"Less access": Alberta politician is no fan of new Moraine Lake vehicle rules
A politician in Alberta is no fan of the new Parks Canada rules that prevents personal vehicles from accessing Moraine Lake in Banff National Park.
The Parks Canada website was recently updated with a blurb stating, “New in 2023 — Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles.”
The site says this new rule will be in effect year-round.
“Parks Canada shuttles, Roam Public Transit, and commercial buses are permitted from June to mid-October,” continues the blurb.
The news of the closure has prompted Alberta politician Todd Loewen, minister of forestry, parks, and tourism, to call on the federal government to look at other options.
“Alberta’s parks — both provincial and national — are jewels of the province and Albertans and visitors alike deserve to have full access to enjoy their benefits,” Loewen stated in a letter on Monday.
“Parks Canada’s decision to block personal vehicles at Moraine Lake means fewer visitors to this important part of the province, less time to climb in the area, and less access to the backcountry.”
Parks are for people here in Alberta. See my attached statement on the Federal Government’s decision to block personal use vehicles at Moraine Lake. #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/rzD9FZTcFM
— Todd Loewen (@dtloewen) January 9, 2023
Loewen went on to say that sunrise and sunset hikes or night photography are near impossible to achieve under the newly introduced plan, unless “people can afford to pay for commercial transport or travel unsafely by foot or bike in the dark.”
View this post on Instagram
He went on to call on Minister Steven Guilbeault and Minister Randy Boissonnault to “reconsider and look at other options to solve their challenges” and to invite the Alberta government to the table.
The full information on parking in the Lake Louise area can be found here.