Editor:
The provincial government’s Nov. 7th announcement of the All-Seasons Resort Act (Bill 35) raises some serious concerns in that it includes a clause that would enable the government to remove the designation of provincial parks, wilderness areas and other protected areas to allow the development of privately-owned resorts.
It’s right there on pages six and seven of Bill 35, which anyone can find online. Under the section, “Designation of All-season Resort Areas”, Clause 3 says no resorts in parks/other protected areas, however, Clause 4 then states that the government could rescind protected area designations to designate the land for an all-season resort.
This Bill should be of major concern to all who value Alberta’s provincial parks and other protected landscapes. Once developed, there’s no going back to what that land was, and certainly not in an intact condition.
As a final comment, this announcement came out on the same date as the final day of public consultation on an Alberta Nature Strategy to “maintain, conserve and sustainably manage the province’s nature for years to come.”
When will we see a Bill before the legislature to carry through and enact legislation to maintain and enhance Alberta’s natural spaces, rather than offering them up to private interests?
Timothy Johnson,
Canmore
