Parks Canada continues to consider a proposal to open Shangrila during the summer season and is now conducting an environmental impact analysis to determine whether summer operations would be detrimental to the environment.
Shangrila is a backcountry ski cabin owned and operated by the Maligne Lake Ski Club. Last year, Shangrila's season was significantly reduced when Parks restricted winter access to the Maligne Valley to protect the valley's endangered caribou herd. To make up for lost revenue, the club is now seeking permission to open the cabin from July 1 to Sept. 15.
According to Steve Young, Jasper National Park's communications officer, Parks has completed its preliminary review of the proposal and it is now starting its environmental impact analysis (EIA).
“Parks Canada will work with the club on the EIA before making a final decision about the proposal,” wrote Young in an email.
The proposal is an attempt to make up for lost revenue. According to the club's financial statements, the shortened season resulted in a loss of $7,500 in revenue compared to the 2013/14 winter season.
In mid-October, Parks reaffirmed it would again restrict winter access to the Maligne Valley from Nov. 1 to Feb. 29, 2016.
As a result, the club's winter season now runs from March 1 to April 15, depending on snow conditions.
“Access in the summer would likely be restricted to the Skyline Trail and the tributary valleys to reduce the impact to animals,” said Jeff Weir, president of the club, during its annual general meeting Oct. 22.
In the winter, members access the cabin by skiing up Jeffery Creek. Since that won’t be possible in the summer, as there is no official trail, the proposal asks that Parks allow the creation of a new trail branching off the Skyline leading to Shangrila.
The cabin would operate in the same manner as it has in the past, with no more than six people allowed to stay at a time. If the proposal is accepted, the club expects to keep its nightly rate of $200.
Despite all the attention that has been given to the cabin over the past year, Weir stressed the club is more than just the cabin.
“Some people see the Maligne Lake Ski Club as Shangrila. The club is considerably more than the cabin. The club is a group of people that have learned to appreciate the wilderness environment known as the Snowbowl area in the alpine area of the Maligne Valley,” Weir said during his opening remarks.
“The vision of the Maligne Lake Ski Club is a multi-generational membership who understand and appreciate the wilderness and cultural values of this sub-alpine area in Jasper National Park.”
He said the objective of the club is to provide people with the opportunity to experience, learn about and develop a deeper appreciation for the area, while also providing opportunities for friends and family to spend quality time together.
After doing some soul searching, he said the club realized that although skiing is important, it's not the only reason why people use the cabin.
“Some have said ‘where's the ski in the Maligne Lake Ski Club?’ Well, it doesn't have to be there. We'll have a ski operation in the winter and a walk-in operation in the summer.”
