Alberta Park Boundary Changes Threaten Trails
Proposed changes to Alberta's provincial park boundaries to accommodate year-round resorts are raising concerns among conservationists about trail access and wilderness protection. Critics argue the re-mapping under Alberta's All-Seasons Resorts Act could shrink protected areas and open more land to commercial development. Stakeholders are calling for more transparency and public consultation before any boundaries are redrawn, as changes may affect trail routes and access.
- More than 1,100 hectares of provincial park and recreation land have been specifically re-designated for potential resort development. This includes 929 hectares from the Evan Thomas Provincial Recreation Area for the Nakiska ski resort, 131 hectares from Spray Valley Provincial Park for Fortress Mountain, and 54 hectares from Castle Provincial Park for Castle Mountain Resort. - The changes are enabled by the All-Season Resorts Act, which creates a new land designation called "All-season Resort Areas" and aims to streamline the approval process for resort developers to increase investor confidence. - The Act allows the Minister of Tourism and Sport to remove protected area designations and exempts projects from public consultation requirements that are normally mandated under the Alberta Land Stewardship Act. - Critics, including Katie Morrison of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), note the legislation transfers land management authority to the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, which has not traditionally managed public lands and may lack the necessary expertise. - The first three resorts selected to potentially operate under the new act include Nakiska, Castle Mountain, and Fortress Mountain, a ski resort that has been closed for approximately two decades. - In response to criticism, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport stated the boundary adjustments represent less than 0.03% of Alberta's total park system and that the government has added over 300,000 hectares to provincial parks since 2019. - This is not the first time the provincial government has faced backlash over park management; in 2020, it proposed closing or removing 175 parks but later abandoned the plan after significant public opposition. - Banff-Kananaskis MLA Sarah Elmeligi has been a vocal opponent, stating, "A park is a promise. It's a line we literally draw on a map that says everything on the other side of this line will be managed and protected."
