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Good ol' Banff National Park. Also on the Calgary Herald Q website.Mike Fey, Parks Canada Administrative Officer wants to compare fee increases on a trip to Banff to regular fare increases on a trip to the movie theatre, the amusement park or zoo. I'm not so sure I agree with him - I would take a trip to the mountains over a trip to Calaway Park any day, but with the price of gas and the recent increase in the price of a day pass to enter the gates at Banff National Park, a walk around Nosehill Park might be more in my price range. Naturally, this extra cost has put a bitter taste into a couple people's mouths - mine for one. Although, the more I thought about it the more I came to realize it's unreasonable to expect the prices will never go up. Granted the family passes only went up $20 ($50 within the next four years). While some might not have a problem coughing up the extra cash, I'm sure there a lot of others who might just walk away. The fee increase has Banff Mayor John Stutz obviously concerned. Over the past couple of years, the town of Banff has seen a substantial decrease in tourism. "About six weeks ago I went to Ottawa to address the Parliamentary Standing Policy Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Resources" he told me. The committee consists of about a dozen MPs and the Junior Minister of the Environment. Stutz said he made a presentation which was in opposition to the park fee increase. "I am opposed to stresses that inhibit folks from visiting our National Parks. I am somewhat alarmed that my position was not considered." And he's probably right - imagine you go skiing to Sunshine or Lake Louise. After paying for a lift ticket, a tank of gas, food while you're out there, some rentals and maybe a postcard saying where you've been for the day, there isn't a lot of cash left for an increase in cost of the park pass (or the $2000 fine if the warden catches you without one). But there is no small print here. The same stresses that inhibit folks from visiting the park are what make the park what it is. Parks Canada claims that the tax dollars collected by the government are then handed over for creating and preserving these national parks and historic sites. The final goal of the price hikes is to raise $25 million annually to pay for deteriorating infrastructure such as roadside facilities, campgrounds, picnic tables and interpretive centers. Stutz's response: "I recognize that Parks Canada has been short-funded and these dollars are needed to repair and maintain a failing infrastructure. That said, my position is that I am disappointed that Parks Canada has taken this action at this time". The sad reality is that we live in a user-pay world, and unfortunately, our mountainous backyard is not exempt. If we want the park, the campgrounds, the picnic tables, and the interpretive centers, it'll cost us. Posted by Bella at 7:57 AM# 0 Comments:
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