Canada’s Southern Rockies is one of the most important landscapes in North America for wildlife. The Elk Valley provides a critical wildlife passageway. It connects protected areas between Banff National Park and Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park, arguably the most important North-South wildlife corridor on the continent.
Cutting an aggressive line through these connected landscapes in the Elk Valley is Highway 3, a busy corridor for interprovincial traffic, as well as a steady stream of trains on the nearby Canadian Pacific rail line. Traffic on the Elk Valley’s Highway 3 is up 24% in the past 10 years, and increasing use by transport trucks amplifies the lethal nature of this route. Each year, hundreds of wildlife are killed along this stretch of highway. Making wildlife a priority in this region means finding a way to get animals safely across the road.
Wildsight works collaboratively with like-minded nonprofit organizations, government agencies and the public to promote a science-based approach to safe wildlife crossings on Highway 3. Detailed research has led to the identification of 10 top priority sites for wildlife underpasses and overpasses, based on the potential to reduce wildlife deaths and improve driver safety, combined with cost and feasibility considerations.
Our goal is to protect wildlife in the Elk Valley, keep drivers safer, and provide a strong example to the rest of BC of how we can build a future that works for all living things that share these spaces.
Keeping People Safe and Wildlife Connected (PDF)
