| Charging through Nihahi Creek surrounded by marble-smooth canyon walls, Mother Nature grabs you by the short and curlies. To imagine this skateboard park-like feature having been built by the hands of nature, boggles the mind. Worn smooth by the beating of wind, water, snow and ice, this is
something everyone who likes to get out and about should see.
Fortunately for Calgarians, such natural beauty is but a few miles down the Trans-Canada Highway. Kananaskis Country provides some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, or in the Rockies for that matter. Over three million people a year visit the area to bask in its glory and take part in a plethora of recreational activities. While the beauty of the area never degrades, K-Country facilities are falling to pieces after years of wilful neglect and poor policy decisions by the provincial government. Anyone who visits different parts of the park knows first-hand what this looks like.
As a report produced September 2003 by the Kananaskis Trail Users Association states, trails are in need of repair, bridges and steps are falling apart, and the annual grooming of cross-country ski trails occurs with less frequency. Comprised of ordinary folk who love to spend time outdoors, especially in the mountains, the association’s voice should ring loud as the 26th anniversary of Kananaskis comes and goes. Figures from its report show just how much the province has ignored the crown jewel of its park system. For example, the annual budget for K-Country dropped to $8.3 million in the 2003-2004 budget from $12.1 million in the 1992-1993 budget year. Operational and capital budgets for parks and protected areas also dropped dramatically over that same period, the report shows.
In the mid 1970s, then premier Peter Lougheed envisioned that a part of the Rockies and foothills be used as the place to create quality recreation facilities for Albertans. Until a decade or so ago, that reality existed.
With no Olympic Games bid looming – like the one that prompted increased recreational development in K-Country in the 1980s – the provincial government has seemingly forgotten this hotbed of outdoor activity. (Although, to be fair, the Canmore Nordic Centre recently received some cash for upgrades.)
So, why the rant? Two reasons. First, Kananaskis officially opened September 22, 1978 – almost exactly 26 years ago. Secondly, with another farce of a provincial election approaching, this commitment to bad policy is yet another example of Premier Klein talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Here’s what the premier signed his name to five years ago: "The Recreation Policy for Kananaskis Country recognizes the need to preserve and maintain our rich environment for future generations with the need to balance opportunities for growth. This recreation policy for our treasured Kananaskis Country allows us to ensure its availability for all Albertans . . . for all generations."
Seems he’s satisfied seeing current and future generations of Albertans accessing sub-par facilities. Or, perhaps he doesn’t want them accessing any facilities. As the trail users’ report states, many outhouses in Kananaskis are nailed shut to reduce general maintenance costs.
It’s time those who enjoy the outdoors begin a recreational uprising. Let’s throw our sweaty polyester T-shirts, our foul-smelling hiking boots and mud-covered backpacks in the face of the governing party and ask why it adamantly refuses to invest in Kananaskis and other parks in the province.
Let’s remind people, be they fellow outdoor folks, plumbers, teachers, neighbours and what have you, that debt and deficits occur outside accounting ledgers. Unfortunately, given the neglectful attitude Kananaskis has endured for the last decade or more, it’s likely we’ll see changes in the cliffs of Nihahi Creek before we do in this government’s policies. |
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