The Buzz
LATITUDE
DESPITE OUTCRY, WATERTON’S NEW VISITOR CENTRE IS TOWNSITE BOUND
Parks Canada plans to go ahead with building a new visitor centre in the townsite of Waterton Lakes National Park in southern-most Alberta, even though many locals don’t like the idea. The park’s 60-year- old visitor centre was damaged in a September wildfire, but the federal government had already announced — two
SMOKE AND FIRE Smoke is in the air in this early August view of Waterton townsite and beach, in a photo shot before a wildfire ravaged the national park in September. A new visitor centre is slated for the townsite.
years ago, in fact — that a $7.6-million replacement was in the works. Many residents and business owners continue to oppose the project, saying that the new building should be erected at the outskirts of the community, like the previous visitor centre was. A popular playground and splashpad will have to be moved, and the move will CHINA’S PURCHASE OF AECON AWAITS GOVERNMENT DECISION Canadian construction giant Aecon Group Inc. — a multidisciplinary, 140-year-old company with offices all over the country — has signed a deal to be acquired for $1.5 billion by a state-run Chinese company. The buyer is China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC). The deal, which requires Government of Canada approval before it goes ahead, would allow the APEGA Permit Holder to retain its name, its Canadian head-
also result in parking congestion and threats to public safety, they say. Parks Canada, however, says the old centre’s site can’t support the 400,000 visitors a year that Waterton attracts, creating congestion and safety problems of its own. Also, the new location aligns with the park’s com- munity and management plans.
quarters, and its Canadian management team. The acquisition could pave the way for freer trade with China, opening Aecon up to a massive Chinese market. Analysts do warn, however, that there could be a trade backlash from the U.S., given the political climate there. CCCC is among the world’s biggest construction companies. Published reports say revenues last year were $82.2 billion. Aecon, meanwhile, has around 1,900 employees and revenues of more than $3 billion a year.
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