Maligne Lake hotel plan divides tourists

A plan to build a hotel on picture-perfect Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park is getting mixed reviews by tourists.

Maligne Lake is the longest glacier-fed lake in the Canadian Rockies and is the settingin Jasper's most famous postcard.

"The Maligne Valley and the Maligne Lake are pretty much iconic symbols of what the Rockies represent, they are stunning vistas of mountains," said Pam Clark with Parks Canada. "They offer habitat for grizzly bears and caribou."

In the high season, the lake is visited by2,000 people from around the world, butMaligne Tourswantssome of the touristsallowed to stay overnight.

In the past visitors could stayin the lodge or cabins, but once the road was built in 1969, theovernight stays ended.

Now Maligne Tours wants to seethe existing day lodge replaced by a 66-suite hotel alongside 15 tentcabins.

Some tourists like the idea.

"It makes it so much more accessible to everybody" said New Zealander RobMcMurdo.

But others feel more development would put too much pressure on the lake and the surrounding wildlife.

Parks Canada says it's open to the project andisreviewing the plan.