In a bid to topple Fairmont Hotels and Resorts’ decision to build a convention centre on the shores of Lake Louise, local protesters pulled out all stops last weekend. They demonstrated their concern in front of Fairmont Banff Springs last Sunday (April 14), in the streets of downtown Toronto last Monday (April 15) and in the courts as a judicial review of its water permit was filed last Friday (April 12).
The convention centre, which protesters say is being built in key grizzly bear habitat, is “an important part of the hotel (Chateau Lake Louise),” said Fairmont CEO William Fatt.
The protesters “haven’t had access to all of the studies and all of the work... so they’re not in a reasonable position to make a judgement on this... but we do acknowledge people can have a range of views,” he said.
Expressing those views on the streets of downtown Toronto last Monday (April 15) were Banff Environmental Action and Research Society (BEAR) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).
Protesters, including BEAR Society director Alan Keane, drove a bulldozer over three foot high bears in front of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, where a shareholders meeting was being held.
“We want to show the company, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, that there’s still plenty of concern,” said local BEAR Society director Ed Whittingham.
Whittingham is hopeful the decision to build will be reversed, given that the company was dropped from a screened index listing (Jantzi Social Index) in 2001, partly because of the convention centre, and that 60 groups, including UK tour companies, have made known their disapproval.
Whittingham learned last Friday (April 12) Fairmont is now willing to meet with the BEAR Society and the EIA, both shareholders in the company.
“Ultimately what we’re looking for is for Fairmont to do what’s right by international standards,” said Martin Powell, EIA’s bear campaigner.
“We’re not at all opposed to free enterprise... (but) this is a national park (and one of the few areas where bears are protected),” said Powell, whose organization boasts a membership of 12,000.
“The last thing these bears need is a huge convention centre (150,000 square feet) in key habitat that is supposed to be protected,” he said.
Lake Louise is one of only three concentrated sites within the park of breeding females. Four bears have died within the last year.
Fatt said he could not speak to the impact the project would have on the grizzly bear population.
However, “we are firmly of the belief that this project does not effect the environment negatively,” said Fatt.
“Parks Canada has determined the proposal meets this no net negative environmental impact test,” said Fatt.
“It’s a very strict standard.”
The Mountain Parks Watershed Association filed a judicial review of the water permit issued by Parks Canada to Fairmont last Friday (April 12).
The permit was issued on March 20, 2002. 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. The company current pumps 525,750 cubic metres of water.
“The main concern is the nutrients in the wastewater, which acts like a fertilizer, which adds to algae growth,” said Gary Parkstrom, director of the association.
An occupancy permit will not be issued by Parks Canada until an upgraded water plant (to deal with water quality) is completed, said Michel Bovin, Parks Canada Superintendent of Yoho, Kootenay and Lake Louise.
“The EA (Environmental Assessment) is a very extensive EA and it was done by a professional firm and our staff was involved in reviewing it and preparing the final report,” said Bovin, who signed the building and water permit.
The case is expected to be heard by Canada’s federal court early next year. Once the convention centre is built — construction must begin within the year according to the building permit — it is unlikely to come down, given that a portion of the seven-storey centre is on perpetually renewable leased land within the national park.
The perpetually renewable lease belongs to an older part of the Chateau. This lease is automatically renewed every 42 years. There are two other leaseholds the convention centre occupies, each 42 years, but not in perpetuity.
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