Harper Government announces new investments in Mount Revelstoke & Glacier national parks

MT. REVELSTOKE NATIONAL PARK, BC, July 16, 2015 /CNW/ - Office of the Minister of the Environment, Parks Canada

David Wilks, Member of Parliament for Kootenay—Columbia, and Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment and Member of Parliament for Oshawa, on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today announced infrastructure investments totalling more than $156 million in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks.

This major investment includes paving, bridge rehabilitation and avalanche mitigations on the Trans-Canada Highway. Avalanche mitigations such as increasing traffic holding capacity will improve traffic mobility between Revelstoke and Golden during avalanche control missions and is an important step in implementing the recommendations made in the 2010 Trans-Canada Highway Winter Reliability Study. Installation of remotely controlled avalanche devices will enhance the already successful avalanche control program jointly operated by Parks Canada and Canadian Forces. Additional projects include sewer and waterworks rehabilitation, the installation of LED lighting in highway snow sheds and trail rehabilitation. Lighting in the snow sheds will be a noticeable improvement for motorists on the Trans-Canada Highway and rehabilitation of the storm waterworks at Rogers Pass will protect aquatic habitat and bull trout in Rogers Creek.

Parks Canada is investing more than $500 million in highway infrastructure across national parks in the region including Banff National Park, Glacier National Park, Jasper National Park, Kootenay National Park, Mount Revelstoke National Park and Yoho National Park.

These projects are the result of an unprecedented investment by the Government of Canada to support infrastructure work in our national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas. This investment represents the largest federal infrastructure plan in the 104-year history of Parks Canada, ensuring these cherished places are protected and secured for the future while also creating and protecting jobs and opportunities.

Quick Facts

• Located in the interior wet belt of British Columbia, Mount Revelstoke National Park and Glacier National Park protect unique stands of old-growth cedar, hemlock and critical habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife species including the mountain caribou, mountain goat and grizzly bear. Rogers Pass National Historic Site, a critical site for the construction and development of Canada's first major national transportation route, is located in Glacier National Park.
• Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks welcome more than 700,000 visitors every year.  Last year, more than 21 million visits were made to Canada's national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas.
• Parks Canada is present in hundreds of communities across Canada and contributes approximately $3 billion dollars to the Canadian economy every year. Parks Canada's overall contribution to the Canadian economy is responsible for more than 40,000 jobs from coast to coast to coast.
• Parks Canada and the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure work closely together to maintain and operate the Trans-Canada Highway through the Columbia Mountains and the mountain national parks.
• Parks Canada is proud of the more than 50-year partnership with the Canadian Forces on "Operation PALACI", the world's largest avalanche control program that uses live artillery fire to keep the Trans-Canada Highway and Canadian Pacific Railway lines open and safe during winter in Glacier National Park.

Quotes

"Our Government is committed to creating jobs and opportunities. To ensure visitors have the best possible experiences connecting with nature, we are renewing Parks Canada trails, campgrounds, visitor centres and parkways across the country. These improvements are a result of our Government's unprecedented investment in the infrastructure of Canada's national parks and national historic sites."

- David Wilks, Member of Parliament for Kootenay—Columbia

"With this investment, our Government will help ensure that our cherished spaces are protected and secured for the future while also creating and protecting jobs and opportunities. This investment will help preserve, rehabilitate and restore our irreplaceable national parks and national historic sites from coast to coast to coast."

- Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment and MP for Oshawa

Related Product

Backgrounder

Associated Links

National Conservation Plan
Parks Canada: www.parkscanada.gc.ca

Backgrounder
Mt. Revelstoke & Glacier National Parks Infrastructure Investments

Grand total of infrastructure investments:	$156.6 M
Infrastructure projects:
Glacier National Park
Project description:
Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) - Illecillewaet Bridge No. 1 – Rehabilitation – Glacier NP	$5.5 M
This project will rehabilitate the first of three Illecillewaet bridges in Glacier National Park to improve structural integrity and ensure they are safe for the travelling public.
Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) - Illecillewaet Bridge No. 2 – Rehabilitation – Glacier NP	$5.5 M
This project will rehabilitate the second of three Illecillewaet bridges in Glacier National Park to improve structural integrity and ensure they are safe for the travelling public.
Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) - Illecillewaet Bridge No. 3 – Rehabilitation – Glacier NP	$3.3 M
This project will rehabilitate the third of three Illecillewaet bridges in Glacier National Park to improve structural integrity and ensure they are safe for the travelling public.
Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) - Paving, Guardrail Replacement and Slope Stabilization – Glacier NP	$35.2 M
This project involves paving, guardrail repair or replacement, and slope stabilization on the Trans-Canada Highway through Glacier National Park. It also includes the installation of LED lighting in all five snow sheds in Rogers Pass.
Trans-Canada Day Use Areas Rehabilitation – Glacier and Mount Revelstoke national parks	$700 K
Activities under this project will include rehabilitation of trails, boardwalks, picnic areas, washrooms, entrance stations, parking lots, and signage.  These efforts will contribute to improved services to visitors.
Trans-Canada highway (TCH) - Avalanche Mitigations – Glacier NP	$77 M
The major components of this project include a 2 km traffic holding area at Beaver Hill; 2 km traffic holding area at Beaver Valley; Rogers Pass Summit traffic holding area extension; five remotely activated avalanche systems; rehabilitation of existing static avalanche defense systems (berms, earth moguls, diversion dams); avalanche warning systems and signs on the Trans-Canada Highway at the  Illecillewaet corner; repairs to existing snow shed structural components; and drainage repairs and improvements.
Illecillewaet Trails Complex Rehabilitation – Glacier NP	$540 K
The network of ten, 125-year old hiking trails in the popular Illecillewaet and Asulkan Valleys will be rehabilitated. Project work includes: trail re-routes, erosion control, improved orientation and directional signs and critical repairs to trail tread, structures, bridges.  These efforts will ensure visitor safety and enhance visitor experience and enjoyment.
Rogers Pass Bunkhouse Rehabilitation – Glacier NP	$750 K
The Roger's Pass bunkhouse plays a critical role providing living quarters for military staff carrying out avalanche control work along the Trans-Canada Highway in winter. Work under this project will replace windows, panels and doors, along with flooring and interior finishes while meeting health and safety obligations.
Sewer and Waterworks Rehabilitation – Glacier NP -	$8.3 M
This project will replace a critical section of ageing sewer line connected to the wastewater system that runs under the Trans-Canada Highway in Rogers Pass, thereby reducing the risk of both sewer line failure and any resulting closures of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Washroom Facility Replacement – Glacier NP - Rogers Pass	$1 M
A permanent and cost-effective washroom facility is required at Rogers Pass to address increased use. The public restroom facility in the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre and mobile washroom trailer are insufficient to meet the on-going, year-round, 24-hr a day needs of park visitors and the travelling public.
Site description:
Glacier National Park protects a portion of the Columbia Mountains Natural Region in the interior wet belt of British Columbia. The steep, rugged mountains, warm, moist climate and wide variety of plant and animal life are typical of this natural region. The park protects unique stands of old-growth cedar and hemlock and critical habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife species such as the mountain caribou, mountain goat and grizzly bear. Rogers Pass National Historic Site, located in Glacier National Park, was also designated for its importance in the construction and development of the country's first major national transportation route. Over 540,000 visitors come to this park every year. Glacier National Park's 100 km of hiking trails, deep powder ski-touring and historic campgrounds continue a century-old tradition of Columbia Mountains adventure and hospitality. The award-winning Rogers Pass Discovery Centre and a series of scenic viewpoints and interpretive boardwalks tell the stories behind the scenery.
Mount Revelstoke National Park
Project description:
TCH Paving - Mount Revelstoke NP	$12.9 M
This project involves paving, guardrail repair or replacement, and slope stabilization on the Trans-Canada Highway through Mount Revelstoke National Park.
TCH -Woolsey Creek Bridge – Rehabilitation – Mount Revelstoke NP	$3.4 M
This project will rehabilitate the Woolsey Creek Bridge located on the Trans-Canada Highway in Mount Revelstoke National Park, to ensure it is safe and reliable for the travelling public.
Summit Day-Use Area and Trails Complex Rehabilitation – Mount Revelstoke NP	$445 K
The network of 14 high visitation trails at and around the summit of Mount Revelstoke will be rehabilitated. Project work includes: critical repairs to trail tread, structure and drainage, improved orientation and directional signs and, on selected trails, removal of trail design elements that hinder barrier free accessibility.
Meadows in the Sky Parkway Paving – Mount Revelstoke NP	$2 M
The popular Meadows in the Sky Parkway winds 26km and 2,000 vertical metres to the summit of Mount Revelstoke National Park. This project will restore the road surface to greatly improve the driving experience and ensure safe and reliable road infrastructure for visitors.
Site description:
Mount Revelstoke National Park protects a portion of the Columbia Mountains Natural Region, in the interior wet belt of British Columbia. The steep, rugged mountains, warm, moist climate, and variety of plant and animal life are typical of this natural region. The park contains stands of old-growth cedar and hemlock, a forest type which is rapidly declining outside of protected areas. The park is famous for summer wildflower displays on the summit of Mount Revelstoke. Each year the meadows of the upper subalpine zone blossom into brilliant colour by the middle of August. It was the beauty of these meadows so near to their town that inspired a group of people in Revelstoke to lobby for the creation of the national park in 1914.
* Please note that the sum of individual project values may not equal the grand total indicated at the top of this document due to standard rounding errors.

SOURCE Parks Canada (Georgian Bay and Ontario East Field Unit)

Jonathan Lefebvre, Office of the Minister of the Environment, 819-997-1441; Jacolyn Daniluck, Public Relations & Communications Officer, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks, 250-837-7554; Media Relations, Parks Canada, 1-855-862-1812, www.twitter.com/parkscanada