Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (Oct 17/05) - Angus Tower, a well-known landmark on Highway 5 in Wood Buffalo National Park, may soon be no more now that a new fire tower has been built nearby.

"In all probability, Angus Tower will be taken down," says Ed Coulthard, the park's manager of resource conservation.

Angus is one of five aging towers being replaced in the park, either with new towers or lookouts.

The four others are in the Alberta section of the park.

Coulthard says the park recognizes the cultural significance of Angus Tower, a popular stop for both NWT residents and tourists about 150 km northwest of Fort Smith.

"But we have to weigh that against public safety."

The day-use area and cabin at Angus Tower will remain. A new fire tower was built over the summer about eight km to the east and will be opened next spring. The ground is about 20 metres higher there than at Angus, and the new tower itself is over six metres higher.

The new structure does not yet have a name, Coulthard notes.

"We don't want to call it Angus Tower," he says, explaining that may create confusion for helicopter pilots.

The park is considering asking the public to suggest possible names.

Along with Angus, four other operating fire towers in Wood Buffalo National Park - Parsons Lake, Caribou Mountains, Davidson Lake and Crow Lookout - were closed two years ago because of safety concerns following an assessment by an Edmonton engineering firm.

A not-in-use tower at Cherry Mountain was also assessed.

"Given that they're 40 years old, they don't meet the structural requirements from a health and safety point of view," Coulthard says, noting the building regulations were much less rigid when the towers were erected.

As an example, he notes the cement bases for the towers are much smaller than what is now acceptable.

The towers weren't ready to fall down, but they posed some risk, he says.

"We're weren't ready to take that risk with our employees."

A new tower was constructed over the summer at Parsons Lake, within metres of where the old tower stood.

The replacements for the Angus and Parsons Lake towers cost a combined $400,000, including cabins.

Coulthard says it is hoped a new tower will be constructed at Cherry Mountain in the next two years within a few kilometres of the existing one.

The Caribou Mountains and Crow Lookout towers have been replaced by 20-foot high lookouts attached to cabins, while the Davidson Lake tower will not be replaced. The new sites were selected after an evaluation of where forest growth is expected in the coming decades.

Coulthard says, in the absence of operating fire towers over the past two years, the park used more aircraft patrols to watch for fires.

Along with standing watch for forest fires, the towers are part of the park's communication system.