Silvertip Gondola Proposal Can Now Move Forward, But Construction Isn’t Approved Yet

After years of discussion, the proposed Silvertip Gondola has officially entered its next phase, but that doesn’t mean construction is about to begin.

The Alberta government has officially designated a portion of the mountain an All-Season Resort Area, which will allow Stone Creek Resorts to formally submit its gondola proposal for provincial review.

The designation is significant because it changes how the land can be considered for development. It has also been opposed by conservation groups concerned about wildlife habitat and changing protections within Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park.

It does not, however, mean the proposed gondola has been approved for construction.

Instead, Stone Creek president Shauna Dudding told Bow Valley Insider it allows the company to move into the part of the process where the details of the project will be assessed.

“The designation is really the first step under the All Seasons Resort Act framework,” Dudding said. “And so what it means is that the lands are now designated to then look at the actual project applications.”

Stone Creek's next move will be filing a Master Development Plan with the province.

That application will include the technical work behind the proposed gondola, including environmental assessments, traffic studies and parking studies, Dudding said.

Those studies will be considered as part of a more detailed provincial review and a future decision on whether the project itself should proceed.

As for what people can expect to see from the project in the immediate future, Dudding said there won’t be any physical changes just yet.

“Nothing will be changing on the property here,” she said.

So, what was actually approved?

Thursday's decision changes the status of the land, rather than approving the proposed project. 

When Bow Valley Insider last reported on the proposal in March, the province was asking Albertans whether the land should be designated under the All-Season Resorts Act.

That public engagement ran from March 16 to May 14 and was specifically about the land-use designation, not whether the gondola itself should be built.

The province has now made that designation.

Under Alberta's All-Season Resorts framework, designation makes an area of public land eligible to be considered for resort development.

It does not give a developer permission to start building.

According to the Alberta government, Stone Creek can now submit its Master Development Plan and supporting environmental and technical studies for provincial review.

The province described Thursday's decision similarly, calling the designation the “first step in the regulatory process” and saying it does not approve construction, development or operation of the proposed gondola.

Dudding said Stone Creek has been working toward reaching this stage since the project was first proposed.

“We have put a lot of work into the project,” Dudding said. “This was something that was conceived back in 2017 when we did our first public engagement.”

“We really believe in the project and we have done the studies, we have the science, and we are excited to file that application to the province for their review and assessment.”

The project dates back to 2017

Stone Creek's proposal would see a gondola travel from a base station adjacent to Palliser Trail, through Silvertip Village and to an upper terminal on the summit ridge of Mount Lady MacDonald.

The concept also includes visitor, trail and utility infrastructure. Stone Creek describes the project as a managed, year-round mountain experience intended to provide recreational access to a wider range of people.

The provincial government says new activities and attractions at Lady MacDonald have the potential to create 1,750 jobs and generate $238 million in visitor spending over the next decade.

The proposal and the land designation have also faced opposition over what development and increased human activity could mean for wildlife and protected lands above Canmore.

Concerns over wildlife and protected land

Bow Valley Insider previously reported that the proposed development area overlaps land classified as prime protection and critical wildlife zones, while conservation groups have raised concerns about the Upper Silvertip Wildlife Corridor and habitat used by species including bighorn sheep.

In April, the Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta told us that its concern extended beyond whether animals could physically move beneath gondola infrastructure.

The organization said noise, visual disturbance and increased human activity could change whether animals are willing to use otherwise suitable habitat.

CPAWS Southern Alberta has also opposed the project and the change in land designation.

In a March release, they argued the land should retain its existing park protections and raised concerns about increased development and human use in the area.

The organization also raised concerns about increased human use within the Upper Silvertip Wildlife Corridor, which it described as an important movement corridor connecting Banff National Park and Kananaskis Country.

Stone Creek has maintained that wildlife impacts are central to its environmental work.

In its announcement Thursday, the company said feedback concerning wildlife corridors, recreation, transportation, access and community impacts has continued to shape the proposal, including consideration of visitor management, safety, noise, lighting and visual effects.

For now, the designation moves the proposal into its next stage of provincial review. Whether the gondola itself proceeds will be determined through the process that follows.