Discovery Walk not fit for park land

Dear Editor,

The proposed development at the Tangle summit is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of being considered in a national park.

I worked for three summers for Snowmobile Tours Ltd. (1965-1967) at the Columbia Icefield, when it was operated by Bill Ruddy, and I am very familiar with the area.

That development will destroy the location and deny the viewpoint access to the general public.

We live in Edson and regularly visit Jasper, staying at Whistler Campground in the summer and skiing at Marmot Basin in the winter, and frequently travel the Icefields Parkway to Banff and Canmore.

If they want to build something like that have them build it on their own private lands and outside the national park, since they want to have their own private site and control of the view and access.

Dennis C. Calvert

Edson, Alta.

On behalf of Jasper’s technophobic dogs

Dear Editor,

I’m writing this letter on behalf of my dogs (and the 550 or so other dogs who reside in Jasper). You see, they have no thumbs so using a pencil is nearly impossible and frankly they are technophobes and don’t care much for computers, so they came to me for help.

They tell me it all started with this land swap deal, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. The dogs say they were happy to oblige, give up their park so the kids could get a new high school. Of course they agreed; dogs love kids.

Even though it is arguably the most used green space in Jasper, they thought waiting two years for a new park where the high school used to be would be worth it, right? They could live with a smaller temporary spot until then.

Well here’s where the trouble starts. It seems that dogs aren’t so good at reading the fine print and apparently the high school lands were never intended for them. We now hear it’s going to be a green space for people – no dogs allowed!

Well, the dogs want to know why we people need another green space in the middle of town when all we have to do is walk two blocks in either direction and we are surrounded by green space, whereas they are not allowed to run off-leash anywhere in Jasper National Park. And isn’t a dog park still a green space?

All they are asking for is one safe, central, similar-in-size spot to what they have now, a place to bring their people for a game of fetch, a place to run free and be dogs without bothering anyone or being bothered by anyone, like their wolf cousins who keep mistaking them for snacks. 

Kerry Wing

Jasper Dog Owners Group

Keep Jasper as a wilderness park

Dear Editor,

Re: ‘Interpreting nature requires exposing people to it’ (Jan. 12).

I recently read this letter to the editor regarding the Glacier Discovery Walk and was surprised by its gullible, almost innocent nature. Do you actually believe “that the people entrusted with ensuring these are accommodated will do their jobs with all the diligence required”  and  “it’s about trusting in the judgment of people trained to make these kinds of calls?” Politicians like people like you.

We have two kinds of parks in Canada; parks for people and parks designed to protect wilderness areas. A good example of parks for people is Stanley Park in Vancouver. This is the kind of place where joggers get angry at bird watchers who stop to observe one of our feathered friends. The Vancouver Aquarium is another example where one may observe nature comfortably in a non-natural way. I worked in the Amazon in the declaration and designing of parks and protected areas and consequently, have a good idea on what a national park is all about.

Jasper and Banff were created to protect the Canadian Rocky Mountain wilderness areas. Banff hasn’t been successful at this. While people and their cash flow are needed in our national parks, it is important to preserve the ecological integrity of the park and protect it from people. Let’s not forget overcrowding, a ski resort, a golf course, roads, an over-abundance of tour lodges, boat traffic on Maligne Lake, etc. Fortunately, we don’t see too much of this in Yellowstone or Glacier National Park in the U.S.A. They have the correct idea of what a park is all about. 

I lived in Jasper and my friends and I always stopped along the highways to admire the beauty and wildlife of Jasper. All the people I know in Jasper do this. I can visualize all the truck traffic that will be needed to transport all the construction materials to the work site for the Glacier Discovery Walk. They won’t have the time to stop and appreciate the beauty.

Jasper is a real park with real wildlife and natural beauty. This should be about preserving this vast troubled area for the flora and fauna and yes, for the guests that will arrive in the future.

Let’s show them a park in a natural setting and do this the proper way and give our guests a “true Rocky Mountain experience” just like that experienced in the American Rockies. 

Randy Smith

Guelph, Ont.