On November 7, 2024, Bill 35 - the All Season Resorts Act - was introduced by the Tourism and Sport Ministry. If passed, Bill 35 will expose public land, beloved by Albertans and critical to biodiversity conservation and ecological integrity, to the development of year-round private resorts. 

Now more than ever, we must restore ecosystems, secure habitat for Species at Risk, and ensure Alberta's natural resources are managed responsibly. This includes ensuring sustainable and equitable access to recreation and tourism opportunities for current and future generations through responsible land management.

However, Bill 35 is now on the precipice of its third reading on December 4, which means it could become law in a matter of days.

We have grave concerns about the All-Season Resorts Act for numerous reasons, including that it:

  1. Exempts tourism development in all season resort areas from normal environmental review and permitting processes applied to other public land use activities.
  2. Contradicts long-standing government policy and legislation, including the Kananaskis Country Recreation Policy, which was the result of robust public consultation that concluded desire for the future of Kananaskis to be about conservation, not large-scale commercial development.  
  3. Flies in the face of recent public polling (see here), and survey responses for the development of a new Alberta Plan for Parks, which highlighted support for increased protected areas in support of conservation and low-impact recreation.
  4. Undermines the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) and the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.
  5. Makes it clear that the minister has the power to de-list and remove protected area designations in all season resort zones.
  6. Transfers land management to the Tourism and Sport Ministry, which has never been a land manager (it has neither the experience, nor the capacity).

Write to the Ministry of Tourism and Sport today to STOP Bill 35 from becoming a law, to support sustainable outdoor tourism and recreation opportunities, and to protect our parks, protected areas, and public lands from being DELISTED and privatized.

WRITE YOUR LETTER