The Stewart Creek section comprises about 2.
The Stewart Creek section comprises about 2.3 kilometres of the 13 km Three Sisters Along Valley Multi-species Wildlife Corridor, where over 60 per cent of primary and secondary corridors in the section lie in Stewart Creek Golf Course - approved just prior to the proclamation of Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB).
A public hearing in regard to creating a direct control district in the land use bylaw to allow resort accommodation adjacent to the golf course will be held in council chambers, Tuesday (Nov. 26) at 6 p.m.
Approval allowed the golf course to be developed without the Stewart Creek wildlife corridor falling under the scrutiny of the 1992 NRCB decision on Three Sisters Golf Resorts Inc.
As a result, the Stewart Creek corridor has no permanent protection except Town of Canmore wildlands conservation (WC) zoning.
The Stewart Creek corridor section adjoins the Three Sisters Mountain Resort (TSMV) section on one side and on the other the corridor "disconnect" with the Wind Valley section of the primary corridor proposed for protection by AESRD.
Below is a citizen's guide to public events that precede any protection for this significant corridor under a provincial conservation easement.
1991 - Stewart Creek Golf Course is approved by MD of Bighorn, prior to annexation by Town of Canmore.
- The golf course is annexed by Town of Canmore.
- Proclamation of the NRCB after approval from Bighorn for the course.
1992 - Citizens have input into NRCB Decision on Three Sisters Resorts, which legally requires wildlife corridors be provided to ensure wildlife connectivity.
1998 - Publication of Bow Corridor Ecosystem Advisory Group (BCEAG) guidelines for wildlife corridors and habitat patches in the Bow Valley, as recommended by 1992 NRCB decision.
- Adoption of BCEAG guidelines as Town policy in municipal development plan.
1999 - The golf course is zoned WC district, where permitted uses are wildlife corridor and habitat, and where pre-existing golf course and accessory developments are grandfathered.
2004 - Bow Corridor Organization for Responsible Development (BowCORD) suggests permanent protection of Stewart Creek corridor under a provincial easement agreement similar to TSMV Resort Area, following citizen input.
- Stewart Creek Area Structure Plan (ASP) approved.
2005 - Citizens speak to the public hearing on Bylaw 17(Z)2005, which, under 2004 ASP permits development of a golf clubhouse adjacent to wildlife corridor.
The EIS requires the clubhouse location "result in significantly reduced impacts on the wildlife corridors." However, a 100 m setback recommended by third party review was not incorporated into the bylaw which requires only "no less than 18m from the southern boundary of this land use district, so as to minimize the impact on the nearby wildlife corridors."
2005 - A conservation easement on approximately 95.9 ha (237 acres) of land in Stewart Creek was agreed to between TSMV and the Province, where over 60 per cent is comprised of corridors: approximately two per cent in the Stewart Creek Across Valley Wildlife Corridor and 58 per cent in the Along Valley Wildlife Corridor.
34.3 per cent of the easement area (32.9 ha) consists of Crown lease/public lands used for golf and lie almost entirely in the Along Valley Wildlife Corridor and golf course.
65.7 per cent of easement area (63 ha) is privately owned land, where over 44 per cent lies in either the Secondary or Along Valley Wildlife Corridor.
A conservation easement is necessary to protect these sections of the Along Valley and Across Valley Corridors in perpetuity.
TSMV agreed to sign this agreement in exchange for receiving title to about 33ha of crown land currently leased from the Province for the golf course and having the golf course "grandfathered" as a pre-existing use, where the only permitted land use would be wildlife corridors.
To facilitate the agreement, council approved subdivision of two TSMV lots where Lot 1 (1.13 ha) would be incorporated into Bow Valley Wildland Park and Lot 2 (1.82 ha) would be retained by developer for future development.
Agreement confirmed in letters from TSMV and Department of Community Development appended to the Sept. 20 staff report.
2007 - Latest date that WC zoning adjacent to Stewart Creek golf clubhouse was to be brought forward to council according to Policy 5.9.2e of 2004 Stewart Creek ASP.
2009 - Golf course becomes an independent entity with TSMV in receivership.
2011 - Draft BCEAG guidelines define "adjacency" as 175 m from a wildlife corridor, where '"Best Practices" recommend green buffering land uses consistent with recommendations of 2002 Golder Report.
2012 - Sustainable Screening Report (SSR) comes forward to develop 20 golf cabins adjacent to the Stewart Creek wildlife corridor, a "discretionary" not "permitted" use under Policy 5.9.2b of 2004 ASP, at discretion of council.
Cabins would be 100-220 m from wildlife corridor, consistent with 2011 BCEAG Guidelines and Policy 5.9.2f to apply Golder 2002 recommendations of Golder report as a minimum. This SSR was withdrawn.
2013 - Second SSR for cabins comes forward but isn't approved by council.
- Third SSR with a zero setback of cabins approved. First reading of Bylaw 2013(Z)23 to zone cabins is postponed to after the election. With some cabins replacing existing maintenance facility, development footprint is smaller. However, while maintenance facility is a seasonal use, cabins will be used year-round in adjacency"to the corridor.
2013 - First reading of Bylaw 2013(Z)24 to zone WC district adjacent to the golf clubhouse in accordance with Policy 5.9.2e from ASP, which should have been zoned in 2007.
Proposed land use for re-designation is approximately 10 ha (25 acres), a smaller area than approved under 2004 ASP.
Application of Policy 5.9.2f to apply Golder 2002 recommendations of the Golder report as a minimum includes consideration of extension of the 35 m wildlife corridor buffer from TSMV Resort Area.
- Bylaw 2013(Z)23 to zone 20 golf discretionary cabins and other related developments with zero setback receives first reading by council.
The 2004 ASP requires that: "The appropriate conservation easement(s) required in association with the Stewart Wildlife Corridor shall be registered prior to registration of the final subdivision phase within the Plan Area." [Policy 8.2.2 d)].
Now, eight years later, AESRD is open to seeing provincial conservation easement signed by Stewart Creek Golf Course Resort.
Both provincial and municipal land use policies require protection of this Stewart Creek section of the Three Sisters Along Valley wildlife corridor in perpetuity.
Heather MacFadyen, PhD, has served on Canmore's Environmental Advisory Review Committee, the board of directors of CPAWS (Calgary-Banff) and the Bow Riverkeeper, and is chair of BowCORD, an intervener in the 1992 NRCB Hearings on Three Sisters Golf Resorts Inc.
