Alberta asks Ottawa to rethink Moraine Lake car ban

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Alberta’s war with the federal government has a new front: the parking lot at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park.

Todd Loewen, the provincial Minister overseeing parks and tourism, on Tuesday said Ottawa should consider expanding the parking lot at Moraine Lake, rather than banning personal vehicles in favour of shuttles, transit, commercial buses, taxis and bikes. Parks Canada said the ban is needed to accommodate the mass of visitors crowding the picturesque Moraine Lake, which is one of the most popular attractions in the park and was once featured on Canada’s $20 bill.

Parks Canada, which has a broader plan to curb traffic jams and emissions, has said it will close the Moraine Lake road to personal vehicles this year. The federal agency oversees the country’s national parks and noted at the peak of last summer’s traffic, it accommodated 900 vehicles per day at Moraine Lake while turning away another 5,000.

Alberta’s ruling United Conservative Party, which frequently accuses the federal government of meddling in its jurisdiction, said Ottawa should have worked with the province to weigh other options before deciding to shut down the access road.

“The park is in the province of Alberta and obviously it is used a lot by Albertans, so I think it is only fair that at least they could have had some consultation,” Mr. Loewen said in an interview. “All that we were looking for is to make sure that all the options have been considered.”

The Minister said alternatives include more parking spaces in Moraine Lake’s 100-vehicle lot.

Mr. Loewen said the federal government could also create a time-limited reservation system for parking, which he said would limit traffic on the road. Expanding parking there would be difficult given the mountainous terrain and nearby lakeshore.

Moraine Lake is about 14 kilometres from the village of Lake Louise. The start of the access road, which is only open June through October to mitigate avalanche risk, is about halfway between the village of Lake Louise and the famed lake with the same name. Moraine Lake is particularly busy in the fall, when the alpine larch trees turn the mountain forests golden yellow, which prompted the federal government to launch a shuttle pilot in 2020.

About 8.3 million vehicles travel to Banff National Park each year, with about half stopping in the park.

Parks Canada said its shuttle will not allow for sunrise visits, to ease the stress on wildlife, but commercial operators will be able to run such programs.

Mr. Loewen said he is comfortable with the shuttle concept, but said the hours could be extended and fees reduced. Parks Canada’s shuttle to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake costs $8 for adults and $4 for seniors. Children under six are free.

Mr. Loewen on Monday issued a statement calling for the federal government to reconsider its position. He said he has not heard back from Ottawa.

Premier Danielle Smith, in a mandate letter she provided to Mr. Loewen in November, instructed him to “initiate discussions” with Ottawa to ensure the fees generated from the five national parks in Alberta stay within its borders to improve infrastructure and amenities in the parks. Mr. Loewen on Tuesday said he has “not really” made progress on that point, but has started “early discussions” looking at numbers. Visitor fees contribute as much as 25 per cent annually to the “work of Parks Canada,” the federal government said in a recent report.

Ms. Smith, in news conference Tuesday, agreed that Moraine Lake is under federal jurisdiction, but said consultation could have resolved concerns her government has around the shuttle’s cost and hours.

“How are people with canoes and kayaks and dogs supposed to get up there?”

Parks Canada’s move isn’t unprecedented as parks across North America try to find ways to balance the number of visitors in popular areas with safety and environmental concerns.

For example, Lake O’Hara, a pristine alpine area across the British Columbia boundary in Yoho National Park, has long restricted private vehicles on its access road and has a reservation system for day use and camping that can only be booked by winning a lottery.

With a report from The Canadian Press