Artist's rendition of new Waterton Lakes National Park Visitor Centre

By Lara Fominoff

New $17.3 million facility

Construction underway on new Waterton Lakes National Park Visitor Centre

May 8, 2019 | 12:35 PM

WATERTON LAKES NP – After several years of planning, public engagement, engineering and design work, construction is now underway on the new Waterton Lakes National Park Visitor Centre.

The $17.3 million facility is expected to take about two years to complete and will become a focal point of the small townsite.

Artist’s rendition of new Waterton Lakes National Park Visitor Centre

According to plans chosen by Parks Canada in Jan. 2018, the facility will be Craftsman-style. It will consist of three buildings; an administrative building, a visitor centre, and public washrooms. It will also feature a town plaza that will connect to the commercial district in town.

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There had been some very vocal opposition to the new location, but Parks Canada said the former visitor centre that burned down in the Kenow Fire in Sept. 2017, was not able to accommodate the more than 500,000 visitors it received each year.

Former Waterton Lakes National Park Visitor Centre

Others also said that the Waterton Townsite was already overwhelmed many weekends during the summertime, and it wasn’t clear how additional visitors could be accommodated in the small area.

According to a Parks Canada news release, the new centre will offer modern interpretive exhibits and educational programming, as well as a range of information services. It will also offer interpretive material that reflects Blackfoot history, traditions, culture, values and connection to Waterton Lake.