Defending Alberta’s Parks Together: An Information and Action Night

Getting out to our parks and wild spaces has been a saving grace for many Albertans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the rising demand for outdoor recreation, the Alberta government is still set on removing and/or closing 175 provincial parks across the province – that’s 37% of all our provincial parks! Since this decision was announced in March 2020, it has been met with a massive public opposition.

All over Alberta, citizens have been mobilizing to advocate for the protection of our provincial parks. Watch (or re-watch!) this recording of our online event to get oriented, caught up, and involved in what has been one of the busiest environmental movements of our province’s recent history. We were honoured to have community leader Chantal Chagnon join us to provide a land acknowledgement for this event.

Panelists from CPAWS Northern Alberta, CPAWS Southern Alberta, Arc’teryx, and grassroots organizations provided updates on the issue, perspectives on the value of our provincial parks and the potential costs of losing so many, and ways to take action.

Approximately 60 minutes of panelist presentations is followed by a moderated Q&A session to answer all our audience’s parks-related queries!

HOSTS:

CPAWS Northern Alberta

CPAWS Southern Alberta

Arc’teryx Calgary

Arc’teryx West Edmonton

PANELISTS AND PRESENTERS:

Chantal Chagnon: Cree Anishnabe Métis artist and community leader

Chris Smith: Parks Coordinator, CPAWS Northern Alberta

Becky Best-Bertwistle: Conservation Engagement Coordinator, CPAWS Southern Alberta

Nakita Rubuliak: Lead Organizer for Art for Alberta Parks

William Gadd: Arc’teryx Ambassador

Sarah Nason: Communications Coordinator, CPAWS Northern Alberta

MODERATOR: Emily Rendell-Watson (Taproot Edmonton)

TAKE ACTION: Visit www.defendabparks.ca to write your MLA and request a Defend Alberta Parks lawn sign.

This event was held remotely over Zoom on November 5th, 2020.