Jasperites will reflect on the year that passed and the year to come during the Jasper National Park annual public forum, Nov. 6.
This year, the focus of discussion will be the Maligne Valley Implementation Strategy.
JNP is currently in the first phase of the strategy: information gathering.
The agency gathered everything it knows about the valley, whether that be about wildlife conservation or visitor use patterns, and now it is looking to the public to provide its own knowledge.
鈥淲e want to know: is there anything we鈥檝e missed?鈥� said Shawn Cardiff, manager of integrated land use planning for Parks Canada.
The development of an implementation strategy for the valley comes out of the 2010 management plan, which outlines broad priorities for the area. Parks is now taking those priorities and honing in on them.
鈥淪o we鈥檙e moving to that next stage of being more specific and harnessing the ideas and knowledge of the locals and folks in the region and broader Canadians where we can,鈥� explained Cardiff.
鈥淭his first step is all around analysis. We want to make sure we have the analysis right and then there will be a pause as we assess what we鈥檝e heard from the public.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be working on the next phase in late November, early December and probably into January, developing the more specific actions, the implementation strategy itself.鈥�
The annual public forum is the community鈥檚 first opportunity to add its voice to the future of the Maligne Valley.
Cardiff said priorities for the area include improved wayfinding, interpretation and sense of arrival, as well as updated infrastructure.
鈥淲e have some work to do to update and refresh our interpretation in the area, in terms of telling the stories of the valley, and basic infrastructure, be it picnic tables and washrooms,鈥� said Cardiff, noting that the Maligne Valley is well-used, as it offers some well-loved wilderness adventures, including the Skyline Trail, Fisherman鈥檚 Bay Campground and Coronet Creek Campground.
鈥淲e want to make sure that those continue to be successful and we want to know what鈥檚 working well and what鈥檚 not working so well.鈥�
The Maligne Valley has been in the news in recent months, as Maligne Lake Tours has been working on a proposal for a major redevelopment on Maligne Lake, including a 66-room heritage-style hotel and 15 tent cabins.
If Parks approves the first proposal, Maligne Lake Tours will begin its own public consultation process this winter.
In an interview earlier this month, Supt. Greg Fenton said there is value in holding both consultations at the same time because the valley is already on people鈥檚 minds.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 one valley topic,鈥� he said, noting that it will allow people to think about the area holistically.
As well as hosting discussions about Maligne Valley, the annual forum will provide Jasperites with a year in review, highlighting some of JNPs successes from 2013. Those highlights will be presented by Fenton.
Included in the review will be the strengthening of relationships with Aboriginal groups with ties to Jasper, the strides toward increased caribou conservation, as well as new winter recreation areas, and the efforts to improve the parks鈥� infrastructure over the summer months.
The forum is Nov. 6 at the Jasper Activity Centre. It takes place between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
