Lake Louise ski resort fined $2.1M for felling endangered trees

A judge had harsh words Friday for a world-renowned Alberta ski resort as she fined it $2.1 million for recklessly cutting down endangered trees five years ago.

Lake Louise Ski Resort pleaded guilty last December to taking down a stand of trees, including 38 endangered whitebark pine, along a ski run in 2013.

“There is a cumulative impact on the whitebark pine with potential risk of undermining the survival of the species in the decades to come,” said Judge Heather Lamoureux.

Lamoureux noted the trees were cut in a national park, the resort failed to ensure its employees knew the whitebark pine was endangered and the trees that were destroyed were all healthy.

“The Crown has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the actions of (Lake Louise Ski Area) and its employees were reckless given their knowledge of the constraints of operating a commercial ski hill in a national park,” she said. Lamoureux gave the resort a year to pay.

A spokesman for Lake Louise said the resort will probably appeal the fine, which is almost double what it had expected.

Dan Markham said the judge appears to have ignored evidence at the sentencing hearing that suggested cutting down the 38 trees would not have any impact on the overall whitebark pine population in Canada.

“It was clearly presented in court and admitted by the prosecutor that there was zero impact at any level of whitebark pine that were cut,” said Markham, director of brand and communications at Lake Louise.

“That kind of information not being included and considered in the judgment is something we have to consider, so at this point in time we’re going to be appealing the decision.”