The Mountain Parks ski areas, including Lake Louise Ski Area, Sunshine Village and Mount Norquay in Banff National Park, and Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park, are the largest leaseholders in the Mountain Parks. Carefully managing development and use of the ski areas ensures sustainability, high quality visitor experiences and ecological integrity.
Ski Area Management Guidelines (2006) are Parks Canada’s overarching policy to guide ski area planning for the four Mountain Parks ski areas. The guidelines set out a clear and predictable approach for Parks Canada and the ski areas to prepare and establish site guidelines and long-range plans, as well as to provide opportunities for public participation in the planning process. The Ski Area Management Guidelines are consistent with and support the implementation of the park management plans for Banff and Jasper.
Parks Canada’s primary goal for the management of ski areas is to achieve long term land use certainty that:
- contributes to facilitating memorable national park visitor experiences and educational opportunities;
- provides ski area operators with clear parameters for business planning in support of an economically healthy operation; and
- ensures ecological integrity will be maintained or restored.
The following principles guide the ski area planning process:
- The approach taken to manage growth and development at ski areas will be similar to that taken for communities and outlying commercial accommodation.
- Inside the existing Developed Area1, new development can be considered where potential ecological impacts can be mitigated.
- Outside the existing Developed Area, new development can be considered if there is a Substantial Environmental Gain2 within or adjacent to the leasehold.
- Ski areas will contribute to a unique, memorable national park experience.
- Ski areas will promote public appreciation and understanding of the heritage values of the park and world heritage site and local conservation initiatives.
- Ski areas will be leaders in the application of environmental management, stewardship and best practices.
Site Guidelines are subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessment. Long-Range Plans are subject to a detailed impact analysis consistent with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, (2012). Both are subject to public consultation prior to being considered for approval by the Government of Canada.
- 1 The Developed Area represents the area modified for skiing or other uses within the leasehold through the construction of physical works, or through clearing/removal of trees and other vegetation, landscaping, terrain modification or other activity associated with ski area operation. It includes ski runs, lift lines, parking areas, commercial buildings, operational buildings and forested areas between ski runs. It does not include Undeveloped Areas, Un-serviced Terrain and Un-skied Terrain.
- 2 An environmental gain is a positive change in key ecological conditions (wildlife movement and habitat, wildlife mortality, sensitive species/areas and aquatic ecosystems) that leads to the restoration or the long-term certainty of maintaining ecological integrity. A leasehold reduction or reconfiguration that results in better protection of sensitive areas is an example of a substantial environmental gain.
The ski area planning process provides that both winter operations and potential future summer use proposals are addressed in the preparation of Site Guidelines. This ensures that potential initiatives are considered holistically in order to adequately address cumulative ecological effects as well as to provide land-use certainty for ski area operators.
The Ski Area Management Guidelines allow for the consideration of changes to summer use by:
- demonstrating specific ecological and visitor experience criteria that must be met in any proposal;
- requiring additional site-specific parameters to be identified in Site Guidelines to address specific issues; and
- requiring decisions on specific summer use proposals to be made through a long-range plan.
Parks Canada is committed to working with the ski areas to prepare Site Guidelines that meet the needs of the ski areas, ensure ecological integrity and provide quality national park experiences. Until Site Guidelines are completed, the Ski Area Management Guidelines limit development permitted at ski areas, such as new lifts or commercial spaces. Once guidelines are completed and approved, ski areas can develop any number of Long-Range Plans that contain a range of project proposals over a specific time period (ranging from five to 15 years).
For more information: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/lakelouise2015
