Kananaskis council planning fireguards to protect from wildfire threat

The true size and scope of treatment areas would be determined after phase one work begins, if funding is approved. The second phase of the FRIAA program includes clearing land to construct a fireguard, but again, funding approval is not guaranteed. (Supplied)

Kananaskis Improvement District (KID) is planning to build fireguards to help shield area housing and infrastructure from wildfire.

Plans include fireguards around the Lower Kananaskis Lake subdivision cabins, Bow Valley Provincial Park housing loop and YMCA Camp Chief Hector at a cost of about $160,000 for planning. If Kananaskis Improvement District’s (KID) grant application is approved, funding would come from the provincial Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) community fireguard program.

“As we’ve discussed many times around this council table, forest fire is probably our biggest risk and biggest fear, and we’ve all seen what happened in Jasper and other communities,” said KID chair Melanie Gnyp at a Sept. 10 council meeting.

“This is a great opportunity for us to try to get some funding to help protect our assets.”

KID has received a letter of support from Alberta Parks for the application, with lands in the conceptual fireguard plan falling within provincial parks.

The first phase of the FRIAA community fireguard program, after grant application, involves fieldwork, public consultation, engagement with Indigenous communities and environmental assessments.

Prior to applying for the grant, KID reviewed its FireSmart development legislation, updated its FireSmart vegetation management plan and completed maintenance of an existing fuel break at Camp Chief Hector in 2023.

KID’s FireSmart management area covers 297.3 hectares and includes development areas such as the west side of the Canmore Nordic Centre, Lower Kananaskis Lake cabin subdivision, Kananaskis Village, William Watson Lodge, University of Calgary Field Station and Camp Horizon.

Municipal administrator for the improvement district, Alex Engelberts, advised that in some of the proposed areas vegetation has not been thinned or removed in a very long time, if ever.

She noted the Lower Kananaskis Lake cabin subdivision as one of those areas. This is supported by KID’s wildfire fuel management plan, which identifies areas of high wildfire risk.

“Should a fire come down the valley through this way, then [a fireguard] would slow the burn and it would reduce the likelihood of damage to life and property,” she said, speaking to conceptual plans for the cabin subdivision.

The plans were developed by KID administration with Stew Walkenshaw of Canmore-based Montane Forest Management.

“It’s my understanding from Stew that (this vegetation area) is extremely dense, dry and old. This would reduce that fuel load reduction and reduce the risk,” said Engelberts.

“Should the worst come to worse and there was a catastrophic fire, it would allow additional time for proper evacuation. It’s all about risk management.”

The true size and scope of treatment areas would be determined after phase one work begins, if funding is approved. The second phase of the FRIAA program includes clearing land to construct a fireguard, but again, funding approval is not guaranteed.

Engelberts said given heightened awareness of wildfires in the province, Alberta’s government is prioritizing providing aid to finance community fireguards.

“It is a priority of theirs after Jasper,” she said.

Initial planning for the fireguards in Kananaskis could begin as soon as November.

“The final development and resident notifications would then go out at the end of quarter one of 2025,” said Engelberts. “Phase two and phase three, these are hypothetical and will be separate grant applications that will come in due course.”

KID is also planning to review building potential fireguards surrounding the Kananaskis Country Golf Course, which would not occur until next year.

The estimated cost to fully complete planning of the fuel treatment units at the Kananaskis Golf Course housing area is $249,400 which would exceed the total maximum grant allowance.

Coun. Darren Robinson, who is general manager of the golf course, said he would also hope to see future fireguard planning protect critical infrastructure in the Galatea area, including the wastewater treatment plant, Mount Kidd RV Park and the fire hall.

“In a perfect world, I’d love to see the massive investment properties here protected, but I really highly and deeply support this program and I’m highly supportive of us pursuing the funding to do so,” said Robinson.

“I would just like to see these assets prioritized in the next go around.”

About 275 hectares of FireSmart vegetation management in Kananaskis has been completed since 1994 by KID, Alberta Parks and Alberta Wildfire Management, based on recommendations in wildfire mitigation strategies for KID.