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LETTER: Moraine Lake impacted by high tourism

LETTER: Moraine Lake urgently needs our care.
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Editor:

When Parks Canada gifted free access for Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, visitors to Banff and Lake Louise doubled. Many locals have sought quieter trails, so we’ve not been keenly seeing what’s happening.

On Sept. 25, I was shocked to experience Moraine Lake, the first time I’d hiked there in five years. Since the road’s closed to just buses, volume has tripled or quadrupled.

Formerly with a requisite party of four sign due to active bear habitat, the clearly defined trail in Larch Valley is now multi-braided.

People were trampling all over the meadow. A free-for-all. Cameras everywhere. Welcome to the new normal.

I ate lunch, aware of toilet paper near me. Further down the trail, toilet paper.

Countless offshoot paths that weren’t there five years ago.

I knew I needed to speak with the first Parks Canada person I saw.

At the parking lot, with throngs of people hovering like bees lakeside, I found one.

Virtually in tears, she implored me to please write to the Banff and Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay superintendents and the prime minister. I encourage you to also write to them, too. She’s too distressed to count numbers of people. She’s “picked up cigarette butts and diapers, people have stashed rather than carried out”.

This is not OK.

It’s not stewardship of the exquisite beauty we have the privilege of living amidst.

There are effective options, right here in the mountain parks.

All tourist businesses need to take full responsibility for educating customers on the delicacy of the alpine flora and fauna, and how to respect it.  It’s not OK to simply sell or rent.

I encourage the Outlook, Canmore and Banff, and tourism associations to create prizes for best ambassadors – engendering responsible pride in educating visitors.

All bus drivers need to give an orientation to passengers, to 1) stay on the trails, and 2) pack out what you pack in. Our visitors need to learn this and we need to demonstrate it, clearly.

The shocking degradation of Moraine Lake should not be happening. This is because tourism has been given no limits. Demand is being met by supply. At the enormous cost to nature.

I hold all tourism businesses accountable – including car rentals in Calgary and beyond, local Airbnb and Vrvo renters, everyone who sells or rents anything. Teach people how to be truly present, aware of the grace and privilege of where we are – how to respect and be responsible to this.

Moraine Lake urgently needs our care.

Ariole K. Alei,

Canmore

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