Howse Pass Highway: The Ridiculous National Park Highway Proposal that Refuses to Die

Wild Lands Advocate update, August 2012, by Nigel Douglas. Five years after it was last put to bed, the idea of a new highway cutting through the glaciers of Banff National Park rears its head once again.

“The Howse Pass highway – described by the Red Deer Advocate as ‘a bad idea that won’t go away’ – made the news once again in July 2012 when Rick Strankman, Wildrose MLA for Stettler-Drumheller, announced that the highway ‘could be a tremendous benefit’ to the economy of his riding (Red Deer Advocate July 12, 2012). Incredibly, he made the extravagant, If not outrageous, claim that such a development could be blasted through a national park ‘with minimal impact on the environment.’ Conservative MPs Blaine Calkins (Wetaskiwin) and Blake Richards (Wild Rose) quickly added their support to the proposals.”