By Canadian Press

Banff’s Sunshine ski resort accepts federal site guidelines despite concerns

Jan 24, 2019 | 10:15 AM

BANFF, Alta. — An internationally known ski resort in Banff National Park has signed a new lease that includes a plan for future growth — despite having grave concerns with it.

In a letter sent this week to Banff park’s acting superintendent, Sunshine Village president Ralph Scurfield said the ski resort is disappointed by how the plan might affect its operations.

The new site guidelines for Sunshine Village provide a framework for future use, growth and development at the resort until 2060.

“We accepted the site guidelines because we had no other option,” Sunshine’s Kendra Scurfield said in an interview Thursday. “It was accept or don’t have a business.”

A letter from Michael Nadler, Parks Canada’s acting chief executive, had informed the resort it could either agree to the guidelines or decide not to renew its lease.

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Sunshine Village was the last ski area in the mountain parks without guidelines that allow for managed growth while protecting the environment.

The guidelines, which were released online by Sunshine, would establish permanent limits to growth.

They would allow the resort to have up to 8,500 visitors at a time — up from 6,500 — and build an additional 3,650 square metres of commercial space, add up to eight new ski lifts and develop up to 80 hectares of new ski terrain.

The guidelines remove 61 hectares with high ecological value from the lease.

Parks Canada rejected Sunshine’s parking proposal, which included a 750-space satellite parking lot along the resort’s access road, but the guidelines would allow for more transportation and parking through a combination of transit and a parking structure of “no pre-determined size” at the base of the resort.

Kendra Scurfield said they are disappointed in Parks Canada’s decision-making process.

“We went into the public process when they got feedback over the summer,” she said. “Over 4,000 Canadians wrote and gave feedback.

“Much of the comments we saw were in favour of the changes we suggested yet none of that input made it into the site guidelines.”

Officials with Parks Canada said they considered all of the public input.

“People strongly wanted Sunshine to be able to grow in future, have more opportunities to develop some commercial facilities, more lifts and runs,” said Sheila Luey, acting superintendent for Banff National Park. “The site guidelines reflect that.”

She said they also reflect environmental concerns related to the ski resort’s location in a national park.

“They wanted to see any current problems addressed before there is any future growth,” she said, noting parking is one of those problems.

Luey said the guidelines have been approved and will be official Friday when they are released publicly.

“From Parks Canada’s perspective, doing business in a national park is a privilege,” she said. “It comes with special obligations and exceptional opportunities.”

She added that it’s normal in the last couple years of a lease to check in with the operator, but said no one is ever forced or expected to enter into a new lease.

“The time frame in which this lease expires has been known for a long time, it hasn’t changed since the lease was issued 42 years ago,” she said. “Sunshine is well aware we were working toward that time frame.”

— By Colette Derworiz in Edmonton. Follow @cderworiz on Twitter.

The Canadian Press