Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho national parks getting $71M in upgrades
Global News
Parks Canada has announced money to improve safety and experiences for visitors to four mountain national parks in Alberta and British Columbia.
Parks Canada has announced money to improve safety and experiences for visitors to four mountain national parks in Alberta and British Columbia.
It says $71 million in federal funding for Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay national parks includes upgrades to critical infrastructure, such as Parks Canada dispatch for emergency calls, as well as to several roadways and bridges.
Parks Canada will conduct repairs and rehabilitation on primary and secondary highways in Jasper, Banff, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks, and start designing bridges in Jasper National Park.
Terry Duguid, the federal minister of Environment and Climate Change and minister responsible for Parks Canada, said the “robust roadway improvements through the iconic mountain national parks will provide safer traveling experiences for Canadians to connect with nature.”
“Improvements to Parks Canada’s first response capabilities with dispatch equipment upgrades will maintain quick and effective response times in dangerous situations.”
The funding also includes improvements in the community of Lake Louise, Alta., such as repairs to water and sewer infrastructure and a redesign of Lake Louise Drive.
The hamlet has been one of the busiest areas in Banff National Park, which gets about four million visitors annually.
A recent report noted a 29 per cent increase in visitors throughout the park between 2010 and 2019 — and some roads around Lake Louise have seen a 71 per cent increase in traffic volume.
