MIKE SADAVA, JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Edmonton, The Edmonton Journal, January 13, 1999.

Environment Minister Ty Lund is considering changing the boundary of the Lakeland recreation area so a possible pipeline utility corridor won’t run through it.

The recreation area, along with Lakeland Provincial Park, comprise what was announced as the province’s first designated Special Place in 1993.

"If people are too upset with the possibility of a corridor through a recreation area, we could move the boundary over that little bit and then it wouldn’t be in the park or the recreation area," Lund said.

That would move the eastern boundary of the recreation area over to the west by one kilometre for the corridor, which Energy Minister Steve West has said may be needed to move billions of barrels of oil from oilsands expansion in the Fort McMurray area.

"The fact is it may never be used – we would prefer that the corridor be through the air weapons range," Lund said. "The commander over there doesn’t have any problem with it, but we don’t know about 10 years from now."

Although it is Crown land, controlled by the Department of National Defence, there is no guarantee a new pipeline would be approved, he said. A pipeline jointly operated by Nova and Alberta Energy Corp. currently runs through the range, and Enbridge is building another one this winter through the same area.

The proposed "insurance" corridor has created controversy, and Lund’s idea of moving the recreation area boundary did little to quell it.

Lakeland County councillors have been alarmed to the extent that the council came down to Edmonton last week to meet with Lund.

"Because it (the special place) was promised so many years back and has been so long coming, we’re upset just seeing it eroded," said Lakeland Reeve Debra Lozinski.

Lund assistant Michael Lohner said other land to make up for the lost strip would be added to the Lakeland Special Place if the eastern boundary was trimmed, but Lozinski said the minister never mentioned that possibility when they met.

A pipeline corridor would take out some last remaining old growth forest in the northern part of the recreation area, parts of which have already been heavily logged, she said. The width of the proposed corridor makes residents suspect the province intends to put in a road, but Lund assured them there would be no roadway, she said.

Tom Maccagno, the former mayor of Lac La Biche, said he was flabbergasted by Lund’s statements. "It left most thinking people here breathless. If this is how you solve a problem, it’s a stunning exercise in logic."