Field Community Plan Update
Yoho National Park
Would you like to help update the Field Community Plan? We want to hear from you!
The current Field Community Plan was completed in 2010. It provides a framework for decision making in the community of Field, B.C. Parks Canada is updating the plan to align with the 2022 Yoho Park Management Plan. The new Community Plan will provide a concise community vision and user-friendly guidance about how we can achieve it together.
Public engagement will take place in 2024 and 2025. Help us ensure the updated Community Plan is informed by the knowledge, needs and aspirations of those who know and care about the community of Field, B.C.
Let's Talk Mountain Parks - Field Community Plan
Project Timeline
- Understand Community Needs
Spring 2024 - The vision for community of Field.
- Challenges and barriers to achieving the vision.
- Identification of missing components in the community and their significance.
- Consideration on how to foster a good quality of life for residents' and local businesses.
- Community Spirit: Participants highlighted the importance of a thriving, inclusive community rooted in nature, history, and social connections.
- Infrastructure Upgrades: Suggestions included improvements to signage and improved efforts to ensure Parks Canada facilities are well-maintained.
- Economic Growth: Respondents would like to see additional economic and commercial offers in the community.
- Amenities: Residents anticipate improved amenities for both themselves and park visitors, including such things as grocery stores and year-round cafés along with a wider range of recreational opportunities.
- Affordability: Concerns were raised about the cost of living in Field, particularly related to housing and basic necessities (groceries) as there is the additional requirement to drive long distances to access these necessities.
- Commercial Interest: A significant challenge is the lack of interest from new commercial businesses in coming to the community.
- CPKC: Encouraging CPKC to participate in and be part of the community was identified as a significant challenge.
- Informal one-on-one leaseholder / stakeholder meetings in Field - 3
- Field Open House & Town Halls (x3) - 50
- Online Survey (Field) - 74
- Email comments - 4
- Indigenous Consultation (2 sessions) - 8
- Total Participants / Responses -139
- Develop Draft Community Plans
Fall 2024 - Consult on Draft Community Plans
Fall 2025 - Finalize Community Plans
Winter 2025 - Publish the Plans and Implement
Spring 2026
What We Heard
Engagement Overview
Work on the Field Community Plan Update project began in October 2023. The first phase of engagement ran from November 2023 to September 2024. Building on prior Parks Canada initiatives, the project planning team designed activities and discussion questions to assess current challenges, priorities, and aspirations of local residents, businesses, community stakeholders, the general Canadian public and Indigenous Nations. This process aimed to determine what issues, challenges and concerns should be addressed in the community plan, and to gather input on the vision for the community over the next decade.
Engagement sessions included presentations at a community open house and town hall events, one-on-one head leaseholder / stakeholder meetings, presentations to the Field Advisory Board, and an online survey through Parks Canada’s Let’s Talk Mountain Parks online platform to gather input.
The following topics were addressed through the various forms of engagement:
Overall, the first phase of engagement demonstrated widespread support for updating the community plan for Field. Not surprisingly, people love living in Field because for the scenic beauty, close knit community, and easy access and opportunities for many outdoor activities. Participants were eager and enthusiastic in their suggestions for what they want to see in their community and where they want the community to be in 10 years or more.
Community engagement took place before the 2024 Jasper Wildfire Complex. This event naturally brought the importance of wildfire resiliency to the forefront. Wildfire resiliency will be addressed in the community plan but did not feature prominently in feedback received during engagement.
Common comments to specific topics we engaged on are summarized below.
Vision for the Future
Barriers and Challenges
Participant Engagement
A total of 139 participants contributed their views through various engagement activities, as outlined below:
Conclusion
The feedback from engagement sessions has provided valuable insights that will inform the direction of the updated community plan for Field. The community's passion for their environment and a clear vision for the future generated several desired actions to improve affordable housing opportunities, infrastructure improvements, and sustainable regional transportation options. These insights will play a pivotal role in shaping the community over the next decade and beyond.
The final draft of the plan will combine the desired community direction with the prerequisite Government of Canada expectations including the purpose of and requirements for national park communities.
Current Community Plan
Requirements
Under the Canada National Parks Act, a national park Community Plan must:
- reflect limits to growth (i.e. commercial area maximums, overnight guest maximums, and community boundaries)
- be consistent with principles of
- no net negative environmental impact, and
- responsible environmental stewardship and heritage conservation
A Community Plan can also provide direction for:
- The built environment (e.g. housing types and designs, utility infrastructure, transportation, wayfinding, inclusive and accessible design),
- the social environment (e.g. recreational facilities, public spaces, appropriate services, Indigenous relations, emergency management), and
- managing impacts to the natural environment (e.g. FireSmart, water quality, wildlife movement, animal attractants, invasive species, climate action).
Frequently asked questions
What are Community Plans?
Community plans guide the management of national park communities and are a requirement of the Canada National Parks Act. They guide the nature of development and construction projects inside the communities administered by Parks Canada, such as Lake Louise, Alberta and Field, B.C.
Community plans must reflect existing limits to growth and be in alignment with the vision and strategic priorities set out in park management plans.
Why are Community Plans being updated?
The Field Community Plan (2010) and Lake Louise Community Plan (2003) need to be updated to align with the most recent Yoho and Banff national park management plans (2022). Previously legislated limits to growth cannot change but the updated community plans will be modernized to incorporate new knowledge and address emerging issues.
Updated community plans will provide a framework for decision making within the legislated community boundaries of Field, B.C. and Lake Louise, Alberta for 10 years or more.
What can the public contribute through engagement?
Public engagement will ensure these plans are informed by the perspectives of community residents, stakeholders and interested Indigenous communities. Feedback from public engagement may inform decisions about community environmental stewardship, housing types and designs, inner-community transportation and wayfinding, accessibility, local infrastructure improvements, climate change actions, and local services and amenities.
When will public engagement take place and how can Canadians get involved?
Updating the community plans for Lake Louise, Alberta and Field, B.C. will take place over two years in 2024 and 2025.
The second phase of public engagement, in late 2025, will seek feedback on the draft updated community plans for both Field, B.C. and Lake Louise, Alberta.
The first phase of public engagement in 2024 asked how Parks Canada can ensure that the communities of Lake Louise, Alberta and Field, B.C. are sustainable visitor centres that continue to welcome and orient visitors to the parks and provide comfortable living environments for people who provide park services.
It also sought public perspectives on how best to address specific issues such as:
- community environmental stewardship;
- climate change;
- transportation and internal community mobility;
- infrastructure, services and amenities;
- housing types and designs; and
- managing impacts to the natural environment.
Public engagement took place in-person for community residents and businesses and online for anyone with an interest in the future of the communities of Lake Louise, Alberta and Field, B.C.
Will there be changes to growth limits or to community boundaries?
National park communities have set boundaries and legislated limits to growth. All commercial and housing parcels are fully allocated in Lake Louise, Alberta and previously legislated limits to growth will not change.
How is the community of Field different from the town of Banff or municipality of Jasper?
There are seven communities located inside national parks in Canada. Five of them are administered by Parks Canada including Field, B.C. in Yoho National Park; Lake Louise, Alberta in Banff National Park; Waterton, Alberta in Waterton Lakes National Park; Waskesiu, Saskatchewan in Prince Albert National Park; and Wasagaming, Manitoba in Riding Mountain National Park.
The Town of Banff and the Municipality of Jasper are different because they are both self-governed, recognized municipalities under the Alberta Municipal Government Act. The formation agreements with Parks Canada are unique to each community.
For more information, contact Parks Canada in Banff or Jasper.
How do Community Plans relate to Park Management Plans?
National park management plans provide high-level strategic direction for a park including specific objectives for national park communities. The updated Community Plans will provide Parks Canada with guidance about how to achieve those specific objectives, while also reiterating legislated limits to growth as required by the Canada National Parks Act.
National park communities have legislated geographic boundaries. The community plan will guide decision making within these geographic boundaries, and not the national park as a whole. Strategic direction for the entire Lake Louise area is provided by the Lake Louise Area Strategy portion of the Banff National Park Management Plan.
How do Community Plans relate to Visitor Use Management Plans?
In addition to updating the community plans for Lake Louise, Alberta and Field, B.C. the park management plans for Banff and Yoho national parks also commit Parks Canada to creating visitor use management plans to adapt to increasing visitation in high use areas of Lake Louise and Yoho National Park.
Visitor use management planning is currently underway for the Lake Louise area. The Lake Louise Area Visitor Use Management Plan will focus on visitor access and use at Moraine Lake and Paradise Valley, the Lake Louise Lakeshore and the Lake Louise Park and Ride.
Parks Canada has used many tools to address challenges here including shuttles, reservations services, paid parking, and marketing campaigns. We’ve learned over the years and are now seeking public perspectives.
The goal of visitor use management planning is to protect the mountain ecosystems that make Lake Louise and Moraine Lake special, while ensuring high quality experiences for visitors and residents alike.
Public engagement will take place in 2024 and 2025. Visit letstalkmountainparks.ca to learn more.
Questions?
Townsites and Realty Office
Yoho National Park | Parks Canada
llyklotissementsurbains-llyktownsites@pc.gc.ca
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