July 2, 2015 – Jasper National Park, AB – Office of the Minister of the Environment, Parks Canada
Jim Eglinski, Member of Parliament for Yellowhead, on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister Responsible for Parks Canada, today announced infrastructure and conservation investments in Jasper National Park totalling more than $210 million.
This major investment includes extensive work on Highway 16, a national transportation corridor, and the Icefields Parkway connecting Jasper and Banff national parks, one of the premiere scenic drives in Canada. Other projects will:
- revitalize Jasper’s campgrounds, including Whistlers Campground (Jasper’s largest campground with 780 campsites)
- renovate heritage buildings, such as the Jasper Fire Hall, an interpretive centre in the heart of the Town of Jasper
- upgrade the popular Valley of the Five Lakes trail and parking lot
- ensure the long-term integrity and safety of essential infrastructure, such as nine bridges on Highway 16
- contribute to Species at Risk recovery through southern mountain caribou and whitebark pine conservation
Parks Canada is investing more than $500 million in highway infrastructure across national parks in the region including Banff National Park, Glacier National Park, Jasper National Park, Kootenay National Park, Mount Revelstoke National Park and Yoho National Park.
These projects are the result of an unprecedented investment by the Government of Canada to support infrastructure work in our national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas. This investment represents the largest federal infrastructure plan in the 104-year history of Parks Canada, ensuring these cherished places are protected and secured for the future while also creating and protecting jobs and opportunities.
Through the Government of Canada’s National Conservation Plan, Parks Canada’s investment in conservation projects is contributing to the conservation Canada’s lands and waters, the restoration Canada’s ecosystems, and connecting Canadians to nature in Jasper National Park.
Jonathan Lefebvre
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
Kavitha Palanisamy
Public Relations & Communications Officer
Jasper National Park
780-852-6109
Media Relations
Parks Canada
1-855-862-1812
www.twitter.com/parkscanada
