Parks Canada will soon consider a proposal for overnight accommodation at Maligne Lake, despite a recent report that points to commercial development as a high threat to the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks' world heritage status.
The conceptual proposal, from Maligne Tours, will include 66 suites in a newly-constructed lodge where the current day lodge is located and 15 tent cabins鈥攔eminiscent of the ones there before Maligne Lake Road opened in 1969.
鈥淲e鈥檙e basically talking about [operating for] three seasons, spring through fall,鈥� said Harvey Sawler, a tourism consultant contracted by Maligne Tours. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not just about building accommodations, it鈥檚 about making everything more true to heritage, more suited to what鈥檚 going on at Maligne Lake.鈥�
That means building a day lodge in a similar architectural style to Maligne Lake Chalet; it means upgrading hiking trails, improving the food services and retail options; and it means updating the boat cruise鈥攕omething that鈥檚 already taking place, with the introduction of family tours and photo tours.
鈥淏asically everything at Maligne Lake needs to get better,鈥� said Sawler. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to make a holistic, beautiful place for people to be.鈥�
In the past, Parks Canada has denied similar proposals. Jasper National Park鈥檚 2009 draft management plan even included a statement that overnight accommodation in the Maligne Valley would be prohibited, but that statement was removed before the management plan was approved in 2010.
鈥淚n the past there has not been an openness on Parks Canada鈥檚 part to consider commercial accommodation up there,鈥� said Greg Fenton, superintendent of JNP. But things have changed in recent years.
鈥淭he base infrastructure has been upgraded within the last 10 years, so there aren鈥檛 the kinds of negative impacts that commercial accommodation would have had in the past,鈥� he said, referring to the power plant and water and sewer lines. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e certainly willing to consider [Maligne Tours鈥橾 proposal in principle...on the basis of potential for enhancing visitor experiences and connecting people [to nature].鈥�
The proposal comes on the heels of a draft report that points to Brewster Travel Canada鈥檚 Skywalk as an example of a development that puts the mountain parks world heritage site at high risk.
That report, to be tabled during the UNESCO world heritage meeting next year, says such development approvals conflict with Parks鈥� mandate of ecological integrity.
Monika Schaefer, who鈥檚 run for parliament multiple times as Yellowhead鈥檚 Green Party candidate, agrees with the report and said she finds the proposal 鈥渁larming.鈥�
鈥淧eople need to know that this world heritage site is under threat,鈥� she said. 鈥淕iven all the assaults on the planet that are happening due to human activity, we need to just say 鈥極K. This is one place, within the national park, where we are really giving our all to protect wildlife and wilderness.鈥� That is what it comes down to.
鈥淭hey make it sound so innocuous, saying [the overnight accommodations] will fit into the landscape and they鈥檙e historically themed, but this is opening the door to a Chateau Lake Louise-style development,鈥� she said, noting that when Maligne Lake had tent cabins in the past it was out of necessity, not profit.
鈥淭hat was when there wasn鈥檛 a road going to Maligne Lake,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople could drive to Medicine Lake and then take the boat across and then go by horse or walk the rest of the way.
鈥淚鈥檓 really concerned about the whole Maligne Valley becoming a very busy place, a human impacted busy place.鈥�
Despite the UNESCO draft report and concerns like Schaefer鈥檚, Fenton said he can see merit in the proposal.
鈥淚 think that there are some positive aspects that are consistent with the intent of world heritage, like connecting people with their natural environment and the world heritage that we鈥檙e a part of.鈥�
Having said that, Fenton noted that to be approved, the development can鈥檛 be a detriment to the natural environment.
Once submitted, Parks will review Maligne Tours鈥� conceptual proposal and provide the company feedback. Then the proposal will come to the public for further input. Fenton said he expects that to take place in the fall, alongside the agency鈥檚 own detailed action plan for the Maligne Valley. That plan will be similar to the Icefields Parkway strategic plan, which was published in the 2010 management plan.
鈥淲e have been planning for awhile the development of a more detailed plan for the Maligne Valley...so later this fall it鈥檚 our intent to launch a public engagement process that provides an opportunity to share what we think are the excellent attributes from all standpoints of our mandate and the areas that, by ourselves or in partnership with others, can be improved.鈥�
Following the public engagement period this fall, Maligne Tours will make adjustments to its proposal before again submitting it to Parks. If that is approved, then the proposal will be subject to a 鈥渞igorous鈥� environmental assessment, said Fenton.
聽Nicole Veerman
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