With the recent announcement of the proposed Bighorn Country plan there have been a number of comments made about the economic impact of such protection to the local economy.
As a semi-retired, 29-year resident of Bragg Creek, and executive in junior oil and gas ventures in Calgary, I have seen the devastation of some 35,000 jobs lost in corporate Calgary as a result of technological change in our oil and gas industry, from conventional technologies to a manufacturing model of horizontal wells and multistage frack completions as well as insufficient market egress for production.
However, I have also seen the revitalization of our flood-ravaged hamlet of Bragg Creek because of a sustained increase in outdoor recreational tourism visits to nearby Kananaskis Country in the last 15 years. My wife runs a café and yoga studio in Bragg Creek and her increased revenue from the tourism sector is keeping our family finances positive (as well as those of her staff).
If there is truly interest in creating jobs in Central Alberta, the opportunity to diversify and create jobs in the tourism and service sectors (4.4 per cent of provincial GDP) as a result of protection of the Bighorn area as a network of parks, should be supported. While the Bighorn proposal will have no negative impact on the region’s traditional industries -- there are no existing forestry or oil and gas operations in the proposed park areas -- sustainable tourism represents an additional industry that complements the region’s existing strengths.
The hundreds of jobs possible in this tourism opportunity are equivalent to a new Sundre Forest Products, for instance. Studies in Kananaskis show tourism creates 10 times the economic benefit of stumpage fees and direct and indirect jobs in forest harvest operations.
While forestry is an important industry and employment sector in Alberta, it is eclipsed in these changing times by recreational opportunities for retired baby boomers and self-aware millennials. In effect, by embracing the Bighorn Country plan, Clearwater County can literally put itself on the map and enhance this economic pillar with this large, untapped revenue stream.
There has been some talk that increased tourism will impact the very values we hold dear in the Bighorn. This is why the government’s proposed infrastructure investment of $40 million is necessary to manage increased use.
And as in the Kananaskis experience, access is not impeded by this land use protection, so fear of “big government” restricting our access is unfounded. The reality is most tourists stay close to Highway 11, and will need tourism services at Nordegg and Rocky Mountain House. The backcountry will be protected forever for use by locals and visitors alike.
With changing climate and increased risk of flood and drought, our forest management strategy needs to include the values of forest water storage in headwaters of areas like the Elbow River and North Saskatchewan River, which provide drinking water for more than two million people downstream.
From our experience in Kananaskis, I am optimistic that communities like Sundre, Nordegg and Rocky Mountain House will benefit economically as Bragg Creek has, if the beautiful Bighorn area is preserved for our grandchildren.
Dave Klepacki,
Bragg Creek
