The Alberta Legislature private member’s Bill 204, also known as the Municipal Government (National Urban Parks) Amendment Act, could make protecting the watershed and ecosystem of the Nose Creek valley more difficult.

Save Nose Creek’s founder Andrew Yule, who has been advocating for the valley to become one of Canada’s National Urban Parks for several years, said that the bill if passed, would take away an important avenue to protect that area of northeast Calgary.

Bill 204 would prevent municipal councils from negotiating with the federal government to negotiate with the federal government, except under prescribed terms set out by the province’s cabinet. It would also invalidate bylaws or agreements made without cabinet approval.

“It’s been our hope that Nose Creek is perfect for a national urban park. It very much fits a lot of the criteria for a national urban park,” said Yule.

“[We’re] definitely disappointed that will be an avenue that’s that’s taken away from us. I guess my question to the UCP would be what are they going to do instead? It feels like we’re just getting something taken away and without anything, replacing it.”

National Urban Parks were announced by Parks Canada in 2021, as a way to protect an initial six locations across the nation with a variety of governance models, including Parks Canada administered park space based on Canada’s smallest national park, Rouge National Park, a partnership between Parks Canada and additional partners, or locally administered spaces by third-parties including Indigenous groups.

Edmonton’s river valley was selected as one of 15 sites across the country for feasibility.

Provincial MLA claims bill will give more autonomy to Albertans over park spaces

A second reading of the bill passed on March 11, with a vote in the Alberta Legislature.

Lesser Slave Lake MLA Scott Sinclair, speaking to the bill in the Legislature, said that it was an important way to preserve the future of the province without the interference of the federal government.

“Bill 204 serves as a crucial safeguard against federal overreach by granting our province a rightful say, in the establishment of national parks within Alberta’s borders by requiring provincial consent for such initiatives. This legislation restores the balance of power and ensures that decisions align with the interests and aspirations of all Albertans,” Sinclair said.

Sinclair also claimed that the bill would protect the interest of Indigenous groups in Alberta to have a say over parks in the province, however, the text of the bill makes no mention of who, besides cabinet, would have input into negotiations over parks.

Yule said that he was hoping that the provincial government was willing to step up as a result of the bill, to create their own provincial urban park program.

“If the province is willing, they should start their own provincial urban park plan, and Nose Creek could be a great candidate,” Yule said.

“My hope if this passes is that the province will pony up. I mean, it’s their ballgame. If they don’t want the federal government to be involved, they really have to take ownership of some of these.”

He said that the possibility of Nose Creek becoming a national urban park followed the initial negotiations between the City of Edmonton and the Government of Canada.

“The City of Edmonton have been working with the federal government to push this project forward, and so we saw definitely with the watershed that Nose Creek has here in Calgary, it had a lot of the same criteria that that Edmonton was going to have,” Yule said.

Budget for National Urban Parks Program limits the actual expansion of park lands

Yule said that in his discussions with the City of Calgary, there was less interest for the city pursuing the designation for Nose Creek because of the small budget that the federal government has put towards the project.

Parks Canada was given $130 million for the National Urban Parks Program in 2021.

Yule said the model for small urban parks isn’t and shouldn’t be entirely limited to National Urban Parks.

“I think everybody thinks provincial parks and national parks are these huge things, but they can be just as poignant in small settings. Especially for Nose Creek, which has such historical significance that isn’t really being protected anywhere. The habitat, and the watershed—everything needs to be protected,” he said.

“We’re pushing the City to work on the Coventry Hills stormwater ponds next to the creek, make it a nice little regional park there.”

The focus for Nose Creek this year, he said, was on public outreach and on advocating for preservation in the Aurora Business Park within the watershed area.

“There’s a lot of activity down there in Aurora. We have we’ve seen provincial archaeologists in the area. We don’t know what’s going on, but we know the City and the Province are all doing their own kind of testing in the Aurora area. So we’re looking forward to hearing what the City and the Province are planning for that area,” Yule said.

Save Nose Creek is holding a bio-blitz and tour of Nose Creek on March 23, for Earth Hour. For more details see www.savenosecreek.com/news-events/2024-03-23-earth-hour-bio-blitz.