Banff Sunshine Village Site Guidelines

**This is a message from Banff Sunshine Village**

Sunshine Village is facing an existential challenge. 

Parks Canada has initiated Public consultation on its Site Guidelines for the future of Sunshine Village. The Site Guidelines will be the basis of a new, and if the Guidelines go through unchanged, substantially smaller lease area.  

Sunshine is a very small part of Banff National Park; 918 hectares (9.18 sq km) out of the 6,641 sq km in Banff alone – not counting the adjoining Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay national parks and Mt Assiniboine provincial park.

The new lease would be for 42 years and the Guidelines will be a part of the lease. They establish what Sunshine may and may not apply for in the future. Simply put if it’s not in the Guidelines it can never be applied for.

While ecological integrity is the first priority in Parks decision making; Parks were preserved and protected for present and future generations of Canadian to use and enjoy. So it’s very important the long term planning be done right. 

We believe this should be a triple win for the environment, the visitor experience and the resort so we can continue to invest in our plan for the future. Sunshine Village has been a great ecological steward and has provided a world-class experience for skiers and tourists alike. 

We are asking Parks Canada to work collaboratively to protect our environment and increase wildlife movement with a new parking plan that will ensure you no longer have to face long parking line ups on the best snow days. 

We have proposed a new alternative lift that will reduce gondola line-ups in an area that reduces impact on vegetation or wildlife.

On our busiest days it is already hard to find a spot for lunch so we have proposed more seating for you and your family to improve your experience when you’re trying to grab something to eat and warm up before heading back out for a great afternoon. 

We have asked Parks Canada to extend the public discussion to hear from you. However, Parks is having the public consultation in the middle of summer and is only accepting comments until Sunday, August 19th. 

Please take a few minutes to read the articles below and to send your input to the government site www.TalkWithParks.ca or ours at www.SunshineSiteGuidelines.com

https://calgarysun.com/opinion/columnists/gerry-forbes-time-to-speak-up-on-future-of-sunshine-village

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/scurfield-sunshine-village-wants-to-remove-regulatory-clouds