By Chris Brown

Improvements and upgrades

Kenney announces $43M investment in parks

Sep 15, 2020 | 10:32 AM

Alberta is investing more than $43 million in its parks.

The money will be used to improve trails, upgrade campgrounds, and enhance day-use facilities and other infrastructure in provincial parks and public lands.

“If this year, this really tough and different year, has taught us anything, it’s how lucky we are to have such a beautiful natural environment to explore,” said Premier Jason Kenney. “In the age of physical distancing, outdoor recreation has quickly become one of the most popular and one of the safest ways to have fun.”

Kenney, who made the announcement at Calgary’s Fish Creek Provincial Park, says use in public parks has surged this year, and said the money will help people enjoy the parks while protecting the environment.

In March, the province announced plans to fully or partially close 20 provincial parks and hand-off another 164 to third-party managers.

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Parks and public lands capital projects include:

• Site modernization (22 projects): refurbishing and replacing infrastructure such as toilets and group-use areas, new landscaping, and improved parking.
• Maintenance (11 projects and Alberta Parks’ regional lifecycle maintenance program): repairing and maintaining existing infrastructure throughout the system, including campgrounds, facilities, structures, playgrounds and landscaping.
• Trails, recreation and accessibility (36 projects): in collaboration with local partners, improving motorized and non-motorized recreation activities in parks and public lands.
• Utilities (11 projects): improving and replacing water supply and wastewater infrastructure in provincial parks.
• Campgrounds (11 projects): improving traditional, equestrian, and rustic campgrounds.

Capital funding by region for parks and public lands:

• Kananaskis Region Parks – $15,230,000
• South Region Parks – $7,208,000
• Northeast Region Parks – $7,195,500
• Central Region Parks – $4,475,000
• Northwest Region Parks – $2,435,000
• Public lands (across Alberta) – $6,156,000
• Provincial accessibility projects (to be determined) – $500,000