The Icefields Parkway is an iconic highway, known around the world for its beautiful mountain vistas, glacial lakes and its proximity to glaciers.
But, the parkway is also a force to be reckoned with. In the winter, driving conditions are unpredictable, with frequent snow drifts and storms, as well as black ice and long periods without maintenance.
To ensure the safety of travellers on Jasper’s renowned highway, Parks Canada has updated its winter brochure for the parkway, providing drivers with better information about what to expect along the 230 km stretch from Jasper to Lake Louise.
The revamped brochure primarily focuses on road safety, but also includes information about winter camping and places to stop along the way.
“It’s a much better product,” said Pam Clark, visitor experience manager for Jasper National Park.
“There were concerns expressed about some of the communication products that we had on the parkway, namely the winter brochure, so we worked with Tourism Jasper to update or revamp that brochure.”
The brochure now includes a slew of important information about what to do before heading out the door, as well as what to do if you run into trouble along the way. Included in that information is the road’s maintenance schedule, which wraps up each day between November and April at 3:30 p.m. and picks up again at 7 a.m. the following morning.
The brochure also points out that the parkway is not salted and is left as a “compact snow” road, at times creating poor driving conditions.
It also reminds drivers that there is no cell phone coverage on the highway and during the winter months there is also no gas available.
The brochure also includes the location of pay phones along the highway in case of an emergency, as well as different phone numbers and websites to check for road conditions.
According to Clark, Parks decided to revamp the brochure after a meeting with a group of local stakeholders who were concerned about winter maintenance along the highway and how that was being communicated to the public.
In a follow up meeting in late November, the new brochure was presented and Clark said it was well received.
“We are committed to maintaining the level of service that we saw last year along the parkway,” she said.
“The highway services in the mountain parks work together as a team so they mobilize around priorities and needs as a team.”
In addition to road safety information, the brochure also includes information about winter camping, including Mosquito Creek Campground, located 24 km north of Lake Louise, and Wapiti Campground, located four km south of Jasper.
It also mentions that those hardy campers who wish to stay at the Columbia Icefields are permitted to camp at the Wilcox Pass trailhead, although this is an unmaintained campsite during the winter.
The brochure can be picked up at the information centre, Parks’ administration building or online.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
