With greatly increasing visitor numbers in the park, it has become necessary to upgrade facilities, most notably the park's visitor centre. The number of visitors the park receives each year has increased from 300,000 in 2000 to 477,000 in 2015. The Calgary Herald published an article on the upcoming improvements to the park on March 7, 2016, which can be read in part further below.
Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada.
The park is the
only one in the world designated as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, an
International Peace Park, the
first in the world, and a
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. 505 square kilometres (195 sq mi) in size, this park of mountains, lakes, rivers, wildlife and many other
natural wonders attracts close to 500,000 visitors each year. Activities available in the park include sight seeing, hiking, climbing, and an assortment of water activities. Within the park's boundaries are also two National Historic Sites, the
Prince of Wales Hotel and the
First Oil Well in Western Canada.
In 1932, the
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was created to commemorate the peace, goodwill and cooperation between Canada and the U.S.A. In 1979, Waterton became Canada's second biosphere reserve and the first Canadian national park to take part in this UNESCO program. Finally, in 1995, the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was designated as a world heritage site.
Waterton Lakes National Park
to build new visitor centre
Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald
Published on: March 7, 2016
A new visitor reception centre is being built in the townsite at Waterton Lakes National Park.
The centre, which is estimated to cost about $7.6 million, will replace the 58-year-old facility located on the road entering the townsite.
It’s part of a $107.5-million infrastructure investment into the national park in southern Alberta.
“This is the most important of all the new projects,” said Ifan Thomas, superintendent of Waterton Lakes National Park. “This reception centre will welcome Canadians and visitors from around the world, and provide them with opportunities to learn about the park’s cultural and environmental significance.”
Visitation to the park has increased by more than 50 per cent since 2000 — to 477,000 visitors in 2015/16 from 300,000.
“What we’ve got now is a visitor’s centre, because it’s so small, all we can do there is a quick welcome and orientation,” said Thomas. “The sense of the new building is … that we would also do that and do much more interpretation at the site.”
The new visitor’s centre will be located within the townsite along Windflower Avenue, which is close to the Townsite Campground...
...Other infrastructure work being completed this year includes the rehabilitation of the Cameron Lake day use area, which will be closed this spring and summer, and could lead to travel restrictions on the Akamina Parkway.
Red Rock Parkway will also be closed this spring, but reopen from July to September.
The infrastructure improvements also include the work on the townsite’s water and sewer lines, roads and sidewalks.
Parks Canada will start the consultations on the design of the new visitor reception centre this year. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2018, with completion anticipated by 2019.
From the Parks Canada