Canadian Mountain Holiday heli-hiking officials are hopping mad that a no-fly zone during the G8 Summit in Kananaskis could cost the adventure tour company $300,000.
The Banff-based company has asked the government to either cough up the $300,000 for the lost business or relax the air space restriction so pre-booked heli-hiking trips into two of its British Columbia lodges can go ahead.
Marty von Neudegg, CMH General Counsel, said the company offered to put security personnel on board helicopters during trips into Bugaboo Lodge and Bobbie Burns Lodge. So far, all requests have been met with absolute silence.
"We've suffered a lot in the tourism industry since Sept. 11 and just about the time everybody starts to get their legs back under them the federal government - not for a national emergency but for political convenience - sticks it to the tourism industry in the west once again,'' said von Neudegg.
"We find it incomprehensible that with no consultation they've imposed this no-fly zone over this area. Clearly the western side of the Columbia Valley is a physical impossibility to launch an attack on Kananaskis. It makes no sense.''
The 80-nautical-mile radius no-fly zone around Kananaskis Country, which has been put in place to protect world leaders in the wake of the Sept. 11 airplane terrorist attacks on America, runs from June 25 to 28.
Alberta aerodromes and heliports impacted by the no-fly zone include Springbank, Banff, Canmore, Black Diamond, Cochrane, Clearwater, Didsbury, Kananaskis, Sundre and Turner Valley. In British Columbia Elk Valley, Fairmont Hot Springs, Golden and Invermere will be affected.
Calgary International Airport will remain open, however delays can be expected. Special arrangements are being made for humanitarian and other safety and emergency flights.
von Neudgegg said Canadian Mountain Holidays wants an immediate response from the government so the company can immediately notify clients if the heli-hiking trips have to be cancelled.
"We're losing two full departures in two lodges. That's 176 international tourists paying over $1,500 per person to be here, not including any of their expenses to get here, not including any of their extra hotels or incidentals,'' he said.
"Our damages are approximately $300,000, but because we have a very high repeat client factor, if you extend that out to future business loss, our future business loss is substantially greater than $300,000.''
G8 Summit Management Office officials say that the federal government still has not finalized criteria for compensating businesses that suffer a financial loss due to the summit.
"The government doesn't have a legal obligation to provide compensation, although we are sensitive to concerns and timely compensations in the event of significant impacts,'' said Mike O'Shaughnessy, spokesman for the Summit Management Office.
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