Jasper National Park's Tangle Ridge tempest: different points of view about different viewpoint

Ad in local newspaper inviting public to meeting.

 By Stephen A. Nelson

Supporters say Brewster Travels' proposed Glacier Discovery Walk at Jasper's Tangle Ridge will "enable visitors to engage with this dramatic landscape in a way that was not previously accessible to the majority of Jasper Park visitors."

Brewster president Michael Hannan says, "You'll have stunning views of the Athabasca Glacier, you'll be looking over the Sunwapta Canyon and looking north, you'll have stunning views of Tangle Falls and below the platform, you'll hear the roar of the falls."

Critics and detractors, such as Jasper resident Jill Seaton, say installing a glass-floored viewing platform here would be a travesty on the level of  "putting in a water slide at the Vatican."

About 100 people - residents, students, business owners and tourism promoters - were at the public meeting at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum Monday night to learn about the controversial project. Many of them - but not all - were there to learn how to stop it.

Conspicuous by their absence were local politcians: MLA Robin Campbell (PC); MP Rob Merrifield Cons.), Mayor Richard Ireland, and all but one of Jasper Town Councillors.

There was no visible means of support from Parks Canada - the government agency responsible for managing Canada's national park. Not the Park Superintendent. No one from "Visitor Experience."

But that didn't prevent discussion and criticism of the way Parks Canada has handled its guardianship of Jasper National Park in general - and this proposal in particular.

A highlight of the show was Forest Stump: A Parks Canada Metaphor - a smart parody of Forest Gump.

"This video was made by Jasper high school students to critique the most recent edition of the parks management plan. All students involved agreed that the most major concern was the single-minded emphasis placed on "visitor experience."  - From Facebook Glacier Discover Walk Discussion Board

Its message: Dear Parks Canada; Stupid is as stupid does. The current approach is stupid. If you really want to improve the "visitor experience" focus on quality, not quantity. Eco-tourism is the way to go, not mass exploitation and roadside attractions.

Even before the meeting, the whole issue had caught the attention of national and regional news outlets, including The National Post, The Edmonton Journal. 

The stories are balanced and perhaps fair - with "pros" from Brewster Travel and Tourism Jasper, as well as "cons" from the Jasper Environmental Association. But both stories failed to capture the intense reactions from the people who live here - many of whom are hostile to the whole idea of any more roadside attractions in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

And although Brewster has been operating in the Rockies for generations, it doesn't help that Brewster Travel's parent company is an American multinational - Viad.

But on Monday, local businessman Marc LeBlanc and student Theresa Westhaver were interviewed by CBC Radio One in Edmonton. The interview shed light on why this has become such a hot-button issue for people who live in Jasper and consider themselves stewards of the creation:

CBC Radio  -The Debate In Jasper About A Glass Sky Walk Continues

More later...