Wilderness and Waterpower: How Banff National Park Became a Hydro-Electric Storage Reservoir by Christopher Armstrong

Author:Christopher Armstrong [Armstrong, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Technology & Engineering, Public Policy, Canada, Environmental Economics, Civil, Political Science, Dams & Reservoirs, Business & Economics, Environmental Policy, History, General
ISBN: 9781552386347
Google: N4KLtgAACAAJ
Goodreads: 13586551
Publisher: University of Calgary Press
Published: 2012-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

1941 DAM AT LAKE MINNEWANKA (AUTHOR PHOTO).

The only other public opposition seems to have come from the Alberta Fish and Game Association, whose vice president complained that Calgary Power had deliberately taken on the contract with the Alberta Nitrogen Company as a means of justifying the new development: “It is, however, a cleverly contrived scheme to wangle something that the Power Company knows that they would otherwise never get.” But the director of the Parks Branch could only reply that if the application was justified by a genuine war emergency, then it would be up to Parliament to decide whether or not to grant it.24

Balanced against these feeble pressures was the support of the Town of Banff’s Advisory Council, which in the past, had often taken an ambivalent position on power development in the park, the dependence on tourism being balanced by the desire for more industrial and commercial growth. The superintendent of Banff National Park reported that many local residents now favoured the plan: “The local working men are, of course, in favour of the project chiefly because of the possibility of work and wages for another year at least – a very short-sighted and extremely selfish view.” The council advised all Alberta MPs to support the damming of Lake Minnewanka since the availability of low-cost power would be a strong inducement to industry to locate in the region once the war was over.25

With that kind of support, Calgary Power began to act as though a decision in its favour was a foregone conclusion. The director of the Parks Branch complained about the company’s attitude:

The actions of Calgary Power Company’s field organization since the negotiations were commenced a few weeks ago no doubt indicate the degree of consideration that the National Parks administration may expect from the company. Even with the knowledge that the chief officials of the company are at Ottawa lobbying for a concession, which, if granted, will be extremely valuable to the company, the field staff ignore the Park Superintendent, notwithstanding the fact that they are well aware that the Superintendent is in full charge of the park and must answer for whatever goes on inside the park boundaries.

This attitude was made plain when the company simply added to its application a proposal to divert Carrot Creek into Lake Minnewanka to increase its storage capacity without even consulting the Parks Branch.26

The redoubtable C. D. Howe remained unwavering in his support of the project. When Alberta MPs complained that not enough new industries had been located in the province, the minister told them that war factories could not be located in Calgary at present owing to the shortage of electrical energy. “We want all the power that Alberta can produce now, and we can use the whole lot and more, if we can get it,” said the minister. Faced with this implacable resolve, Crerar gave way and advised Howe on November 30 that in view of the ammonia plant’s power needs, Calgary Power’s application would be granted.27

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