Banff National Park gets $ 117.5M in federal funding
A $ 117.5- million investment by the federal government will allow Banff National Park to repave portions of the Trans- Canada Highway, fix aging wildlife fencing along the highway and widen the scenic Bow Valley Parkway.
The funding, announced Wednesday by Wild Rose MP Blake Richards, is part of the $ 2.8 billion committed by the government last November to support infrastructure improvements at national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas over the next five years.
“Banff National Park is our first national park and it’s also a flagship for Parks Canada’s system of protected areas and certainly a world leader in tourism,” said Richards, noting the investments will help the park maintain safety for visitors and wildlife.
“They’ll ensure the reliability of essential infrastructure, which will allow Canadians to experience nationally significant natural and cultural heritage first- hand.”
In Banff National Park, the highway infrastructure funding includes:
$ 20.5 million to pave portions of the Trans- Canada Highway from the park’s east gate to Castle Junction;$ 26 million to replace existing wildlife fencing along the highway from the east gate to Sunshine Village Road and rehabilitate some of the fencing between Sunshine and the Banff/ Yoho boundary;$ 67 million to widen the Bow Valley Parkway to make it safer for cyclists and motorists; and,$ 4 million to pave a section of the Trans- Canada Highway between the Minnewanka and Norquay interchanges.
Dave McDonough, superintendent of Banff National Park, said it’s a great investment into the park.
“It will significantly improve visitor safety and the driver experience for people on the TransCanada Highway and the Bow Valley Parkway,” he said.
McDonough said they will widen the parkway so it meets the proper standards for that type of roadway, while maintaining the current reduced speed limit.
“It’ll be a safer and more enjoyable driving experience for everyone,” he said, noting it will allow for defined shoulders both for cyclists who frequent the roadway or for motorists who want to pull over.
The investments are outside the townsite, but Banff’s mayor said they will go a long way to improving the whole experience for visitors.
“We’re all pretty happy about this concept of a shoulder on the Bow Valley Parkway because biking and road biking has become such a huge sport,” said Karen Sorensen. “A lot of people travel to our destination for that sport so what a great ride.
“You can now go to Canmore right through to Banff right past Vermilion ( Lakes) and now we’ll be able to travel all the way to Lake Louise on really safe bike trails.”
McDonough said another major investment that will lead to improved safety for both drivers and wildlife is the replacement of the 30- year old wildlife fencing along the Trans- Canada Highway.
“It’s great for conservation and it’s also great for visitor experience,” he said.
Most of the work will be completed over the next five years — although some of the highway paving was done earlier this year.
Additional infrastructure funding announcements for Banff National Park, as well as the other mountain parks, are expected in the coming days and weeks.