menu_open Columnists

Edmonton Journal
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Opinion: Hockey Canada trial shows courts ill-equipped for sex assault cases

Opinion: Hockey Canada trial shows courts ill-equipped for sex assault cases

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. A courtroom verdict does not reflect the full truth of...

yesterday 10

Edmonton Journal

Mary Jane James

Opinion: Visit Jasper and be a part of its renewal When the 2024 forest fires reached the town of Jasper, almost exactly a year ago, the impacts were felt deeply. Not just across the landscape, but in the lives of the community members and Canadians across the country.

Opinion: Visit Jasper and be a part of its renewal When the 2024 forest fires reached the town of Jasper, almost exactly a year ago, the impacts were felt deeply. Not just across the landscape, but in the lives of the community members and Canadians across the country.

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. When the 2024 forest fires reached the town of Jasper,...

yesterday 10

Edmonton Journal

Stuart Back

Lorne Gunter: Cancel culture dealt a blow with Hockey Canada sex assault trial verdict

yesterday 3

Edmonton Journal

Lorne Gunter

Bell: City of Calgary lays down the law to a 9-year-old boy having fun Calgary's do-little peace officers get more worked up about a 9-year-old boy's swing than they do about real lawbreakers

yesterday 1

Edmonton Journal

Rick Bell

Lorne Gunter: Smith lays groundwork for success at premier's council

Lorne Gunter: Smith lays groundwork for success at premier's council

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. What did Premier Danielle Smith achieve at the Council...

previous day 10

Edmonton Journal

Lorne Gunter

Lorne Gunter: Ousted former UCP MLAs need more than infrastructure to create viable party

Lorne Gunter: Ousted former UCP MLAs need more than infrastructure to create viable party

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Progressive Conservatives? Really!? Subscribe now to...

previous day 10

Edmonton Journal

Lorne Gunter

Opinion: As more Albertans explore parks this summer, it’s time to protect nature The Canada Strong Pass grants free admission for all to national parks and historic sites, meaning more people than ever will have the opportunity to explore our greatest shared wonder: the natural world. Our connection to the cherished landscapes, mountains, waters and wildlife defines Alberta and our culture, and cannot be overstated.

Opinion: As more Albertans explore parks this summer, it’s time to protect nature The Canada Strong Pass grants free admission for all to national parks and historic sites, meaning more people than ever will have the opportunity to explore our greatest shared wonder: the natural world. Our connection to the cherished landscapes, mountains, waters and wildlife defines Alberta and our culture, and cannot be overstated.

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. The Canada Strong Pass grants free admission for all to...

thursday 4

Edmonton Journal

Jodi Hilty

Opinion: Alberta’s gender-based violence plan should focus on survivors

Opinion: Alberta’s gender-based violence plan should focus on survivors

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and...

thursday 3

Edmonton Journal

Olesya Kochkina

Opinion: Looking west from Alberta has never been more precarious It can be easy to think that nothing past the Rockies really matters to Albertans, but what’s happening in British Columbia is deeply troubling. Government mismanagement of B.C.’s finances, economy and natural resources should be a warning to us all.

Opinion: Looking west from Alberta has never been more precarious It can be easy to think that nothing past the Rockies really matters to Albertans, but what’s happening in British Columbia is deeply troubling. Government mismanagement of B.C.’s finances, economy and natural resources should be a warning to us all.

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. It can be easy to think that nothing past the Rockies...

23.07.2025 4

Edmonton Journal

Mike Martens

Lorne Gunter: 'Attention-seeking stunt': Group stacking ballot in Alberta byelection should stop

Lorne Gunter: 'Attention-seeking stunt': Group stacking ballot in Alberta byelection should stop

Politicians shouldn’t be in charge of reforming the process. But they, who have never been elected to anything, who represent no one but...

23.07.2025 2

Edmonton Journal

Lorne Gunter

Opinion: We need less politicking and more approvals for major energy projects

Opinion: We need less politicking and more approvals for major energy projects

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Canadians increasingly agree that our country’s full...

23.07.2025 5

Edmonton Journal

Bronwyn Eyre

Opinion: Alberta’s parks are part of who we are — we must protect them The summer is upon us, and for many Albertans, including myself, that means we are maximizing our time outdoors in the endless daylight. Whether it be paddling, hiking, biking, camping or simply a picnic in the park, Albertans love spending their summers outside enjoying nature. Some of my favorite summer memories are those I spent in Alberta’s parks and natural areas. This summer, the Alberta government is asking us all to weigh in on its draft Plan for Parks. It is more than just a survey; it’s an opportunity to determine the future of Alberta’s natural spaces. When I was around 14 years old, I was on a camping trip with my family in Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. One night, my family was sitting around the fire, and as people have done for thousands of years, we looked up to the night sky as it started to get dark. The sky was clear and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. As the light continued to fade into darkness, for the first time in my life, I was able to see the Milky Way. It was breathtaking. I was enchanted by the stars, and for a moment, I felt small in comparison to the vast universe above. Yet, this feeling of being small only heightened a peaceful connection to the natural spaces around me. This is a feeling I still carry with me today. This connection to nature, from provincial parks like Writing-on-Stone, to recreation areas like Thompson Creek, to urban green spaces like the North Saskatchewan River Valley in Amiskwacîwâskahikan/Edmonton, sticks with us in ways we can’t always predict or explain. But for me, it has undeniably shaped me. These places taught me patience, independence, and a fierce love for nature. This is a love that I now channel into protecting and preserving the spaces that were integral to my childhood experiences. I am certain this is not a fringe concern. In fact, according to an opinion poll commissioned by CPAWS in spring 2025, 78 per cent of people support setting aside more land to protect wildlife habitat and 72 per cent support creating more provincial parks focused on recreation and leisure.    Alberta’s parks are not only scenic backdrops to our summers, they protect crucial ecological functions with wide-ranging benefits. Parks are valuable for their ability to filter air and water, mitigate floods, and store carbon in forests, wetlands, and soil. These ecosystems provide critical habitat for endangered and threatened species and provide refuge for wildlife from habitat fragmentation and human disturbance. Protected areas also create important ecological corridors that facilitate species migration, allowing wildlife to safely move across large geographical areas. When conservation is put at the forefront of how these protected areas are managed, entire ecosystems and landscapes can be shielded from the worst of increasing pressures from development and resource extraction. Speaking up for Alberta’s parks allows us to envision a future for Alberta’s wildlife, waters, and communities with conservation as a central value. Our connections to Alberta parks and their ecological and cultural value are why we must continue to advocate for their protection. Phase 2 of the Plan for Parks public engagement ends on Saturday. Albertans overwhelmingly expressed their support for increased conservation and expansion of the parks network in the first phase of public engagement last summer, which has been incorporated into the draft Plan for Parks. However, the draft plan also uses language that suggests an expansion of commercial development and increased privatization within park boundaries. This directly contradicts the feedback on Phase 1, but also the public outrage towards the All-Seasons Resort Act introduced in November 2024, and the plan to close parks and recreation areas back in 2020 that spurred the Defend Alberta Parks campaign. Parks aren’t just places we go; they are part of who we are as Albertans. These natural places have touched all our lives, making it our responsibility to protect them so they can continue to impact the lives of future generations. If we want them to remain and for more parks to be created, we have to speak up now. Fill out the Government of Alberta’s Plan for Parks Survey before July 26, 2025.     Claire Morrison is a fourth-year student at St. Francis Xavier University pursuing an honours degree in Public Policy and Governance. She is currently the national urban park co-ordinator with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Northern Alberta Chapter and has been a North Saskatchewan River guide for three years. We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don’t publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@edmontonjournal.com

Opinion: Alberta’s parks are part of who we are — we must protect them The summer is upon us, and for many Albertans, including myself, that means we are maximizing our time outdoors in the endless daylight. Whether it be paddling, hiking, biking, camping or simply a picnic in the park, Albertans love spending their summers outside enjoying nature. Some of my favorite summer memories are those I spent in Alberta’s parks and natural areas. This summer, the Alberta government is asking us all to weigh in on its draft Plan for Parks. It is more than just a survey; it’s an opportunity to determine the future of Alberta’s natural spaces. When I was around 14 years old, I was on a camping trip with my family in Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. One night, my family was sitting around the fire, and as people have done for thousands of years, we looked up to the night sky as it started to get dark. The sky was clear and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. As the light continued to fade into darkness, for the first time in my life, I was able to see the Milky Way. It was breathtaking. I was enchanted by the stars, and for a moment, I felt small in comparison to the vast universe above. Yet, this feeling of being small only heightened a peaceful connection to the natural spaces around me. This is a feeling I still carry with me today. This connection to nature, from provincial parks like Writing-on-Stone, to recreation areas like Thompson Creek, to urban green spaces like the North Saskatchewan River Valley in Amiskwacîwâskahikan/Edmonton, sticks with us in ways we can’t always predict or explain. But for me, it has undeniably shaped me. These places taught me patience, independence, and a fierce love for nature. This is a love that I now channel into protecting and preserving the spaces that were integral to my childhood experiences. I am certain this is not a fringe concern. In fact, according to an opinion poll commissioned by CPAWS in spring 2025, 78 per cent of people support setting aside more land to protect wildlife habitat and 72 per cent support creating more provincial parks focused on recreation and leisure.    Alberta’s parks are not only scenic backdrops to our summers, they protect crucial ecological functions with wide-ranging benefits. Parks are valuable for their ability to filter air and water, mitigate floods, and store carbon in forests, wetlands, and soil. These ecosystems provide critical habitat for endangered and threatened species and provide refuge for wildlife from habitat fragmentation and human disturbance. Protected areas also create important ecological corridors that facilitate species migration, allowing wildlife to safely move across large geographical areas. When conservation is put at the forefront of how these protected areas are managed, entire ecosystems and landscapes can be shielded from the worst of increasing pressures from development and resource extraction. Speaking up for Alberta’s parks allows us to envision a future for Alberta’s wildlife, waters, and communities with conservation as a central value. Our connections to Alberta parks and their ecological and cultural value are why we must continue to advocate for their protection. Phase 2 of the Plan for Parks public engagement ends on Saturday. Albertans overwhelmingly expressed their support for increased conservation and expansion of the parks network in the first phase of public engagement last summer, which has been incorporated into the draft Plan for Parks. However, the draft plan also uses language that suggests an expansion of commercial development and increased privatization within park boundaries. This directly contradicts the feedback on Phase 1, but also the public outrage towards the All-Seasons Resort Act introduced in November 2024, and the plan to close parks and recreation areas back in 2020 that spurred the Defend Alberta Parks campaign. Parks aren’t just places we go; they are part of who we are as Albertans. These natural places have touched all our lives, making it our responsibility to protect them so they can continue to impact the lives of future generations. If we want them to remain and for more parks to be created, we have to speak up now. Fill out the Government of Alberta’s Plan for Parks Survey before July 26, 2025.     Claire Morrison is a fourth-year student at St. Francis Xavier University pursuing an honours degree in Public Policy and Governance. She is currently the national urban park co-ordinator with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Northern Alberta Chapter and has been a North Saskatchewan River guide for three years. We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don’t publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@edmontonjournal.com

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and...

23.07.2025 1

Edmonton Journal

Claire Morrison