“Lake Louise ski resort staff illegally cut down about 150 trees, including many on an endangered species list, a prosecutor told a Calgary court Monday.
Erin Eacott said the sentencing hearing, which the resort is facing, will focus on the exact number of trees felled as well as the fact Lake Louise would not have been given permission to cut down the trees even if it had sought a permit.
Lake Louise Ski Area Ltd. pleaded guilty in December to charges under the Canada National Parks Act and the Species at Risk Act, for cutting down endangered whitebark pines.” – Calgary Sun
Whomever gave the go-ahead to cut down a large swath of endangered, whitebark pines is certainly no longer employed at Lake Louise Ski Resort. We hope…
According to the Calgary Sun, sentencing regarding the case began this past Monday and a judge is expected to hand down his decision sometime in the coming week. Potentially millions of dollars worth of fines are on the table as each tree felled brings with it a maximum fine of $300k.
The prosector on the case is arguing that the action taken was flawed three-fold. He told the judge that the trees were a) endangered and that b) any tree clearing would have to have gone through the proper permitting process and finally c) they had not even bothered to apply for a permit but instead had gone cutting down trees basically willy-nilly.
It’s a bad look for Lake Louise no doubt but we hope they make it right with the judge somehow.
Find the entire Calgary Sun article here: Lake Louise ski resort facing potential millions in fines for tree cutting
