A local tourism advocacy group is pushing for Maligne River to once again open for rafting traffic.

AMPPE (the Association for Mountain Park and Protected Area Enjoyment), which held its annual general meeting at the Jasper Park Lodge on July 9, met with several rafting tour providers last week to discuss the feasibility of re-opening the river for rafting, which has been closed for more than a decade by Parks Canada due to the presence of Harlequin ducks in the area.

Through the Parks management plan, AMPPE has identified the re-opening of the river as one of their top priorities in the region, and with the help of some local business owners, they hope to restore business on the popular river.

Chairman Ian Mackie said AMPPE has fought Parks Canada before to keep parts of the park open to the public. He said keeping the Maligne River open is similar to another fight AMPPE had 10 years ago to keep the Icefields Parkway open during the winter. At that time, Parks Canada was considering closing the road during the winter months.

“We want to keep and maintain public access in the parks. We don’t want areas shut down for no reason,” Mackie said.

Mackie said visitor experience needs to be taken into consideration, noting that most travellers come to the park for the scenery.

AMPPE executive director Richard Leavens said parks decisions need to be rooted in sound science, not on politics. He’s toured the Maligne River site, and said the river could be used for educational purposes to help connect visitors with the natural history of the park. 

“We work with parks to assist where possible. There are a lot of things environmentalists climb on that aren’t scientifically-backed,” Leavens said.

AMPPE is forming partnerships with universities to gather data in the park, and is also pushing to have more members in Jasper join the organization. Currently, Jasper residents Pat Crowley and Luke Sunderland sit on the AMPPE board of directors.

The Maligne River, considered the best rafting river in the park, was closed to rafting companies more than 10 years ago after a scientific paper noted rafting would have a negative impact on several harlequin ducks nesting at the mouth of the river. Parks officials said they will meet with stakeholders to discuss the river, noting that the closure was based on sound science designed to protect the duck population.

Harlequin ducks migrate for long periods of time, and aren’t always visible at the river.

Leavens said AMPPE is also exploring several other options in the national parks, including zip line tours and via ferreta. Via ferreta (italian for iron road)is popular in Europe, and involves cementing re-bar ladders and rope on the side of a mountain, allowing climbing routes to be accessed without climbing equipment.

Leavens said some businesses in Banff have shown interest in opening zip line tours, noting that they could be used as part of educational tours.