada and set to open next May, was referenced numerous times throughout the public consultation as the reason for the publicâs cynicism and distrust of Parks.
âI think if you were to canvas the public here and generally, there is no faith in Parks Canada,â said Wilson. âThey have given us no reason to view them as the protector of our national parks system.â
In light of comments targeted at the agency, Amber Stewart, a land use planner for Jasper National Park, joined Kennedy and Pat Crowley, general manager of Maligne Tours, at the front of the room to field questions.
One of those inquiries was how Parks can even consider a proposal for overnight accommodation at Maligne Lake when its management plan states no new outlying commercial accommodations (OCA) will be considered.
âHow does it come to be where we are today?â asked Terry Winkler, a former park warden. âThere is a policy that said no new outlying commercial accommodations, so wouldnât the answer be no right off the bat?â
Stewart said, if Maligne Toursâ proposal is approved, it will be an exception to the existing OCA guidelines, and noted that sometimes there are good reasons to revisit existing policies.
âIt happens frequently that circumstances change and then we take a look at our policies because we have proposals that come along that might meet our objectives, whether itâs visitor experience or environmental stewardship or cultural stewardship. Thatâs the situation here.â
In response, Rocky Notnes, of Hinton, asked Stewart what makes Maligne Toursâ proposal so âspecialâ that it deserves an exception to a long-standing policy.
âThere are probably a few reasons, but again one would be the potential visitor experience benefits,â said Stewart. âI think the fact that thereâs already a lease area there and a structureâa day lodgeâthat needs to be renovated or improved somehow, and the potential for improved environmental stewardship and cultural stewardship. There are a number of different reasons.â
Beyond the hotel, the potential visitor experiences outlined in Maligne Toursâ conceptual proposal include a low impact wildlife-themed maze, voyageur canoe excursions, earth-caching, The History of the Wardens exhibit, free twice-daily Wildlife in the Valley storytelling experiences, Aboriginal-themed storytelling experiences and themed food and beverage experiences, just to name a few of the 14 âexperiential highlights.â
There is also a proposal to erect 15 tent cabins off the companyâs existing leasehold on the footprints of the tent cabins that existed there in the past.
Speaking of the tent cabins, Monika Schaefer reminded those in attendance that the accommodations were there before Maligne Lake Road was constructed.
âThat was when it took two days to get there by horse and boat and what not. There has not been accommodation there since access has been easy.
âThis should not go ahead. Iâm sure it would be beautiful, but not there,â she said.
The public consultation, Nov. 27, was one of two forums held last week. The other was at Fort Edmonton Park in Edmonton.
According to an Edmonton Journal story published the following day, 60 people attended the meeting and âmany ⊠took issue with a private, for-profit company making the public park experience exclusive to âhigh yield tourists.ââ
With the first round of consultations complete, Maligne Tours will now make adjustments to its conceptual proposal and resubmit it to Parks Canada.
If that proposal is approvedâa decision is expected in early 2014âthe company will then undertake the work to complete a detailed proposal, including an environmental assessment. That proposal and assessment would then be subject to public review and comment.
To find Maligne Toursâ conceptual proposal, visit malignelake.com and click âRenewal at Maligne Lakeâ on the left hand side.
To provide feedback on the proposal, email it to [email protected].
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
