Parks should respect public opposition to Discovery Walk 

Dear Editor,

I attended the Glacier Discovery Walk forum held on Dec. 6, listening to the presentations from Brewster, Poole Construction, Golder Associates and Parks Canada. I left the evening frustrated because some aspects of the proposed development have not been given due consideration and some of the questions were not answered or perhaps could not be answered.

The name “Glacier Discovery Walk” is an inappropriate title created to draw tourists. This is certainly not a place where tourists will be able to “discover” anything about glaciers. A more appropriate title would be Sunwapta Canyon Viewpoint. Only one glacier can be seen from this vantage point and that glacier is much more visible from the current Icefield Centre and nearby points on Highway 93.

If the goal of the “Discovery Walk” is to help discover how glaciers form, how they are retreating, etc., it seems there would be ample opportunity to provide interpretive walks at the base of the current Athabasca Glacier. Tourists could truly “discover” more about glaciers at that site than through any structure built in the Sunwapta Canyon.

While I appreciate that Brewster is a quality company that currently operates the Icefield Centre well, I take exception to their statement that the structure will not be visible from Highway 93. The structure may not be visible from the highway directly above the site, but the structure will most certainly appear as you approach from the south, protruding like a huge shark’s head from the mountainside.

Despite the award-winning design, the construction of any such platform is ill-placed in a national park such as Jasper, as the motto for the park is “Wonderful by nature” not “Come see award-winning construction sites.” If the true goal is to provide tourists with a better understanding of glaciers, it is possible to accomplish this through simple interpretive trails with quality guides. There is no need to clamp a platform to the mountain face.

It is also my opinion that the blasting and construction will cause far greater impact on the vegetation and fauna than Brewster is willing to admit. If blasting is done, how can there possibly be assurances that no debris will fall into the pristine canyon? There are simply too many variables.

The effect of the construction of this monstrosity on the wildlife in the area and traffic flow down the Icefields Parkway does not mesh with mandate of Parks Canada. There seems to be little understanding of the impact on traffic during the construction of this platform. Highway 93 is built for passenger traffic. Hundreds of tons of material will have to be trucked almost 100 kilometres in and 1,000 metres up. Material will have to be trucked out of the construction site too, again on vehicles that the road is not built to handle. Who will repair the damage done to the highway?

Add to this the considerable problems for traffic flow as trucks must negotiate long hills on this mountain route. During construction, the added noise of heavy truck traffic will disturb wildlife, create air pollution, and may cause immeasurable impacts on the reproduction of sensitive species. Is this a risk we are willing to take?

It seems abundantly clear that the vast majority of comments received regarding this project are vehemently opposed to it. Certainly Parks Canada will have the integrity to recognize that the opinions of the many individuals who have provided feedback carries more weight than the few businesses with a vested interest in the development.

There can be no doubt that the public does not want to see this construction destroy the natural heritage that is so much a part of Jasper National Park.

Helmut Kreiner

Jasper, Alta.