"The premier, with a few ministers and staff members, held a working dinner last night . You'll note the gathering was outdoors. I suggest you review the Stage 1 guidelines, which began yesterday," said a spokesperson for Kenney.
Posted: May 28, 2021 1:59 PM MT | Last Updated: May 28
The provincial government announced in April that it would be bring in an annual $90 fee for access to Kananaskis Country. That goes into effect next Tuesday.(Dave Gilson/CBC)
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Kananaskis had one million more visitors in 2020 than Banff National Park that’s the total number of visitors that would typically go through the tolls at the Calgary Stampede. And it’s great to see so many Albertans appreciating parks and public lands in Kananaskis Country. However, the increased popularity of this area means we continue to have to increase services in the area as well as deal with the environmental impact of hosting 5.4 million visitors in a year.
We asked Albertans their thoughts on sustainable recreation, and the majority were supportive of user fees as long as it is going back to the park. That is exactly what the Kananaskis Conservation Pass will do. Revenue from the pass will be reinvested directly back into the high-quality amenities and services needed in Kananaskis Country for generations to come and for those using it now.
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Spoiler alert: this column doesn’t think much of the $90 Kananaskis Conservation Pass that Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon is introducing. But the minister was right in one key respect. His department should be “about managing demand and supporting environmental sustainability.” The conservation pass, unfortunately, is likely to disappoint on both counts.
Managing demand is where the pass should see some success. Based on the Washington state experience, the minister’s $90 annual vehicle fee should reduce the number of cars travelling to K-Country. In 2011, Washington introduced much more modest vehicle fees (annual: $30; daily: $10). State-wide, this pass reduced visits to parks by an average of seven million visits per year.