Visitors to Banff’s Sunshine Village will be allowed to park on the access road leading to the mountain resort this fall and winter, after the federal court set aside a Parks Canada ban on the overflow parking option.
When the parking lot at the resort gets full, up to 500 visitors would park on the access road as overflow. Shuttles then pick up the patrons and take them to the top.
In November 2016, though, Parks Canad sent a letter to the resort saying it would no longer be able to use the access road for parking starting in fall of 2017.
“Parks Canada had done its best to mitigate the risks; however, we are not prepared to allow the public to be subject to this continuing risk, nor accept the potential liability that accompanies it,” the letter read.
Sunshine Village said at the time that Parks Canada is covered in their insurance policy and they were taken back by the demand.
The resort eventually took the case to federal court.
On Thursday, Sunshine Village announced the courts had decided in its favour, setting aside the Parks Canada directive to ban parking on the access road.
“All of us at Banff Sunshine Village are relieved and pleased with the court’s decision. Our goal moving forward (this ski season and beyond) is to collaborate in good faith with Parks Canada and work together to resolve our longstanding parking issues,” Sunshine Village said in an email.
“We believe that a long-term parking solution is achievable, and at Sunshine, we are all committed to achieving continued improvements to our guest experience.”
Sunshine Village said planners have presented several parking solutions to Parks Canada for consideration. The matter would be reconsidered after the resort has an opportunity to adequately consider off-site parking.
— With files from Jayme Doll
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