Unit A Lesson A15
Completion requirements
Lesson A15: Alberta Parks
Video Lesson
The following video tells the story of Alberta’s amazing parks.
Lesson A15: Alberta Parks
Alberta’s Provincial Parks Then and Now
Albertans love to go camping, boating, fishing, kayaking . . . the list of outdoor activities is endless. We love to spend our leisure time in all the wonderful nature of Alberta, and Alberta has more than 70 Provincial Parks where we can do just that.
We didn’t always have all these parks. In fact, none existed before the 1920s. The Premier at the time recognized that people wanted places to swim and to picnic, and this was exactly what the first parks were.
Albertans love to go camping, boating, fishing, kayaking . . . the list of outdoor activities is endless. We love to spend our leisure time in all the wonderful nature of Alberta, and Alberta has more than 70 Provincial Parks where we can do just that.
We didn’t always have all these parks. In fact, none existed before the 1920s. The Premier at the time recognized that people wanted places to swim and to picnic, and this was exactly what the first parks were.
Reading and Materials for This Lesson
Science in Action 7
Materials:
Science in Action 7
Reading: None
Materials:
No other materials are needed for this lesson.
Alberta’s first Provincial Parks were small government-owned pieces of recreational land. One of the first of these parks is Aspen Beach Provincial Park on Gull Lake. With a clear lake, sandy beaches, and treed areas near, it is a perfect place to relax,
swim, and picnic.
Soon afterward, the government made a list of other scenic places to be purchased over time for future park development. In the 1950s, many people had cars, and many more provincial parks were developed. Tents and travel trailers became very popular. People wanted places to camp, boat, fish, relax, and play. The development of the parks focused on providing facilities for these activities.
To manage all this new park land development, a new Parks Act was passed by the provincial government. A department was set up to administer the parks. Park personnel were hired. The increased use began to take its toll on the park ecosystems. Camping facilities were controlled in forest areas so that human-caused forest fires could be kept to a minimum.
Soon afterward, the government made a list of other scenic places to be purchased over time for future park development. In the 1950s, many people had cars, and many more provincial parks were developed. Tents and travel trailers became very popular. People wanted places to camp, boat, fish, relax, and play. The development of the parks focused on providing facilities for these activities.
To manage all this new park land development, a new Parks Act was passed by the provincial government. A department was set up to administer the parks. Park personnel were hired. The increased use began to take its toll on the park ecosystems. Camping facilities were controlled in forest areas so that human-caused forest fires could be kept to a minimum.
Figure A.4.15.1 – Gull Lake, site of Alberta's first provincial park, is still popular today.
Figure A.4.15.2 – Wabamun Lake Provincial Park is an hour's drive west of Edmonton. Albertans flock to parks for camping, picnics, and other recreation and relaxation activities. Photo by
Kurt Bauschardt.
Figure A.4.15.3 – Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park showcases thousands First Nations rock carvings and paintings.
Figure A.4.15.4 – Dinosaur Provincial Park has hoodoos, canyons, and dinosaur bones.
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Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park not only offers visitors amazing natural beauty, but it also preserves and protects many First Nations natural art.
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park not only offers visitors amazing natural beauty, but it also preserves and protects many First Nations natural art.
Dinosaur Provincial Park: Land of Awe
It is thought that the name "badlands" was the name used to describe places like Dinosaur Provincial Park because of the difficult weather and terrain often found there. These days, there is nothing bad about visiting the badlands there.
It is thought that the name "badlands" was the name used to describe places like Dinosaur Provincial Park because of the difficult weather and terrain often found there. These days, there is nothing bad about visiting the badlands there.
Figure A.4.15.5 – Barrier Lake, in the Bow Valley Provincial Park, has excellent picnic sites.
In the 1960s, people began to realize that parks are about more than recreation. Nature has to be preserved, too. New natural and wild areas were set aside as protected areas. They were not developed into recreational areas, but were meant to stay as
natural and untouched as possible. In 1980, some of these areas were listed as ecological reserves. specifically protected for scientific research, education, and heritage appreciation. People were realizing that Alberta has many distinct ecosystems
that were disappearing under development. These natural areas were set aside to preserve some of those remaining ecosystems.
Today, provincial parks are designed to serve many important functions. They still provide recreational areas for people. Accessibility for people with physical disabilities is a priority. They are available to people of all incomes. Picnic areas and beaches remain free for day use. Electrical hookups, washrooms with showers, and sewage management are available for camping overnight. Camping fees help support provincial parks.
Today, provincial parks are designed to serve many important functions. They still provide recreational areas for people. Accessibility for people with physical disabilities is a priority. They are available to people of all incomes. Picnic areas and beaches remain free for day use. Electrical hookups, washrooms with showers, and sewage management are available for camping overnight. Camping fees help support provincial parks.
Figure A.4.15.6 – You might take a hike in Alberta’s provincial parks.
Figure A.4.15.7 – Alberta's many lakes allow various types of boating, canoeing, and kayaking.
Figure A.4.15.8 – Wildlife is abundant; you might see a mule deer … and it might see you!
Figure A.4.15.9 – You might catch a glimpse of a thirteen-lined squirrel.
Although recreational use of high-tech has increased over the decades, people’s basic need for relaxation, which involves beaches, picnic areas, playgrounds, swimming, and boating, remain the same. Meanwhile, our knowledge about these natural environments
has grown, too. We are beginning to recognize the importance of our ecosystems.
As we continue to learn more about our Alberta ecosystems, we value our natural spaces even more. Imagine Alberta’s provincial parks in the future. Will there be facilities where we can learn about the local ecosystem? Will they have spaces set aside as preserves for local species where we can listen to them or watch them without disturbing them? Will we learn about the area’s First Nation’s history? As Alberta’s natural ecosystems continue to decline, how much more precious will our protected areas be to us?
We can do so much more to protect and enhance our provincial parks. The challenge is to find the balance between human needs for recreation in nature and the needs of nature itself.
As we continue to learn more about our Alberta ecosystems, we value our natural spaces even more. Imagine Alberta’s provincial parks in the future. Will there be facilities where we can learn about the local ecosystem? Will they have spaces set aside as preserves for local species where we can listen to them or watch them without disturbing them? Will we learn about the area’s First Nation’s history? As Alberta’s natural ecosystems continue to decline, how much more precious will our protected areas be to us?
We can do so much more to protect and enhance our provincial parks. The challenge is to find the balance between human needs for recreation in nature and the needs of nature itself.
Figure A.4.15.10 – Before falling aslepp beneath a wide, clear sky full of stars.
Education, imaginative thinking, volunteering by citizens, and careful management of Alberta’s Parks will help protect these treasured spaces and ensure that we can enjoy them in sustainable ways.
Figure A.4.15.11 – Days spent at ski resorts like Sunshine Village make you appreciate the beauty of Alberta's parks.
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