Operating a ski resort within a National Park requires a unique balancing act.  How do you grow and expand to remain current and competitive while adhering to the high standards of environmental integrity required on such important, protected land?  To that end, Parks Canada has created a process called Site Guidelines which lays out in a fairly permanent fashion how growth will be managed within National Park ski areas.  Everything from future lifts to commercial and parking expansion to leasehold swaps to summer use and more is covered in this overarching plan.  The other three National Parks ski resorts, Norquay, Lake Louise, and Marmot Basin have completed this plan in collaboration with Parks Canada.

According to Sunshine Village, the process has been different for their guidelines.  Parks Canada has unilaterally created their plan without incorporating many of the ideas and desires that Sunshine has put forward.  Tanya and I spoke with Sunshine’s Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President Dave Riley about the differences between their vision and Parks’ document and how the public can get involved.

Sunshine Village has created a website to share their vision for the future.  You can also click here to read Parks Canada’s plan and provide your input until August 19th, or stop by the Parks Canada Administration Building between 3:30 and 6 PM today to learn more and share your thoughts in person.

Filed under: Banff, Mountain Insider, Skiing, Snowboarding, Sunshine Village