Banff gets nearly $40 million to improve campground, day use areas and wildlife underpasses

[Sneeze]

Originally Posted by JB_AOL

ok.. So when are they supposed to "spend?"

I don't think mommy government should be in the business of building bathrooms in our natural areas.

So... to answer your question they are not supposed to spend anything on this. The national parks are a farce. Charge ridiculous money for Canadians to enjoy public lands, develop every aspect of them for tourists. Hire only people from Eastern Canada or privileged enough to attend French schools. Fence everything and lock down our most beautiful places such that only people with full wallets can enjoy them. Use borrowed money to build them and every red cent of revenue they bring in takes the fastest route possible back to the left hand of the Ottawa bureaucracy - keeping their right hands free to stifle every bit of economic growth in Alberta that Notley or the EnviroYuppies haven't managed to shut down yet.

So I'm supposed to think it's great & Trulander is super awesome for borrowing money from my kids to install bathrooms at campgrounds they can't afford to go to, wildlife overpasses on roads they can't afford to drive, on lands they will never be able to explore with a rifle on their back.

Bah. Try harder

[JB_AOL]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

So... to answer your question they are not supposed to spend anything on this. The national parks are a farce. Charge ridiculous money for Canadians to enjoy public lands, develop every aspect of them for tourists. Hire only people from Eastern Canada or privileged enough to attend French schools. Fence everything and lock down our most beautiful places such that only people with full wallets can enjoy them. Use borrowed money to build them and every red cent of revenue they bring in takes the fastest route possible back to the left hand of the Ottawa bureaucracy - keeping their right hands free to stifle every bit of economic growth in Alberta that Notley or the EnviroYuppies haven't managed to shut down yet.

That's your opinion and your welcome to it..

You do realize that by creating these parks, they're actually saving/preserving them for your kid's future. If they didn't do this, corporations would've clear cut/developed the majority of it years ago. And YES, it does cost money to keep these parks running, and clean. So YES, they should charge a usage fee, and YES they should spend money to make the parks more welcoming. But from the sounds of it, I shouldn't expect you to see the larger picture.

Try harder at what? I'm just sharing my opinion based on observations.

Do I like trudeau? Nope. Not in the least.

So I'm supposed to think it's great & Trulander is super awesome for borrowing money from my kids to install bathrooms at campgrounds they can't afford to go to, wildlife overpasses on roads they can't afford to drive, on lands they will never be able to explore with a rifle on their back.

You do realize the park is free to drive thru?

It's all about choices, some people prefer to spend money at timmies every day, others prefer to save and pay for an entrance fee at the park.

[JimPS]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

I don't think mommy government should be in the business of building bathrooms in our natural areas.

So... to answer your question they are not supposed to spend anything on this. The national parks are a farce. Charge ridiculous money for Canadians to enjoy public lands, develop every aspect of them for tourists. Hire only people from Eastern Canada or privileged enough to attend French schools. Fence everything and lock down our most beautiful places such that only people with full wallets can enjoy them. Use borrowed money to build them and every red cent of revenue they bring in takes the fastest route possible back to the left hand of the Ottawa bureaucracy - keeping their right hands free to stifle every bit of economic growth in Alberta that Notley or the EnviroYuppies haven't managed to shut down yet.

So I'm supposed to think it's great & Trulander is super awesome for borrowing money from my kids to install bathrooms at campgrounds they can't afford to go to, wildlife overpasses on roads they can't afford to drive, on lands they will never be able to explore with a rifle on their back.

Bah. Try harder

Imagine what the clowns that have "managed" our Eastern Slopes would do to our Mountain National Parks in we let them. You don't need a bathroom in some parts of the Eastern Slopes because it's become one big toilet over the last 30 or 40 years.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.64617...!3m1!1e3?hl=en

Your are the one that's out of sync with the views that most Canadians have about our National Parks. Are you really a Canadian or just some disaffected grumpy old man that feels the need to wave your own flag?

We need to leave something for our future and for our future generations.

If your kids can't afford to enjoy our National Parks, perhaps they should stay in school so they can get an education and and a decent paying job.

Be careful what you ask for - because in your little world, you'll lose what little you think you already have.

Bah - humbug.

.

[McLeod]

The money Parks is getting is only a drop in the bucket from the revenue they produce for Ottawa. They should be getting a whole lot more.

[Sneeze]

Originally Posted by JimPS

If your kids can't afford to enjoy our National Parks, perhaps they should stay in school so they can get an education and and a decent paying job.

Paved pathways and bathrooms for everybody (as long as you have a decent paying job and an education!). We should also build one of those pneumatic pipelines like they have at home depot for shooting cash up to the office. Instead this one goes straight to Ottawa and can't be converted to carry natural gas.

[sewerrat]

When it comes to those Park passes, Parks Canada could rake in way more money.

What a lot of the European travelers do is, one buys an annual park pass, uses it while they are in the parks, when the go home they take the pass with them and sell it on their Kijiji site for way cheaper, so when the next European traveler comes they are just using the same pass that they bought on line in their home land.

I know we do the same thing, 1 family member buys the pass, and shares the same pass between other family members and friends.

I want the sticker back with the beaver that was posted on the window of the car.

[Map Maker]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

Paved pathways and bathrooms for everybody (as long as you have a decent paying job and an education!). We should also build one of those pneumatic pipelines like they have at home depot for shooting cash up to the office. Instead this one goes straight to Ottawa and can't be converted to carry natural gas.

Paved pathways are a waste of money (unless in a town site). They crack easy and roots will eventually work their way under them. Compacted gravel is the way to go. Cheap to build and maintain.

The reason why we never get our value out of our tax dollars is that Parks "throw" 8 million for a washroom facility so then they have to spend that on the building or lose it. Architects and Engineers see that and design and build a monstrosity that costs a fortune to build and maintain.

They need to hold a public inquiry on what people want. Then design it to be basic and solid using old techniques.
Use old favorite buildings as a template.
Then build it with minimal maintenance and access to all utilities and build to last for 50 years.
Then put all your fancy facade on the outside to make it look contemporary.

And by all means, hire a contract project manager to take the project from start to end. I will guarantee he/she will save 4x their salary taking it away from national parks lifer staff.

[Sneeze]

Originally Posted by Map Maker

I will guarantee he/she will save 4x their salary taking it away from national parks lifer staff.

You make an excellent observation. Realistically the costs of an individual enjoying the park are not obscene - the real costs are to the tax payers in the continuous make work project for Parks Canada lifers.

If you don't build a pathway into the hills, you typically don't need to install bathrooms on that pathway nor hire people to maintain the pathway or have a road block set up to charge money to walk on the pathway.

Ever been to the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy? No gates, no paved trails, no full time maintenance staff. Hunting is allowed. That place has a heart beat. Get lucky and in Banff National park you might see a unicorn.

Making it easy for Canadians to enjoy our wild spaces isn't about giving them toilets and campgrounds, its about getting the hell out of the way so they can explore for themselves. You need a g-damn permit to camp on the side of a mountain inside Banff National Park!

[JB_AOL]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

Paved pathways and bathrooms for everybody (as long as you have a decent paying job and an education!). We should also build one of those pneumatic pipelines like they have at home depot for shooting cash up to the office. Instead this one goes straight to Ottawa and can't be converted to carry natural gas.

Too bad we don't live in a country where EVERYONE has the opportunity for an education and decent paying job (Oh, and Sneeze, that was sarcasm).

Funny thing is, most of the people that I know, that have done VERY well for themselves, don't have more than a gr.12 education.

[JimPS]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

Paved pathways and bathrooms for everybody (as long as you have a decent paying job and an education!). We should also build one of those pneumatic pipelines like they have at home depot for shooting cash up to the office. Instead this one goes straight to Ottawa and can't be converted to carry natural gas.

Fifty or sixty years ago when your old man loaded up maw and you and your siblings into the family station wagon and went camping at a Forestry camp site still cost him money for gas, gear and grub that was over and above the average family budget in the day.

If he didn't have a decent paying job, he wouldn't have the camping gear and a good enough car to hit the road in with the family for an outdoor adventure or a little family holiday.

Those families that couldn't afford it would have stayed home, worked and just kept on surviving.

I sure hope your kids are doing a little better and that your grand kids do even better.

Lifes a beotch and pretty miserable for some people

.

[JB_AOL]

Originally Posted by Sneeze

You make an excellent observation. Realistically the costs of an individual enjoying the park are not obscene - the real costs are to the tax payers in the continuous make work project for Parks Canada lifers.

If you don't build a pathway into the hills, you typically don't need to install bathrooms on that pathway nor hire people to maintain the pathway or have a road block set up to charge money to walk on the pathway.

Ever been to the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy? No gates, no paved trails, no full time maintenance staff. Hunting is allowed. That place has a heart beat. Get lucky and in Banff National park you might see a unicorn.

Making it easy for Canadians to enjoy our wild spaces isn't about giving them toilets and campgrounds, its about getting the hell out of the way so they can explore for themselves. You need a g-damn permit to camp on the side of a mountain inside Banff National Park!

I don't think you've ever been to Banff Park before, I can't go through there without seeing animals all over the place. Sure, it's only moose, deer, cougars, bears or mountain goats or sheep.

And no, I don't want Banff national Park to turn out like Waiperous or Nordegg where squatters think they own the land and leave their "camps" or hunting tents up all year round, and there's self made shooting ranges all over the place.

[Unregistered user]

Originally Posted by McLeod

The money Parks is getting is only a drop in the bucket from the revenue they produce for Ottawa. They should be getting a whole lot more.

Absolutely right.