PROVINCIAL PARKS: Activist worries resorts would be too exclusive and hurt wildlife

John Bermingham, The Province
Published: Sunday, July 30, 2006

A wildlife activist in the East Kootenay has vowed to fight any attempt to build eco-tourism resorts in B.C.’s provincial parks.

Ellen Zimmerman says she’s worried that Elk Falls and Mount Assiniboine parks in the Kootenay could become wilderness resorts for the well-heeled if the B.C. government brings in private operators.

On Friday, B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner defended Liberal plans to allow private-sector hotels and lodges at a dozen provincial parks.

The call for proposals include 100-bed hotels, lodges and circular yurts in B.C. parks, privately built and operated over a 30-year term.

“There’s going to be less public land available to the public,” says Zimmerman, who belongs to the Western Canada environmental group Wildsight.

Wildlife like wolverines, grizzly bears and mountain goats may also suffer from increased contact with humans, she says.

“You’ll see a large upswelling of public opposition to this, not just among conservation groups, but among recreation groups and wildlife groups throughout the Kootenay region,” she predicts.

The resorts could be built instead in Fernie, Golden and Invermere, she suggests.

Gwen Barlee of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee worries that resort operators could exert their private-property rights and eventually expand within the parks.

“You’re bringing in roads, floatplanes, helicopter traffic, staff housing,” says Barlee.

“What are we getting ourselves into? This is really kicking the door open. These are public parks and the public has not been consulted. It’s been [done] completely behind closed doors.”

Barlee is also concerned the move will open the way for dozens of other parks to bring in private investors.

Of B.C.’s 600 provincial parks, about 160 have accommodation, mostly overnight cabins for hikers and campers. There have been lodges at Elk Lake, Assiniboine and Manning parks for many years.

NDP environment critic Shane Simpson says that, while industry may have been consulted, the public has been left out of the loop.

“That concerns me,” says Simpson. “This is a major initiative around the privatization and commercialization of our provincial parks.

“They’re not going to stop at 12. If this proceeds, how many are going be on the list next year and the year after?”

Environment Minister Barry Penner said the proposals will be going to the public and possibly First Nations.

“There will be public consultation required before any proposal goes forward,” Penner said.

The added revenues will be used to service the existing park system, which has doubled in size since 1990.

“Through all that expansion of space . . . there have been virtually no new facilities added,” Penner said.

The resorts are aimed in part at attracting greying eco-tourists and tourists from the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Penner said private operators would pay the government an annual fee and the government would remain the landowner and landlord.

Tom Bird, who heads the Sport Fishing Institute of B.C., called it a “potential opportunity” for operators and compared the plans to those implemented in U.S. public parks.
Virtually every major park down there has some kind of commercial operation in it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” said Bird.

jbermingham@png.canwest.com

DESIGNATED DOZEN

Provincial parks in which the government is proposing the construction of private-sector lodges and other accommodations:

- Cape Scott/North Coast trail (Vancouver Island);

- Elk Lakes (Kootenay);

- Fintry (Okanagan);

- Foch-Gilttoyees (Skeena);

- Golden Ears (Lower Mainland);

- Maxhamish Lake (Peace);

- Mount Assiniboine (Kootenay);

- Mount Robson (Omineca);

- Myra-Bellevue /Myra Canyon (Okanagan);

- Nancy Greene (Kootenay);

- Silver Star /Sovereign Lake (Okanagan); and

- Wells Gray /Stevens Lake (Thompson).

– Source: Ministry of Environment
© The Vancouver Province 2006