More than 253,000 Kananaskis Conservation Passes have been issued since June 1.
The Kananaskis Conservation Passes have generated more than $10 million in revenue.
The funds collected will be used to enhance visitor experiences, with revenues going to trail maintenance, visitor services, search and rescue operations, waste management, and the upkeep of facilities in Kananaskis Country.
To date, revenue generated by the Kananaskis Conservation Pass has supported the hiring of 20 additional conservation officers and 32 new seasonal positions, including more recreation officers and visitor services staff to support safe and sustainable outdoor recreation, the reopening of two visitor information centres, grooming of cross-country ski trails, and increased public safety through incident response services and traffic management.
“Investing in our provincial parks and public lands are priorities for Albertans, which is why we introduced the Kananaskis Conservation Pass. We’re already seeing the benefits for the Albertans who enjoy Kananaskis Country, and we’ll see many more new projects in the future thanks to the pass,” said the Minister of Environment and Parks, Jason Nixon.
“Thanks to the Nordic Centre, Canmore has become an international destination for competitive winter sports and home to more Olympians per capita than anywhere else in the country. This investment will ensure Canmore can once again host world-class events and continue to put our province on the map,” said MLA for Banff-Kananaskis, Miranda Rosin.
Revenue from the Kananaskis Pass builds on the Alberta government’s $70-million capital investment into parks and public lands as part of Budget 2021.
About $15 million, is being directed to improvements in Kananaskis Country, including $1 million for planning and design upgrades to the Canmore Nordic Centre and other key initiatives like modernizing William Watson Lodge and improving the popular Yamnuska Trail.
Capital investments will create more than 330 direct jobs and support improvements to trails, facilities, day-use areas, campgrounds, and other recreation infrastructure in provincial parks and public lands across Alberta.
“As the local government for Kananaskis Country, Kananaskis Improvement District Council operates or funds municipal services such as solid waste, water and sewer, fire, rescue, and the RCMP. We continue to support the Kananaskis Conservation Pass as an important tool for providing critical investment in local services and facilities, which are relied on by millions of visitors to the region annually,” said the Chair of the Kananaskis Improvement District Council, Melanie Gnyp.
