Species at risk, infrastructure and the mountain pine beetle were the main topics of discussion during the 13th annual Jasper Park Forum March 16.
The public meeting coincided with the publication of Parks Canada鈥檚 annual park report, which provides a snapshot of what the agency has done over the past year and what it intends to do over the next 12 months.
Infrastructure and visitor experience commanded the largest part of the presentation as Parks highlighted various projects that have already been completed and several more that are slated for construction in the months and years ahead.
鈥淥ne of our biggest stories of 2015 was the federal infrastructure initiative, the largest reinvestment in Parks Canada鈥檚 history,鈥� said Alan Fehr, the park鈥檚 superintendent, at the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre.
鈥淲hile it certainly brings with it some challenges, and we鈥檙e facing those challenges right now, it affords us a huge opportunity to make Jasper a welcoming place.鈥�
In July 2015, the federal government announced $210 million for infrastructure projects in Jasper National Park as part of the government鈥檚 promise to spend $2.6 billion across the country on infrastructure projects in national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas.
In JNP, Parks intends to use those funds to rehabilitate nine major highway bridges, repave the Icefields Parkway, continue to replace road signs, as well as renovate the heritage fire hall, among dozens of other projects over the next three to five years.
鈥淐arrying out the federal infrastructure plan will be a major priority for the Jasper team over the next few years and I鈥檓 certain it will have a major, positive impact on the park,鈥� said Fehr.
The report did not provide any details concerning start dates,听 but Pam Clark, manager of visitor experience for JNP, said the shovel will hit the ground on several projects this spring and summer. Included in that will be highway paving, bridge work, and trail work at the Valley of the Five Lakes, Lake Annette and Trail 7.
In preparation for the infrastructure money, she said Parks carried out an asset review and decided to focus its attention on assets that were rated poor or fair with high visitor use and experience value, such as the Glacier Gallery at the Icefields Centre, which sees about one million visitors every year.
During the presentation she said there are over 800 individual assets in the park and the cost to replace those assets would be $1 billion.
鈥淭he problem is a lot of it is over 50 years old and it was really built in a different time,鈥� said Clark, explaining infrastructure wasn鈥檛 built for things like camper vans which have grown in popularity over the years.
Following the presentation, Clark shut down persistent rumours that Whistlers Campground鈥攖he park鈥檚 largest campground鈥攚ould be closed for a complete overhaul in 2017, the same year admission to national parks is free.
鈥淚t will not be closed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a huge campground renovation, so we鈥檙e going to be getting into the detailed planning. Whistlers, for sure, is looking into the future鈥�2018, 2019.鈥�
Clark also took time during her presentation to highlight the number of people visiting the park.
Attendance numbers from 2015鈥攚hich are still being finalized鈥攕uggest that 2.3 million people visited Jasper last year, a seven per cent increase over the previous year. Camping reservations were also up by 20 per cent over 2013.
鈥淭he last five years our visitation has increased by about 15 per cent and that鈥檚 the same thing that鈥檚 happening in the province so we are keeping pace with that provincial population growth,鈥� said Clark.
With the influx of visitors, the Palisades Stewardship Education Centre also saw a marked increased with visitation up by 35 per cent over the previous year. The same held true for attendance numbers at the Marmot Learning Centre, which saw its visitation numbers jump by 38 per cent.
During Fehr鈥檚 opening presentation, he took time to highlight Parks鈥� ongoing efforts to strengthen its relationships with First Nations and Metis people with connections to the park, through new programming like the Mountains and Moccasins program at the Old Fire Hall and the Teachings of the Mountain People program at the Palisades.
According to the report, the Jasper Indigenous Cultural Area, located on the Maligne River, welcomed close to 700 people last summer for seven different cultural events.
Fehr also said JNP is already planning for 2017, when admission to national parks and historic sites across Canada will be free to celebrate Canada鈥檚 150th anniversary.
To cover the lost revenue collected from entrance fees, the Liberal government promised $83.3 million in its first federal budget tabled March 22. The money will also help provide free admission for children under 18 years of age, beginning in 2018.
He also acknowledged growing concerns about line-ups at the park gates.
鈥淭here is a group at the national office looking at various technological solutions. In the short-term we鈥檙e looking at what else we can do to reduce the waits at those gates, because I agree the sense of arrival is important for anybody who is arriving at their destination and that is a problem at many of our gates.鈥�
Pivoting to the park鈥檚 ecological integrity monitoring program, Fehr said Parks is currently creating a species at risk recovery strategy that includes all seven species that have been identified as endangered or threatened in the park, including the common nighthawk, olive-sided flycatcher, Haller鈥檚 apple moss, little brown bat, northern bat, the whitebark pine tree and the Woodland caribou.
鈥淯ntil now most of what you鈥檝e read in the newspapers and online has been focused on the Woodland caribou, but we鈥檒l also be starting to address the needs of the other six endangered and threatened species in Jasper,鈥� said Fehr.
During the question and answer period the Jasper Sustainability Club for Youth also got the opportunity to ask Parks Canada staff pre-recorded questions. Yellowhead MP Jim Eglinski was also in attendance for the meeting, making him the first member of parliament to attend a park forum.
For the latest information about infrastructure projects in the park, visit: www.pc.gc.ca/jasperinfrastructure.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
