Cold reception for Jasper glacier walk

A proposed development project in Jasper National Park has drawn the ire of a global civic organization.

Photo: Contributed - Brewster Travel Canada website

Conceptual Drawing

AVAAZ.org has received more than 130,000 on-line signatures for a petition it will send to Jasper National Park Superintendent, Greg Fenton, in hopes of stopping the development project.

At the centre of the controversy is the "Glacier Discovery Walk," a 300m metal interpretive trail at the Columbia Icefields.

The proposal, if it goes ahead, would be built and operated by Brewster Travel Canada, an American company which already operates a small hotel and tour shuttles at the Icefields.

Those opposed to the project believe it is the first step towards privatization of Jasper and other national parks in Canada.

Fenton says that couldn't be further from the truth.

"All lands in Jasper, as with all other national parks, remain and will continue to remain owned by the people of Canada. We, as Parks Canada, administer it on their behalf, but within the context of a very strong policy framework," says Fenton.

"This isn't a dangerous precedent towards privatization. There are significant policies and legislation in place to ensure that does not happen."

Fenton notes that park lands have been operated by commercial operators under lease hold for a number of years.

"I think there is a very significant track record on our ability to manage and protect our national parks and resources on behalf of the people of Canada over the years," added Fenton.

"I'd like to think people would have faith in that. Also, giving them (public) the opportunity to tell us why they have concerns. We encourage the kind of dialogue that's taking place right now."

Part of that dialogue was in the form of feedback through the environmental assessment process.

Fenton says they received more than 2,500 responses to the environmental assessment process, some in favour of the project and some against.

AVAAZ asserts on its website that allowing the project to go forward would also give an American company 'the right to charge each of us for entry into parts of Jasper park.'

Again, Fenton says that is simply not the case.

In a posting on the Parks Canada website, Fenton stated, " Brewster Travel Canada, as with any other business organization, does not control entry into Jasper National Park – that is the sole and exclusive responsibility of Parks Canada. Visitors to national parks have the option to access services from business providers, and have been doing so for 126 years."

Brewster is proposing to take people, with a free shuttle, from the Icefields' Discover Centre to the new Glacier Discovery Walk.

Fenton says visitors could pay to go on a guided walk or go to a publicly accessible point for free.

Green Party leader, Elizabeth May has also weighed in on the controversy.

On the Green Party website, May says her party believes the development is inappropriate given the first priority of Canada’s National Parks is to protect ecological integrity.

“Canada’s National Parks are not meant to be money-makers,” says May. 

“They are primarily supposed to protect a range of ecosystems and to allow Canadians to appreciate the wonderful natural spaces and wildlife that we are so lucky to have in this country.”

If the environmental assessment is approved, Fenton says the next step would be to continue with a construction agreement.

Fenton notes the design of the walkway has not been finalized and a lease between Parks Canada and Brewster has not yet been negotiated.

On its website promoting the project, Brewster says it is consulting with Parks Canada on a design that will reduce visual disturbance and help the Glacier Discovery Walk blend into the natural environment.

"Environmental impacts resulting from the Glacier Discover Walk are expected to be minimal since this is a previously disturbed site within the right-of-way of an existing highway," Brewster says on its website.

"To date, Brewster has commissioned wildlife and vegetation studies to determine the impact of the project and to identify measures to eliminate, reduce or mitigate these impacts."

Brewster says all facilities associated with the proposed project will be within the existing 50 metre right-of-way of the highway.

A decision on the project is expected by the end of the month.