AMPPE's Membership Update. News you won't find elsewhere .
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October 22, 2021
Hello AMPPE Members,

Election season is finally over and a new crop of municipal officials will be sworn in later this month in municipalities across the province. The Mountain Parks will see a mix of new and familiar faces take the reins later this month to begin to start tackling some of the Parks' most pressing issues. Congratulations to our new and returning mayors and councillors.

Here are links to election results in Jasper, Banff, and Canmore.

The municipal elections brought forward residents' tourism-related concerns and highlighted the impact the visitor economy has on Mountain Park communities. New municipal governments will continue to grapple over how to balance the needs of residents and tourists.

Trails and non-motorized recreational activities provide visitors with signature Canadian experiences and they enhance the quality of life for residents. In addition to the obvious recreational benefits we all love, transportation, and reduced greenhouse gas emission makes life easier and cleaner for residents as well. Investment into recreational infrastructure on Crown Lands is also great for local economies as this Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA) report reveals.

Swearing in for new mayors and councils will begin next week. AMPPE looks forward to working with new councils to drive investment for the Mountain Parks for both residential and visitor benefit!
Jasper extends winter closure for the Tonquin Valley and removes closure in the Maligne area
Earlier this month, Parks Canada announced it would be extending seasonal closures for the Tonquin Valley and other caribou ranges within Jasper National Park. Access to these areas will be now be prohibited between Nov.1 and May 15, each year (extended from Feb.15 in previous years).

Parks Canada indicated that this move was an effort to support its $24M captive breeding program that was announced in September. Parks Canada anticipates releasing calves born at a captive breeding facility into a natural environment with the aid of the Tonquin caribou herd.

Parks Canada said the changes to seasonal closures are based on its ongoing research and monitoring, as well as recommendations from a third-party scientific review of its conservation breeding proposal back in January.

Private horse use has also been discontinued in the Tonquin Valley over fears of the transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease. Commercial horse use will continue.

Environmental groups continue to pressure Parks Canada for full closure on the Maligne Range--in addition to the Tonquin and Brazeau-- despite ample evidence from Parks Canada that the Maligne herd has been extirpated. As AMPPE strongly supports evidence-based decision-making in the National Parks, we would not support closure in the Maligne area. Parks Canada has struck a balance between conservation and enjoyment as well by allowing usage to continue in the higher use Maligne.
Advocacy: Feds moving quickly to act on a new mandate
With its new mandate in place, the federal government has made a number of big announcements. Standardized vaccine travel passports and mandatory vaccinations for federal workers are just a couple of recent announcements.

Yesterday, Deputy Minister Chrystia Freeland continued a trend by announcing changes to the existing COVID-19 emergency supports. On October 23, the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) as we know them will expire and will be replaced by tailored, targeted programs to support those businesses that continue to face restrictions or and/or significant losses of revenue. Details on the new programs are listed at the end of this newsletter.

Elections create opportunities for advocate organizations. AMPPE is adjusting its strategy to take advantage of changes that have occurred as a result of last month's election. It has already been announced that Chrystia Freeland will continue to serve as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, but it remains to be seen which portfolios will shuffle, and which new faces will join Cabinet. Many expect portfolios to look relatively different, as the recent election results look strikingly similar to the 2019 federal election results, and the government will likely be doing its best to further the notion that this election was worth it.
Alberta has two new Liberal MPs. Randy Boissonnault in Edmonton and George Chahal in Calgary. We are happy that the province will now have a voice in the federal government and expect at least one of these men to receive a cabinet appointment.

We expect the federal government to continue to focus its efforts on climate, reconciliation, and COVID recovery. Also, the Liberal campaign platform earmarked significant funding for the TransCanada Trail indicating support for the concept of trail tourism. While tactics may change, AMPPE's advocacy for public investment in trails and related facilities will remain a focus. This new government is ready to hit hard and hit fast, AMPPE has positioned itself well to take advantage of these opportunities as they come.
In other news....
  • AMPPE AGM November 10: Save the date!

  • Park Planning: Parks Canada Banff Field Unit continues to work on finalizing the 2020 Park Management Plan. You may recall the draft plan included a number of sub-plans, one of which was an area plan for Lake Minnewanka. The Banff Field Unit will soon be undertaking consultations and visioning exercises for the area.

  • Travel Alberta: Under the new leadership of CEO David Goldstein, Travel Alberta is once again in the process of redefining itself. The agency is positioning itself to meet a provincial budget target to double provincial tourism revenues to about $20 billion in 2030. Travel Alberta is looking for growth in areas mostly outside of the Mountain Parks but will embark on a series of province-wide townhalls sessions early next year. The October Alberta Tourism Market Monitor

  • Changes to COVID-19 Emergency Support Programs:
  • Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP): Extended until May 7, 2022, with a 50% subsidy rate.
  • Relaunch Program for Tourism and Hospitality: Businesses will be able to access support through CEWS and CERS if they continue to face revenue losses. The subsidy rate will start at 40% for those with a revenue loss at 40%, and the maximum subsidy is 75%.
  • Hardest Hit Recovery Program: Similarly, employers who can show they have faced deep and enduring losses will be able to access subsidies through CEWS and CERS. The subsidy rate will start at 10% for applicants with a 50% revenue loss and will provide a maximum 50% subsidy for those with a 75% revenue loss.
  • Lockdown Support: This program will be available should the ongoing response to COVID-19 require further lockdowns. Businesses facing temporary local lockdowns can access CEWS and CERS.
  • Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit: Provides $300 a week to workers who are subject to a lockdown.
  • Extension of eligibility for Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) and Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB): to determine eligibility for these programs, the government will use a “two-key system” meaning that employers can prove revenue loss either a) over 12 months of the pandemic or b) during the current month.  Minister Freeland also noted that in the period of March 3-May 7, 2022, these supports will decrease by half.
“No one will protect what they don’t care about;
and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”

~ Sir David Attenborough
CONTACT- Debbie Harksen, Director of Communications
director@amppe.org
Phone-587-335-0829