Silvertip Gondola Enters Provincial Review as Public Feedback Opens

Stone Creek Resorts has formally submitted its Silvertip Gondola proposal to the Alberta government, opening a public feedback period for the proposed development on Mount Lady MacDonald.

Canmore residents have until Nov. 26 to comment on the application, which includes plans for a 3.2-kilometre gondola and an environmental assessment.

The project has been discussed in Canmore since 2017, but the province says construction has not been approved.

“Our government has received the application and will proceed through the applicable regulatory process – this does not mean the project has been approved,” Vanessa Gomez, press secretary for Alberta's minister of Tourism and Sport, told Bow Valley Insider.

The application follows the province's September decision to designate a portion of Mount Lady MacDonald as an All-Season Resort Area.

As Bow Valley Insider previously reported, the designation allowed Stone Creek to pursue the provincial application process but did not authorize construction.

What's Being Proposed?

Stone Creek Resorts is proposing a 3.2-kilometre gondola running from a base station near Palliser Trail, on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway in Canmore, through Silvertip Village to a summit lodge on Mount Lady MacDonald.

The project would include three stations, viewing platforms, dining facilities and managed alpine trails.

Stone Creek Resorts president Shauna Dudding told Bow Valley Insider that the proposal remains largely unchanged.

“The concept and alignment haven’t changed, while years of environmental and technical work have further informed the application.”

Dudding said the project is intended to provide alpine access for visitors who may not be able to reach those areas on foot.

“Our goal is to give visitors coming to the Bow Valley another place to explore the Rocky Mountains at Silvertip. For those who may not be able to hike up themselves, whether that is older residents, families with young kids or people with mobility challenges, we are providing an opportunity to experience the alpine.”

Environmental Assessment Examines Wildlife Impacts

The application includes an environmental assessment prepared by Cascade Environmental Resource Group and dated Sept. 29, 2026.

The report examines potential impacts on wildlife, vegetation, water and surrounding habitat.

The proposed gondola would cross the Upper and Lower Silvertip Wildlife Corridors, which provide important movement routes for species including grizzly bears, cougars, wolves, elk and bighorn sheep.

The assessment identifies increased human activity, rather than the gondola infrastructure itself, as a primary long-term wildlife concern.

It recommends measures including managed trail access, wildlife monitoring and restrictions in sensitive areas. Its authors conclude that significant adverse environmental effects are not anticipated if those measures are implemented.

However, those findings are part of Stone Creek's submitted assessment and remain subject to provincial review.

Conservation groups, including CPAWS Southern Alberta and the Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta, have previously raised concerns about increased human activity and its potential effects on wildlife habitat and movement corridors.

CPAWS has also raised concerns about changes to protections for land previously within Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park.

What Happens After Public Feedback Closes?

The province says public comments will be considered as part of its review, and Stone Creek will be required to address concerns raised during the process.

“All of the public feedback received will be considered and provided to the applicant, the applicant must then demonstrate how the concerns will be addressed in their application,” Gomez said.

She also outlined the province's review timeline.

“After feedback is closed, it takes up to 30 days to evaluate application completeness and 150 days to make a decision on the resort development plan. If the resort development plan is approved, the regulator has up to one year from the application being considered complete to issue a lease.”

Those timelines mean a decision on the development plan is not expected immediately after public comments close.

For now, the proposal remains subject to provincial review, and no construction has been authorized.

How Can Residents Have Their Say?

The public comment period opened Oct. 27 and runs until Nov. 26, 2026.

Residents can review the application, including its environmental assessment, through the Alberta government's All-Season Resorts Public Notice page.

According to the province, relevant feedback will be considered during the review process, with comments becoming part of the public record. A summary of the feedback will be published after the consultation closes.

Stone Creek is encouraging residents to review the documents and participate.

“The application is public, including the environmental assessment. We're confident in the work behind it, and we encourage people to read it and share their comments with the Province,” Dudding said.