Jasper superintendent resigns, takes new Parks assignment

Greg Fenton, field unit superintendent for Jasper National Park, will be leaving his position Sept. 7. He has accepted an assignment as special advisor on development regulations with Parks Canada. “After 35 years with Parks Canada, Mr. Fenton is looking forward to this assignment prior to retiring from Parks Canada and the federal public service,” wrote Kavitha Palanisamy—a public relations and communications officer with Parks—in an email. The Fitzhugh’s request for an interview with Fenton was denied. Born and raised in Jasper, Fenton and his wife Libby Weir have no intention of leaving the park and will continue to make Jasper their home, according to Palanisamy. Replacing Fenton is Alan Fehr, who will officially take over Nov. 1. Fehr was the acting field unit superintendent for Jasper from November 2014 to March 2015 while Fenton took a leave of absence.

In the interim, the superintendent's duties will be managed on an acting basis by members of Parks Canada's management team until Fehr takes over.  Fenton will also be available to assist in the transition period if need be.

Fenton first joined Parks in 1980 and worked as a seasonal employee with the grounds crew in Jasper National Park while attending university. Since then he’s held several different positions with the agency across Canada and returned to Jasper in October 2007 after taking over from Ron Hooper, Jasper’s former field unit superintendent. Over the past eight years, Fenton has had to grapple with massive budget cuts and job losses and was involved in several controversial decisions, including the approval of the Glacier Skywalk in February 2012. Despite strong opposition from the community and environmental groups at the time, Fenton stood firmly by his decision and the Skywalk opened in May 2014. He found himself in the centre of more controversy last year when he considered and then rejected a proposal to build a 66-room hotel at Maligne Lake. Instead he accepted a smaller proposal to build 15 tent cabins on the shore of the lake, in effect allowing new overnight accommodations in an outlying area of the park,  despite  the park’s management plan prohibiting the release of land for such uses. As a result of Fenton’s decision, Ecojustice filed a court challenge on behalf of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and the Jasper Environmental Association (JEA). The challenge will be judged by Canada’s Federal Court to determine whether Parks Canada's decision to approve the overnight accommodations at Maligne Lake contravenes Jasper National Park’s management plan. The federal court in Edmonton will hear Ecojustice’s legal challenge Oct. 27 and 28. Beyond the controversies, Fenton will likely be remembered for his work in rebuilding relations with Aboriginal groups displaced when Jasper National Park was first established in 1907. During his tenure, he oversaw the establishment of the Aboriginal Cultural Area, located near the Sixth Bridge, and was a strong supporter of the Jasper Aboriginal Forum.

Paul Clarke [email protected]