Anyone who wants to visit Mount Edith Cavell this summer will need to get a free parking permit before they go.
In an effort to manage access to the popular summer use area, Parks Canada will begin issuing free vehicle parking permits on June 17, two days before Cavell Road opens.
The hope is that by issuing permits it will ensure the number of vehicles going up Cavell Road does not exceed the number of parking available.
The permits will be available just outside the Jasper Information Centre between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. daily. Permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be picked up to two days before the trip. Permits must be picked up in person and cannot be reserved in advanced and only one permit per vehicle is required.
According to Parks Canada, backcountry users, cyclists, hostel guests, and licensed tour operators will not be required to have a vehicle permit. Printed reservation confirmations for the Tonquin trail, Tonquin Valley Backcountry Lodge, the Tonquin Amethyst Lake Lodge or the HI-Mount Edith Cavell Wilderness Hostel will be required for entry.
Parks Canada employees will be on-site daily at the Cavell Road gate to check permits and tour operator licenses as well as printed confirmations for hostel and backcountry reservations. Cavell Road will be closed between 8 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. daily.
In 2012, a large piece of ice broke off Ghost Glacier around 5:30 a.m. and fell into the tarn pond below, sending a torrent of water and debris rushing down the mountain.
The rush of water left the parking lot, road and a picnic area partially damaged and forced Parks Canada to close the 14-kilometre-long road for the rest of the year.
Last fall, work was undertaken to move the parking lot and access road out of the high-risk flood zone. Work will continue this spring and summer.
The work is part of $3.5 million set aside by Parks Canada to relocate the parking lot access road away, increase the number of parking spots, and rehabilitate trails and viewpoints.
News of the parking permit plan was first announced during the annual park forum in March.
More details about the permits can be found on the Jasper National Park website at pc.gc.ca/Jasper.
Paul Clarke
[email protected]
