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Resurrecting the road
All-weather route through Wood Buffalo may be restored by Derek Neary
FORT SMITH (Feb 23/98) - The effort to re-establish the road from Peace Point to Garden River through Wood Buffalo National Park seems to be gaining momentum.
Andy Mitchell, the federal secretary of state for parks, and Ethel
Blondin-Andrew, MP for the Western Arctic, visited Fort Smith and
entertained the proposition this past weekend.
"This is the most important visit we've had to Fort Smith
in 30 years," Mayor Peter Martselos said prior to the meeting.
The road in question was used prior to the opening of
Highway 5 through Hay River, but it has been closed to the public for 40
years.
By having the 112-kilometre North-South route reopened, the
town of Fort Smith stands to save on transportation costs and can expect to
see more tourists, according to Martselos and Thebacha MLA Michael
Miltenberger.
If Wood Buffalo became more accessible by road, tourists
would get a better chance to observe the whooping cranes, salt flats and
buffalo, Miltenberger said.
The plan is to establish a winter road and, eventually, an
all-weather road.
Because the route once existed, an expensive and
time-consuming environmental impact study won't be necessary, Miltenberger
added. "Apparently, there are less stringent standards than if we were
carving through virgin wilderness," he said.
However, Peter Lamb, superintendent of the park, called the
original route more of a "cut line" than a road. He said he doesn't see it
as a priority for the park.
"There isn't a need for the road in terms of administration
for Wood Buffalo National Park. As such, the department won't be investing
any money in the road," he said, adding that the community would have to provide funding and give the project
a thumbs-up during public consultations.
Lamb said he hasn't read any studies regarding the possible
tourism benefits. He added the Canadian Environmental Act will require an
assessment, but the standards will be dictated by the planning of the route.
Although the town of Fort Smith has been lobbying for the
past three decades to have the road re-opened, it has always encountered
opposition from Parks Canada, according to Martselos.
With the support of the business community and the Salt
River First Nations, along with the backing of surrounding communities,
Martselos said the meeting with Mitchell should prove pivotal.
"If the minister makes a trip to visit us, I have to be
optimistic," Martselos said.
Mitchell was also scheduled to meet with the Salt River
First Nations Saturday. |