An aggressive US billboard campaign is aiming to stop construction of the proposed convention centre at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Launched on Tuesday (May 28) by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), the billboards are set-up in US cities where there are prominent Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, such as in New York.
There are 68 conservation groups opposing the convention centre, which Powell said is being built in key grizzly habitat. Lake Louise is one of only three concentrated sites within Banff National Park for breeding females. Four bears have died within the last year because of human activity.
“We feel we’ve been left with little alternative but to really turn up the heat on the company given that there are currently talking about breaking ground this summer,” said EIA Senior Campaigner, Martin Powell.
While EIA does not oppose tourism in Banff, Powell said the ecological integrity of the area is in sharp decline.
“We are asking for this company (Fairmont) to withdraw this proposal as part of a wider recognition of the problems that these bears face,” Powell said.
Anne White, director of public relations for the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, said she may respect EIA’s objective but Parks Canada has determined that the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise meeting facility won’t cause significant environmental effects.
“All requirements and litigation measures have commenced and any additional ones will be implemented prior to the operation of the meeting facility,” White said.
White said the convention centre will be contained within a previously disturbed site, home to an abandoned boiler house and parking lot. The area is encompassed by the existing chateau and staff residents, and Fairmont won’t be building out and beyond what is an already disturbed Chateau leasehold, she said.
“A lot of the public has the perception that we are building a large new building on virgin territory which would naturally, of course, impact grizzly bear travel and territory,” White said.
Western Canada bear biologist, Wayne McCrory, has said that “this convention centre would be one more nail in the coffin for Banff’s grizzlies, and the company should withdraw the proposal.”
This is not the first time conservation groups have opposed in the project. In September of 1999, the Federal court ruled in favour of the development after two Banff conservative groups filed a lawsuit against the government’s decision to allow Chateau Lake Louise to build the convention centre. Last year the groups tried to appeal the decision but lost.
In April, the Mountain Parks Watershed Association filed a judicial review of the water permit issued by Parks Canada to Fairmont. Although it does not allow for an increase of water to be siphoned from Lake Louise, it does allow for an additional 20 per cent to flow as wastewater into the Bow River.
Michel Bovin, park superintendent for the Lake Louise field unit said he cannot comment on the campaign because the issue is before the courts.
Banff Environmental Action and Research Society (BEARS) Director, Ed Whittingham said he applauds EIA for putting the billboards up. BEARS and EIA recently met with Fairmont CEO William Fatt on Friday (May 31) to discuss the proposal. Both EIA and BEARS are shareholders in Fairmont.
“It was a cordial meeting at Fairmont Hotel’s request, and partly because I think Fairmont and its CEO, William Fatt, were feeling the pressure from the investment community, the environmental community, and from tour companies, as well,” Whittiingham said.
At this point Whittingham does not want to discuss details of the meeting and Fatt was unavailable for comment.
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