Canmore-area gondola proposal draws support, concern for wildlife
Posted May 13, 2026 12:08 pm.
Plans to build a gondola to Mount Lady MacDonald near Canmore have stirred debate on increasing tourism in the mountains while supporting wildlife.
The proposed plan would see the gondola stretch from Palliser Road, a stop at Silvertip Village, before ascending Mount Lady MacDonald.
With Alberta coming off a record year for tourism — and plans to ramp up visitor spending — the developer of the planned gondola, Stone Creek Resorts, hopes it will give tourists in the mountains more options.
“I think that would be awesome,” said one visitor.
Another says, “It’s like an ‘Ah ha’ moment when you get up there.”
“For now, my age to be able to get up there and have my ah ha moment, but get a ride up and a ride down would be perfect.”
But not all are in support. The land on which the gondola would be built is in a protected area and is awaiting approval from the province to be exempted, allowable under the province’s All-season Resort Act aimed at boosting tourism.
“If we allow developers to remove or change protected area boundaries to facilitate development that would not otherwise be allowed in a wildland provincial park, that really undermines our entire provincial park system,” said Katie Morrison, the executive director of CPAWS Southern Alberta.
In a statement, the province says, “The silvertip gondola project has been working its way through the province’s regulatory system for over a decade.” The statement goes on to say it’s committed to balancing economic growth and the environment.
Stone Creek Resorts, which is at the helm of the proposed gondola, tells CityNews that it’s designed to pass above wildlife, and the corridors will remain intact as they are today. It also says tourism in the region exists because of the natural environment, and says that this project will tie the two together.
Albertans can share their thoughts on the project on the province’s website until Thursday.
