The Alberta government introduced the Kananaskis Conservation Pass on June 1. Since then, more than 253,000 passes have been issued, generating more than $10 million in revenue.
Every dollar from the pass is being used to enhance visitor experiences, with revenues going to trail maintenance, visitor services, search and rescue operations, waste management and the upkeep of facilities in Kananaskis Country.
The Kananaskis Conservation Pass is also supporting more boots on the ground for education and enforcement. To date, revenues from the pass have allowed Alberta’s government to hire 20 additional conservation officers to support public safety.
“Investing in our provincial parks and public lands are priorities for Albertans, which is why we introduced the Kananaskis Conservation Pass. We’re already seeing the benefits for the Albertans who enjoy Kananaskis Country and we’ll see many more new projects in the future thanks to the pass,” said Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks.
Revenue from the Kananaskis Pass builds on the Alberta government’s $70-million capital investment into parks and public lands as part of Budget 2021. About 20 percent of this capital funding, or about $15 million, is being directed to improvements in Kananaskis Country, including $1 million for planning and design upgrades to the Canmore Nordic Centre and other key initiatives like modernizing William Watson Lodge and improving the popular Yamnuska Trail.
In all, these capital investments will create more than 330 direct jobs and support improvements to trails, facilities, day-use areas, campgrounds, and other recreation infrastructure in provincial parks and public lands across Alberta.
“Thanks to the Nordic Centre, Canmore has become an international destination for competitive winter sports and home to more Olympians per capita than anywhere else in the country. This investment will ensure Canmore can once again host world-class events and continue to put our province on the map, ” said Miranda Rosin, MLA for Banff-Kananaskis.
In addition to investments in parks and public lands, Alberta’s government is introducing a new reporting line, 310-LAND. This line consolidates 15 regional and department lines into one easy-to-remember number that Albertans can call 24-7 to report parks and public land violations and public safety incidents.
Albertans can also use 310-LAND to contact the department during regular business hours for general land and resource-related inquiries and information requests.
These investments are part of the Alberta government’s commitment to the conservation of Alberta’s provincial parks and public lands for Albertans today and future generations.
“As the local government for Kananaskis Country, Kananaskis Improvement District Council operates or funds municipal services such as solid waste, water and sewer, fire and rescue, and the RCMP. We continue to support the Kananaskis Conservation Pass as an important tool for providing critical investment in local services and facilities, which are relied on by millions of visitors to the region annually, ” Melanie Gnyp, chair of the Kananaskis Improvement District Council said.