ATHABASCA - Members of the Save Chain Lakes group that has been collecting signatures all summer were finally able to present their petition with over 1,700 names to Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken last week.
On Oct. 16, while about 10 others carried picket signs outside the Town of Athabasca administration building and stood outside the window of van Dijken’s office in the basement, group co-founder Cecile Fausak and goup member Paula Evans met with the MLA for about 40 minutes to discuss the Alberta government's proposal to shut down many public parks across Alberta; specifically, Chain Lakes, Lawrence Lake and Fawcett Lake in the Athabasca region.
“We are glad our MLA made the time to meet with us,” Fausak said. “We are very concerned that he does not seem to understand the implications of removing one-third of Alberta's parks from protection under the Parks Act, and that Alberta is far from meeting its commitment to protect 17 per cent of the province.”
Fausak added that the provincial government did not appear to appreciate what happens when public lands can be accessed, but are not serviced — with no garbage collection, bathrooms facilities or groundskeeping — leading to a mess for the next people who visit.
“Of course, they are not going to publicly say how removal of park regulations can open public lands up to other activities like forestry, mining, et cetera and certainly random camping, quadding, bushwhacking,” said Fausak. “It is crazy that they are so supportive of free, random camping, but not regulated camping with user fees.”
After undertaking an assessment of nearly 500 sites, a March 3 media release from the provincial government said 164 of those sites were being proposed for removal from the parks system noting they are “small and under-utilized Provincial Recreation Areas and would be available for partnership opportunities or alternative management approaches.”
That sparked frustration by park users, and thousands of others across Alberta, like the members of the Save Chain Lakes group, because many think the status of the land will be changed and it will be sold off as Crown land for resource development.
In an Oct. 10 Twitter post, Alberta premier Jason Kenney blamed the NDP and "foreign interest groups" for perpetuating that theory.
“No parks have been sold, no parks will be sold," Kenney's post said. "If you’re getting that I’m guessing you’re on Facebook and you’re seeing NDP Facebook ads and ads run by foreign interest groups like green left organizations that are lying to people in order to raise money, welcome to how the green left operates.”
Fausak also pointed out that at the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity held in Aichi, Japan, Canada pledged to meet the agreed upon biodiversity targets, however it was not until 2016 that Canada set its own biodiversity goals and targets and the federal government announced its plan to achieve the targets.
“Conservation, maintaining integrity of watersheds and provision of recreation opportunities for everyone now and generations to come are responsibilities of government, and cannot be expected to be covered by user-pay fees," said Fausak, noting the Alberta Government has not yet committed to the targets set in Aichi.
“While it was announced that 164 sites are open to proposals for third party management partnerships, the reality is that municipalities, service clubs, businesses and/or individuals are not likely to take on their operation at more than about 60 of these sites,” said Fausak.
She encouraged those opposed to the full or partial closure of 20 parks and recreation areas, and the removal of 164 more from parks protection and proposed for partnerships, are encouraged to continue to write to their MLAs and environment and parks minister Jason Nixon.
“The petition will be tabled in the Legislature on Oct. 29, and the Save Chain Lakes North Action Group will continue working to defend Alberta parks,” Fausak said.
Heather Stocking, TownandCountryToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @HLSox
