Provincial Sources. Please read our Commenting Policy first. EDMONTON — The Alberta government is fully or partially closing 20 provincial parks and is planning to hand over 164 others to third-party managers. The province say it’s a temporary measure for this year’s camping season. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says it’s an important step in the right direction that shows the voices of Albertans are making a difference. The Province of Alberta just announced in a release that it will be closing or partially closing 20 sites this season to “support a more effective and efficient park system.” Another 164 sites are being eyed for potential sale to First Nations, municipalities, or non-profits. 20 Alberta Parks slated for full or partial closures. Read more: The poorly thought-out initiative by Alberta Parks that would fully or partially close 20 sites and remove 164 “very small and under-utilized” Provincial Recreation Areas from the parks system has resulted in considerable opposition from the outdoor community. Some of these will be full park closures, where the entire site will be closed to public access. The plan to close some sites and hand over others has raised concerns among many, with one online petition getting more than 52,000 signatures. Want to discuss? “I’m a user of those trails. Environment Minister Jason Nixon said about six groups have contacted him about one of those sites. 1. taking immediate steps to halt further closures by the Edmonton Public School Board by amending the Closure of Schools Regulation, Alberta Regulation 238/97, to provide parents and other community members with a period of not less than 18 months to formulate a revitalization plan in response to any proposed public school closure, and to require the board to give such plan full consideration; “The retail side loses a tremendous amount of money. In March,The Government of Alberta announced the removal of 164 parks and the closure of 20 campsites and day-use areas, impacting a total of 175 parks and provincial recreation areas. Now is the time for us to speak up for our parks! Twenty provincial parks will see full or partial closures in 2020, in a move estimated to save $5 million as part of the Alberta government’s 2020 budget,… For full details, visit the Alberta Parks website at: Alberta Environment and Parks Response to COVID-19. Read more: CPAWS Northern and Southern Alberta chapters have been pushing for this decision to be reversed, but protecting Alberta’s parks is not possible without you! “We are relieved to see this update, but emphasize that these sites need to be available to Albertans not just this summer, but also in the future,” the organization said in a statement. All events and programs have been cancelled. Article content. Alberta Parks camping reservations set to open up for bookings in March. Backcountry Safety. 1 If he’s successful, upwards of 164 parks will be sold off -- and risk becoming profit-making ventures for private corporations instead of a way to preserve our natural heritage that everyone can access. The public will be barred from 11 of those parks, while nine will be accessible but without any services. There are plans to update parks legislation in 2021. Author of the article: Licia Corbella. “The Act” or “Act” refers to the Municipal Government Act (MGA). Defend Alberta Parks was started to stop the closure and removal of 175 parks in 2020. Published Tuesday, June … Alberta Parks remain accessible, but facilities, including toilets, playgrounds, picnic shelters, warm-up huts, and winter camping, are closed. Ceasing grounds-keeping would be among what would fall under “non-serviced,” it said. But officials quietly updated the COVID-19 response page on the Alberta Parks […] The Alberta government walked back from their plan, but the threat to Alberta’s parks is not over. Campers and park users that Global News spoke with on Tuesday said they were disappointed to see the parks affected, but understood why they ended up on the chopping block. Another 164 parks are to be handed over to third parties to manage. EDMONTON – The Alberta government has quietly halted the closure of 17 provincial parks and recreation sites this year because of COVID-19. EDMONTON — The Alberta government has quietly halted the closure of 17 provincial parks and recreation sites this year because of COVID-19. But nature-lovers and campers are expressing a lot of concern over a move to close some of Alberta's parks. The province had initially planned to fully or partially close 20 provincial parks and hand off another 164 to third-party managers, but officials quietly updated the COVID-19 response page on the Alberta Parks website. READ MORE: While the Alberta Parks news release has recently been amended to remove the mention of sale of parks*, we continue to be concerned with the massive changes to the parks system without transparent decision making or consultation with Albertans. “There’s Sulphur Lake, for example — 36 people were going to it at any given year and that’s not what we can focus on and we need to focus on the heavily utilized areas and that people want to camp at.”, Nixon said during a time of “fiscal restraint” in Alberta, those struggling to find jobs don’t “want the government focused on having a comfort campground for them.”. “It certainly will affect us, we are big parks users,” Daryll Harrison said. But officials quietly updated the COVID-19 response page on the Alberta Parks website. No one from Alberta Environment was immediately available for comment. Alberta 5-1-1 Road Reports. “Alberta’s taxpayers pay over $86 million a year to be able to run our campgrounds of which we receive around $36 million in revenue,” Nixon said. Alberta Opposition calls for public consultation on provincial parks plan. The total amount of land involved is about 16,000 hectares. Kenney buried the plan in his budget he just released last week, hoping no-one would notice. As Sarah Offin reports, outdoor and environmental enthusiasts are trying to ensure government cutbacks don’t threaten popular outdoor retreats now or in the future. Jason Kenney wants to privatize provincial parks. Safety Links. (See the full list below). The UCP government tabled their 2020 budget last week announcing $4 million in cuts to Alberta Parks over the next three years: including the closure of twenty campsites either partially or completely, job losses to seasonal staff, increased camping fees, and some provincial campgrounds will have shortened operational seasons. Show us the data,” environment critic Marlin Schmidt said. Expert speakers Steve Donelon and Chris Smith of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society will examine the implication of the Alberta government’s plan and suggest ways to respond. We are monitoring our operations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and this page is updated as adjustments are made. Corbella: Alberta Parks are not for sale — not one square centimetre . Prior to the changes for this year, the plan would have seen the loss of about 16,000 hectares of parks and recreation area — small compared with the province’s total park system, but one-third of the number of sites the province manages. The Alberta North chapter of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society spoke out about the cuts and has initiated a campaign, including a petition, to stop the closure or de-listing of 39 per cent of the parks in the province. Alberta government quietly halts closure of 17 provincial parks, Albertans rally to try to stop Government from closing, delisting parks, WATCH: A pandemic pause in the Alberta Government’s plans to close 17 parks or recreation sites isn’t stopping users from voicing concerns. Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday. The Alberta government wants to hand off management of 164 provincially run parks to outside groups. It noted that the website doesn’t address what is happening with the 164 sites that were to be handed off to third-party managers. Contact. Revenue from Alberta Parks service fees in 2018-19 was $33.4 million. EDMONTON — The Alberta government has quietly halted the closure of 17 provincial parks and recreation sites this year because of COVID-19. Jill Croteau has more on the fallout. As part of Alberta Parks optimization, Alberta government has announced that 20 twenty parks will be closed completely or partially to public access in 2020. Closure - COVID-19 RESPONSE - Facility Closures March 16, 2020. For more information about Alberta’s COVID-19 response, visit COVID-19 info for Albertans. If done with care, these sweeping changes can protect and preserve Alberta’s parks for decades. Want to discuss? The province had initially planned to fully or partially close 20 provincial parks and hand off another 164 to third-party managers. The United Conservative government says the changes, which it calls optimizing Alberta’s parks, will save $5 million. Environment Minister Jason Nixon has previously said the sites for which no manager can be found will lose park status and revert to general Crown land, which can be sold. Trail Reports. Immediate changes that will occur in 2020: •Twenty parks will have full or partial closures in 2020. For Grace Wark with the Alberta Wilderness Association, the decision is “concerning.”, — With files from Global News’ Jill Croteau. Alberta Parks Closures, Privatizations Announced By Kenney Gov't. Over a third of Alberta's provincial park sites will be impacted by the changes. The site says the province will operate the 17 sites this year because it wants to give Albertans more opportunities to camp and connect with nature over the summer. section 1 of the LAEA who signs a petition. The government says that’s less than one per cent of the province’s parks system, but it isn’t clear if that includes the national parks. I should be the one who is complaining but I understand the big picture… We can’t keep spending money when we don’t have it,” Anders Renborg said. The NDP said it wanted to see numbers to back up the government’s justification for the cuts. Minimizing Impacts. We are not selling any Crown or public land — period. The province had initially planned to fully or partially close 20 provincial parks and hand off another 164 to third-party managers, but officials quietly updated the COVID-19 response page on the Alberta Parks website. – Sep 15, 2020, Walter Gretzky, father of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, dies at 82, Massive ‘space hurricane’ discovered swirling over the North Pole, Alberta wants to hand off management of 164 provincial parks, 20 Alberta parks and campgrounds closed fully or partially as a result of budget cuts, How changes to Alberta parks will impact conservation, Niagara’s COVID-19 vaccination plan expected to be a month behind much of the province, Study to probe level of COVID-19 transmission in Vancouver schools, ‘When will it end?’: New data suggests COVID-19 could become endemic, Regulators caution Ontario doctor for ‘irresponsible’ tweets about COVID-19, Powerful Pacific earthquake triggers tsunami warnings but New Zealand spared, Here’s who the provinces say should expect COVID-19 vaccines in the coming weeks, Concerns about third wave and getting back to normal, New Zealander reacts as earthquake shakes bedroom, 6 Dr. Seuss books will no longer be published due to racist imagery, B.C. Canmore, Alberta - October 14, 2020: Defend Alberta Parks Petition Lawn Sign to ensure province parks remain protected. Alberta parks partnership rules to be released, critics call for consultation. Alberta Emergency Alert. “I’m sorry this decision is made but on the other hand, the province is in a serious situation from a financial perspective and ultimately, tough decisions have to be made.”. Avalanche Reports. "Optimizing Alberta Parks" on albertaparks.ca. The changes are throughout the province — from campsites at Dinosaur Provincial Park in the south to the complete closure of Kehiwin Provincial Park in the north. 3. 20 Alberta Parks slated for full or partial closures, “Like a lot of places, they are well-known and well-loved by people [who] see them as having recreational value,” Wark said.