ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PARKS PODCAST
Priya Hello, and welcome to Zed News YYC’ s podcast. We are members of the Alexandra Writers Centre Young Journalists program. As young journalists, we are passionate about creating balanced and engaging news that is relevant to us. We aim to keep the public informed, highlight solutions, keep the powerful in check, and give a voice to people who don't always get heard. Heather Today’s podcast is about Alberta’s provincial parks and the government's recent decision to change a lot of their status to crown land without public consultation. Priya, what is happening to Alberta's provincial parks? Priya: Recently, the Alberta government announced the decision to fully close and/or partially close over 20 provincial parks. They also have 164 parks which they were wanting to be transferred into partnerships with other organizations and individuals. The government claims this move is being done in order to save money, however this decision was made without consultation with the general public. The closure/partial closure of parks includes cuts to cross-country trail grooming, the closure of visitor centres, and an increase in fees. Although the Premier Jason Kenney has said that the parks being closed will not be sold, they will be turned into Crown Land, which means they will be less protected than parks. The change of status to Crown Land allows the province to sell the parks to be used for industrial purposes, this includes housing, towns, recreation facilities, pipelines, coal mines, etc… and many Albertans view this as suspicious. They worry that the Premier will not keep his word and sell off the parks once the status is changed. So, why is the Alberta government planning to close their provincial parks without public consultation? Silvana, why is the government removing parks? How much will this save the government financially? Silvana: The Alberta government says fully closing 10 parks, partially closing 20 parks and removing another 164 from the parks system will save $5 million from the annual budget. This impacts a third of the province’s parks system. But critics say Albertans don’t want to see changes to their parks and there’s no evidence of cost savings. Parks that are fully closed or removed from the parks system would lose their protected status, so plants, habitats and wildlife would no longer be protected from harm or commercial development. At first, the government said they were selling some parks or transferring ownership, but later removed the word “sale” from their website and said they are looking for “partnerships” for the land. The government’s next approach was to launch a public relations campaign promising Albertans that “all current park sites will remain fully protected, free from industrial development” and that partnerships with municipalities, community groups, First Nations, and non-for-profits will save money while keeping these natural areas open for recreation. Pryia: Kristina, what happens when parks lose their protected status? Kristina: Provincial parks, under the Provincial Parks Act, are primarily managed for the conservation and the protection of their natural landscapes and ecosystems as well as for accessible recreational use for Albertans. They protect their natural landscapes as well as cultural ones, and support their ecosystem’s flora and fauna. With their removal from the Parks System, these provincial parks could lose what little protection they already have for their endangered ecosystems — that could mean the loss of habitat for animals that called those parks home, which can lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem’s biodiversity. Silvana, which parks are being removed? Where are they located? Silvana They are all over the province. The full list includes the closure of 164 sites, including 10 provincial parks and nine natural areas, 146 Provincial Recreation Areas and the partial closure of 20 sites. The provincial parks are Kinbrook Island, Tillebrook, Park Lake, Williamson, Gooseberry Lake, Little Fish Lake, Rochon Sands, O’Brien, Red Lodge, and Strathcona Science Priya Heather, how are Albertans reacting to this news, as it wasn’t disclosed to the public until recently? What are the signs in people’s lawns? Heather The initial reaction was surprise and shock because there had been no public consultation before the plan was announced in February of 2020. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society decided to raise awareness of the plan through a lawn sign campaign. The white and green signs say “Defend Alberta Parks.” The signs are free or by donation, which has raised about $20 a sign for the campaign. The signs are popular. There were more than 15,000 signs ordered by Albertans concerned about the closure of parks. There are also 20,000 letters that have been sent as well regarding the closure of parks. It’s not just places like Calgary or Edmonton. People in places like Banff, Nanton, and High River are buying these signs too. It even seems like whenever Premier Jason Kenny posts a comment on Twitter about the parks not being for sale, more people order the signs and Tweet about it. Heather: Priya, What are organizations and people doing about this? Priya: As Albertans have learned about what is happening to their parks they have become invested to ensure they remain open by creating petitions and fundraising campaigns. One of the first organizations to speak up about the issue was Alberta’s NDP party; they created a campaign called ‘Don’t go breaking my parks’, which is asking Albertan’s to donate $5 when they order a sticker with the slogan. The venture has gained a lot of attention provincially and federally, however it definitely is more politically targeted than others. A group of Albertans have started an organization called ‘Defend Alberta’s Parks’, which is determined to inform Albertans about these upcoming changes to our parks and fundraise in order to keep them open. The organization has started giving away lawn signs to raise awareness and accepting donations. They also have created an online template of a letter you can customize and send to your MLA and other political representatives. Alpine Aficionados is a non-profit organization that was recently started up by a group of Calgary based youth, who are dedicated to prevent the closure of Alberta parks. They sell t-shirts and sweaters with the slogan ‘Save our parks’ for $30 and $20, part of the profit goes to the Defend AB Parks organization. The t-shirts have already raised $2,175 for Alberta parks. As of late December 2020, the Alberta government has announced that all parks will no longer have their status changed or be at risk of closure. However, the government has said that 170 partnerships have been reached and little to no information about these deals have been made public. According to CPAWS Southern Alberta tens of thousands of Albertans stood up to protect the parks, by purchasing lawn signs, donating, and writing their MLAs. Thank you to all my co-hosts who helped me develop and produce this podcast. Hopefully this podcast helped educate you more on what is happening with Alberta’s parks and how passionate individuals can create change within their communities and governments. This podcast was produced by Kristina, Heather, Silvana, and Priya. For more news from Zed News YYC please visit our website zednewsyyc.weebly.com Thank you.
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