CPAWS Northern Alberta
Suite 627, 7 Sir Winston Churchill Square T5J 2V4 Edmonton, AB, Canada

Looking for something adventurous to do outside this weekend in Edmonton? Try following this route to learn more about the history of amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (Beaver Hills House/Edmonton). Among other places, Elk Island National Park and (ÎNÎW) Riverlot 11 hold stories of the diverse Indigenous peoples who have lived on these lands for time immemorial. https://o.canada.com/trav/finding-edmontons-indigenous-side

We too were frustrated to see this event dominated by conversation among UCP MLAs rather than responses to questions from the public. It is important for any government to listen to the concerns of its citizens. However, we are not giving up! Until we receive clear answers from Minister Nixon about what is happening to our parks, we will continue to ask questions. Don’t forget to order your Defend Alberta Parks lawn sign at www.defendabparks.ca! https://edmontonjournal.com//alberta-government-virtual-to

Are you a parent or teacher looking for some awesome environmental education options for your kids/class? Join our Community Climate Ambassador, Sunita Sanker-Clarke, for a reading of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax tomorrow (7PM MST)! The reading of this classic tale will be followed by a discussion of the meaning behind this story and its connections to conservation in Alberta. Students will learn critical analysis skills in a fun and informative discussion. The event is open to parents and teachers with children/students aged 7-13! https://fb.me/e/4I2sZC29A

A survey by the Alberta Council for Environmental Education (ACEE), where 500 youth were recently polled on climate education, shows that an education gap is leaving our youth feeling hopeless about climate change. I’d like to learn how to set up solar panels and how to build wind turbines and stuff. So instead of me just doing nothing, I could set up all these renewable energies so that we could actually have an impact, said one grade four student who participated in the study. Luckily, ACEE has a lot of ideas on how to improve our educational system to educate and empower our youth! Learn more about the study results and how you can help here: https://www.abcee.org/our-ask

David Suzuki asks "What do we lose when caribou disappear?" Perhaps the answer is muddied by the complexities of ecosystems, but species disappearance is not merely an ecological loss. Our planet faces a global biodiversity decline, and that affects our connections to nature. Suzuki expresses "The loss of caribou herds is deeply felt by many Indigenous Peoples [...]. When the caribou they have lived in relation with for generations no longer show up for seasonal rounds, many ...people have articulated an intense loneliness." We must cherish our present relationships with nature and hold space for future connection by fighting for wildlife survival. http://rosslandtelegraph.com//column-what-do-we-lose-when-

It’s been eight months since the Minister of Environment and Parks introduced the Optimizing Alberta Parks plan. On Tuesday, November 17 at 8PM, the Minister is hosting his first Q&A about the proposed changes. RSVP your name and postal code to [email protected] to ask these important questions. It shouldn’t take over 20,000 letters for the Minister to decide to engage with the Alberta public. But while we have this opportunity, we hope the Minister addresses these... important questions about the Optimizing Alberta Parks plan: 1. Under the jurisdiction of Alberta Environment and Parks doesn’t mean protected. Why are you removing the legislated protections from our parks? The department of Alberta Environment and Parks has a wide range of responsibilities including managing public lands and parks. Public land is not protected the same as parks! 2. What is the difference between parks and crown land/public land? Public does not equal protected. Parks or protected areas have specific protections against certain types of activities that crown land or public land does not. Read more: https://cpawsnab.org/what-does-delisting-mean/ 3. Why was there no consultation for the Optimizing Alberta Parks plan? This decision was announced in late February with no prior consultation with Albertans. 7 out of 10 Albertans oppose the plan. https://cpawsnab.org/wp-conte/uploads/2020//CPAWS-OMNI.pdf 4. What happens to parks that do not get partnerships? Will they revert to crown land? All our parks were created to protect environmental, cultural, or recreational values. These should remain protected. 5. Why do protections need to be removed in order to have partnerships? There are currently 100+ partnerships in Alberta’s parks. Protections do not need to be removed for successful partnerships. These sites could remain as protected areas AND the government could seek partnerships to assist with management.

2020 has been a doozy of a year! Our team has faced a lot of challenges, but we are feeling more motivated than ever seeing how Albertans are rising up across the province to keep our environment protected. Our Annual Report covers it all from March 2019 to 2020. Here are some of our favourite highlights! Pushing back against the Teck Frontier oil sands mine: The mine would have caused significant risks to Wood Buffalo National Park, Endangered whooping cranes, and migratory ...birds, as well as hampered Canada’s ability to combat climate change. We asked Canadians to provide feedback on the environmental conditions set out for the mine during the federal government’s open consultation, and we received overwhelming participation! In February 2020, Teck Resources Limited withdrew their application. Caribou and ice cream: A delicious nationwide partnership: CPAWS partnered with Chapman’s to bring national attention to our caribou conservation efforts through tasty ice cream treats. Our staff were lucky enough to meet Ashley Chapman, the Vice President of Chapman’s. We are incredibly grateful that the Chapman’s team was inspired by our on-the-ground work to recover caribou across the country, and decided to send some of the proceeds from the sale of their special Caribou Bars to CPAWS to support our work. Global Strike for Climate Action: In late September 2019, our Chapter took part in the Global Strike for Climate Action as part of the culmination of Global Climate Week, where 2 million people took part in over 2,400 protests around the world. In Edmonton, our team joined over 2,000 passionate, concerned citizens at the provincial legislature to demand action from the government to tackle the challenges we face addressing climate change. Wondering what else we were up to in 2019-2020? Read the full report here! https://cpawsnab.org///CPAWSNAB_AnnualReport2020_Final.pdf

Do you still have unanswered questions after Minister Nixon’s Q&A yesterday? After eight months of tens of thousands of Albertans fighting to Defend Alberta Parks, we see that Albertans are still not giving up on their parks. Join us next Wed Nov 25th @ 7pm, along with CPAWS Southern Alberta and Alberta Environmental Network, to get honest answers from fellow park lovers. Register today to save your spot! www.defendabparks.ca/register Link to Minister Nixon’s Q&A yesterday: h...ttps://fb.watch/1QXdaKm3XK/ Missed our previous town halls? Find them here to better prep your questions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist

Congratulations to the Inuit community of Inukjuak and the federal government for the creation of the Arqvilliit Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA)! This IPCA covers a chain of 24 islands in the northeastern part of Hudson Bay, known as Tasiujarruaq ilua in Inuktitut. It will protect habitat for important species-at-risk, including polar bears. Protecting polar bear habitat is protecting the polar bears forever, says Shaomik Inukpuk, town manager of Inukjuak. In...vestment in IPCAs benefits nature and elevates Indigenous land and water stewardship for generations to come. https://www.rcinet.ca//arqvilliit-indigenous-protected-ar/