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

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Claire Morrison