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Something wasn’t right. My quest to find the 2,000-year-old beast reputed to be the oldest living thing in Alberta was turning into a frustrating endeavour. A couple of hours of sauntering along the ragged, wind-ravaged North Saskatchewan shoreline yielded nothing significant. Sure, I located a few gnarled and twisted specimens. Old trees, no doubt. But definitely not a “tree of renown.” (And my source said, “you will definitely know it when you see it.”) I kept walking, searching, hoping, a marooned sailor stumbling on a half-remembered shore.
Indeed, my search for the acclaimed Whirlpool Point limber pine was, in the waning grey-light at day’s end, losing steam. But then, in the gathering gloom, I rounded a corner and lifted my eyes to the opposite bank. Jackpot! The great and gothic thing a tangled, twisting mess the likes I had never seen looked straight out of the Lord of the Rings.
CALGARY The provincial government anticipates another busy season in Kananaskis Country as the pandemic and travel restrictions keeps Albertans close to home, and officials are expected to announce initiatives to benefit future use of the provincial park. More than five million people visited the park in 2020, exceeding the four million average annual visits to Banff National Park. In a blog post, Alberta Parks says the increased activity has led to issues with inexperienced hikers and campers, garbage and litter, traffic congestion, parking issues and vandalism. There have been calls for increased enforcement to ensure visitors stick to the trails, keep their dogs on a leash, and clean up their sites before leaving.
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After a record-breaking year for visitation to Kananaskis in 2020, Alberta Environment and Parks is hoping additional resources will help facilitate a smoother summer situation in the region and minimize impacts to the environment.
Around 5.3 million people visited Kananaskis Country last year, bringing with them over one million vehicles, and hindering provincial government staff’s ability to cope. By comparison, in a normal non-COVID year, Banff National Park sees around four million visitors annually.
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After a record-breaking year for visitation to Kananaskis in 2020, Alberta Environment and Parks is hoping additional resources will help facilitate a smoother summer situation in the region and minimize impacts to the environment.
Around 5.3 million people visited Kananaskis Country last year, bringing with them over one million vehicles, and hindering provincial government staff’s ability to cope. By comparison, in a normal non-COVID year, Banff National Park sees around four million visitors annually.
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Alberta to charge $90 annual access fee for Kananaskis Country
The Alberta government will implement a $90-per-vehicle annual fee to access Kananaskis Country on June 1.
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CBC News ·
Posted: Apr 27, 2021 11:31 AM MT | Last Updated: April 27
The provincial government said Tuesday it s bringing in a new annual $90 fee for access to Kananaskis Country.(Dave Gilson/CBC)