The ongoing work for a new Alberta Parks plan for the province’s provincial parks will be a balancing act to ensure all aspects receive the proper attention they deserve.
The high level document will serve as guidance for at least the next decade – and likely far longer – when it comes to the province’s provincial parks. It will be a key guiding document for 305 sites, including provincial parks, wildland provincial parks and provincial recreation areas.
Alberta Parks is in the midst of public engagement for its Plan for Parks to update the previous strategic plan that was done in 2009.
While environmental and wildlife priorities should be top of mind, the plan will also have to balance recreation and tourism growth in Alberta, which has been heavily prioritized by the provincial government.
As Alberta grows, so too does the pressure on existing environmental needs, particularly in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country. The two areas are the most sought after when it comes to visitation in Alberta.
The draft plan proposes expanding overnight accommodation, while also seeking possible tourism opportunities. Conservation groups have cautioned that a further degradation of the natural landscape would be a negative.
It would be unrealistic not to expect some type of expansion of campgrounds and existing facilities, but it also shouldn’t lead to more glamping, nordic spas or gondolas.
It can also be easy to forget, but the core principle of the Provincial Parks Act outlines the importance of protecting ecosystems and stopping them from further damage.
The plan is only in the draft stage, but the Ministry of Forestry and Parks has a poor track record when it comes to environmental and wildlife-related activities.
The reopening of hunting so-called “problem” grizzly bears and expanding cougar hunting in select areas has seen considerable push back, but largely ignored by the provincial government which is more concerned with finding animals to kill than protect.
The All-Seasons Resort Act, which was recently passed into law by the provincial government, further prioritizes the growth of commercial-based developments to bring in more investments. Without the draft plan mentioning the new legislation, it leaves a dark cloud hanging over the possibility of it impacting provincial parks.
A further weakening of legislation will only serve as a negative in protecting the environment.
In addition, the management plans remain badly out of date, with some 27 years old and the latest being the 2012 Kananaskis provincial recreation areas and Bragg Creek Provincial Park. The lack of attention to those plans has led to a significant gap between policy and best practices when it comes to environmental and wildlife needs.
Both Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley have seen significant growth in tourism in recent years. With several million people visiting all areas, and no sign of a decline in visitation, the region will continue to see pressure from all sides. As Alberta continues to grow – having increased from 3.7 million in 2009 to five million in 2025 – those visitor numbers will keep rising.
Alberta Parks has taken a promising step in supporting a three-year pilot with the Town of Canmore for the Grassi Lakes route to help promote public transit to the popular route rather than personal vehicle use.
However, more needs to be done in working with municipalities, particularly the Town of Canmore when it comes to growing infrastructure needs that come with increased visitation. Simply telling a municipal council to raise taxes, while bleeding local taxpayers dry for extra infrastructure costs and reaping the benefits of expanded tourism is poor long-term planning.
Though it’s impossible to keep all groups happy, it’s essential to have a vigorous public engagement campaign that is reflected in the final document.
