Province celebrates K-Country anniversary with $5.2M investment

Alberta is getting ready to celebrate the 40th anniversary of K-Country with a $5.2-million investment in the Lower Kananaskis River-Barrier Lake area.

The money will be used for a number of improvements aimed at increasing tourism and benefiting river users.

Projects will cover a six-kilometre span from Canoe Meadows to the Upper and Lower Barrier Lake day use areas along Highway 40, a few kilometres south of Highway 1.

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It includes the Barrier Lake visitor centre and the Widowmaker day-use area.

Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks, says the wildlife corridor was a huge consideration when coming up with the plan.

"In order to facilitate some of the wildlife movement that we know, through years of careful study and planning, happen through this area, we've made sure we've planned our infrastructure investments accordingly," she said. "We want to give wildlife as much space as possible without running into vehicles or people."

Construction will begin next year and is expected to be completed in 2021.

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