In case you haven’t yet noticed, CPS had a summer make-over! At the August 8 AGM, members approved a name change and revised Mission Statement. We are now the Coalition of Park Supporters – Prince Albert National Park Inc., a name that better reflects who we are, and our revised Mission Statement better reflects our purpose. The changes are highlighted above in italic.

Other major news AGM news is the election of three new directors. We welcome Drs. Vera Pezer and Colleen Cooper, and Jim Laing to the CPS board. The new directors have attended their first Board meeting and are already contributing their skills and expertise to the tasks that lie ahead.

Thirty-five people attended the AGM to hear Supt. Rod Blair give a report on the state of PANP assets. Also in attendance was Prince Albert M.P. Brian Fitzpatrick. The forum gave members an exclusive opportunity to ask questions of Supt. Blair. Here, along with his answers, is a sample of what members had on their minds:

• Why wasn’t direct access to Kingsmere Lake provided instead of removing the Kingsmere River dam and spending money on an expensive rail system? [A] The public wanted to keep Kingsmere a backcountry experience.

• Can anything be done to fix the access road from the parking lot to the Kingsmere River boat launch that is in very poor condition? [A] Rod committed to having it looked at.

• How much of the Park’s budget will be taken up establishing new Parks? [A] Parks Canada has $40 million for asset maintenance. When Parks Canada turned into an Agency, $54 million was set aside for new Parks. The majority of money will be spent on acquisitions.

• What happens to trailer park revenues? [A] The total park budget is $5.9 million including $2 million in revenue from gates and campgrounds. The last increase in fees went directly to Park infrastructure. (eg. the ring road around Beaver Glen)

• How often is flow rate checked on the Waskesiu River? [A] Daily.

• Will Parks Canada allow volunteers to contribute labour and equipment toward necessary improvements? [A] There is room for volunteers in the Park. There is much more work than staff can handle and the union is open to working with management on this. Parks Canada can identify projects with CPS where volunteers can help.

• All the government Acts and Regulations come with a big price tag. Does Parks Canada ever think about fiscal consequences? [A] If it is not affordable, it can no longer go into the management plan.

In addition to hearing from Supt. Blair, members received Committee reports from CPS directors on Communications, Membership, Infrastructure, Finance and Watershed Management. Under new business, a member asked how CPS will identify which infrastructure projects to go after. [A] CPS will use information provided by PANP, some of it already prioritized, along with CPS member concerns, to identify the most urgent needs and will then bring them to the attention of the federal government through the Ministers of the Environment (Hon. Stéphane Dion), and Finance (Hon. Ralph Goodale), as well as area M.P.s Jeremy Harrison and Brian Fitzpatrick.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BIG THANKS to departing director Amund Otterson who has served as Treasurer for the past three years, and to Bryan Robertson, who has developed the Waskesiu.org website, and is now working to complete ours. Thank you!

ISSUE: INFRASTRUCTURE

In a letter to Ministers Dion and Goodale on September 4, Infrastructure Committee Chair Rick Lokken said that “CPS members view this issue as a priority for your government’s attention.” CPS has formally invited both ministers to visit the Park before next summer so we can show them the condition of the Park in the hope of convincing them a permanent budget adjustment is needed to rejuvenate and sustain the assets of PANP and all National Parks.

We have not received a formal response to our letter yet, however Minister Dion’s more recent response to the Throne Speech on Oct. 19 indicates the government’s intention to “introduce legislation to strengthen the focus on the ecological integrity of Canada’s national parks.” He went on to say that “Canada’s parks are important for sustainable tourism, community revitalization and partnership with Aboriginal people. The Government of Canada has a responsibility to ensure that these special places are protected for the use and enjoyment of future generations, and will continue to contribute to vibrant communities and local economies.”

We see little reason to cheer these words without seeing how they will be applied to the practical reality of urgent problems in PANP. We will continue to press for a commitment from the government on these issues; directly as well as through area M.P.’s.

ISSUE: WASKESIU LAKE LEVEL

On Nov. 26, Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans met with CPS to discuss progress on the Newbury Riffle proposed to replace the dam on the Waskesiu River. Parks Canada also held an open hose in Saskatoon later that day. The riffle is intended to manage the lake level in order to maintain recreational opportunities while still allowing fish passage. Parks Canada plans to complete the riffle by autumn 2005. CPS hoped the riffle would be built sooner but government approvals are taking longer and Parks Canada focused its 2004 resources on approving the boat launches.

Except in recent years, Parks Canada usually operated the dam to keep the lake at or near 532.2m above sea level. The proposed riffle will have a concrete crest at this same level, however, to allow fish passage, it will have a .3m(12 in.) deep V-notch in the center. Parks Canada says the riffle is designed (with adequate rain and snow) so the lake will return to around 532.2m, which is about .7m (28 in.) above today’s level. They also say that building a higher concrete crest would risk flooding the shoreline and some park facilities.

CPS was concerned that, even in wet years, the V-notch could result in the lake normally being as much as .3m lower than the 532.2m; however, Parks Canada says the V-notch will not cause the lake to drop by more than 1 inch in any three month period.

CREAN LAKE TROUT WORKING GROUP

CPS was invited by PANP to participate in a working group involved in hydro-acoustic analysis of trout and other fish populations in Crean Lake. The working group will track information produced by hydro-acoustic technology, and possibly make recommendations about its use and value to PANP for future studies. Results of the initial study are still being compiled. While CPS welcomes science-based research, before committing our full support to it, we are working hard to better understand how the results may be used.

OTHER CPS INITIATIVES

The next priority for the coming months is to prepare an Operations Plan for the next calendar year that will guide our direction and focus. Each Committee will prepare its objectives and contribute to the development of the plan.

DID YOU KNOW THAT..?

Prince Albert National Park was created by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in appreciation for the support given him by the Prince Albert Board of Trade and the local Liberal executive in the general election of 1926. The local riding made it possible for the Prime Minister to win a by-election as the M.P. for Prince Albert after the elected liberal Charles Macdonald agreed to resign.

The Prince Albert Board of Trade lobbied the federal government for a national park in Saskatchewan for several years, believing it would bring tourism benefits to the area. On August 10, 1928 Prime Minister Mackenzie King officially opened Prince Albert National Park at Waskesiu Lake.

Post-script: Instead of strengthening the vague ideology of Ecological Integrity as its legislative priority, perhaps the Government should focus its energy on strategies to bring more visitors to our Parks. In hindsight, our forefathers had it right!

It is clear that a great many Canadians, especially those who have emigrated to Canada and are clustered in large cities, have little or no knowledge of our Park and thus no reason to visit or value it. How can we change that and encourage those and other people to come and experience the beauty and diversity of Prince Albert National Park? ?

MEMBERS TAKE NOTE!

We’d like your e-mail address to help us save on mailing costs. Send an e-mail today to madeleinepinder@cps-panp.ca. Also, CPS memberships are now $10 annually. Thanks for your continued support!