Gondola Plan Above Canmore Sparks Bighorn Sheep Concerns

A conservation group says a proposed gondola development above Canmore cannot proceed without harming local bighorn sheep populations, as public engagement continues on a plan to redesignate protected land in the Bow Valley.

The Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta said it does not believe the project can proceed without negatively affecting local sheep populations, citing the fragility of alpine environments and the cumulative pressures already facing wildlife in the Bow Valley.

The Alberta government launched public engagement in March to gather feedback on whether land within Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park should be redesignated under the All-Season Resorts Act, a move that could streamline approvals for the proposed gondola project.

The Silvertip proposal, put forward by Stone Creek Resorts, includes a gondola running up the slopes of Lady Macdonald Mountain, along with a base-area transit hub, day lodge, viewing platforms and supporting infrastructure. The company has said the project could generate more than $40 million annually in tourism revenue for federal and provincial governments.

In previous comments to Bow Valley Insider, Stone Creek has emphasized that the project remains in the land designation phase and has not yet been approved, noting that any development would still require environmental assessment, Indigenous consultation, and further regulatory approvals.

Stone Creek has said wildlife corridor function and cumulative effects are central to its environmental assessment work, which draws on more than 20 years of wildlife movement data. It maintains the gondola would not fragment wildlife corridors, with passengers travelling above them.

However, the Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta said even overhead infrastructure can affect how animals use the landscape.

“Functional connectivity depends not just on physical access, but on whether animals are willing to use the space,” the organization said, adding that noise, visual disturbance, and increased human activity could cause sheep to avoid otherwise suitable habitat.

The group said alpine environments such as the slopes of Lady Macdonald are among the most fragile ecosystems in the Rockies, with short growing seasons and limited ability to recover from disturbance.

For bighorn sheep, those areas provide essential habitat, including forage, escape terrain and lambing grounds.

“Even minor disturbances can lead to avoidance of otherwise suitable habitat,” the organization said, warning that animals may be pushed into areas with poorer forage or higher predation risk.

The group also pointed to seasonal vulnerabilities, noting that winter conditions leave sheep with limited energy reserves, while disturbance during lambing season can lead to mother-lamb separation or abandonment of traditional sites.

If tourism pressure increases in alpine areas, the long-term effects could include reduced access to critical habitat and declining population resilience, the organization said.

Industry observers say not all gondola projects carry the same implications.

Adam Waterous, chairman of Liricon Capital Ltd., which owns Norquay Ski and Sightseeing Resort, said the Silvertip proposal differs fundamentally from Norquay’s own gondola plans.

He said Norquay’s project is designed as aerial transit to replace an existing access road and reduce vehicle traffic through a wildlife corridor, while the Silvertip proposal is a sightseeing attraction that would bring visitors into previously undisturbed terrain.

Waterous described the Norquay proposal as a “brownfield” project built on already disturbed land, compared with the Silvertip gondola, which would be developed in a largely untouched area.

He said the province will ultimately need to weigh whether protecting undeveloped wilderness or expanding tourism opportunities should take priority. Public feedback gathered through the engagement process will help inform whether the province proceeds with redesignating the land. The province is continuing to collect public feedback through its website until May 14.