Table Of Content

It* - ALBERTA' S Nowhere in North America can you find such a diversity of landlforms as in Alberta. From the lofty mountains of Kananaskis Country to the dark, shady forests of Lakeland; from the native grasslands of Kennedy Coulee Ecological Re- serve to t he rugged foothills of Beauvais Lake; from the ghostly hoodoos and badlands of Writing-on-Stone and Dinosaur Provincial Park to the storm-swept beaches of Lesser Slave Lake — Alberta's natural heritage is preserved in parklands. Alberta's Parks — Our Legacy celebrates 60 years of provincial parks, and the myriad of plants and animals that live in them. It a lso pays tribute to the many dedicated citizens and parks personnel who helped shape the political will to protect these and other natural heritage landscapes including the national parks and wilderness areas. World-class photographers Rosemary Calvert, Fred Vermeulen, Tom Webb and botanical artist, Rare Helium, and many others have visually captured the beauty of the province's diverse landscapes, flora and fauna. Alberta's park rangers, naturalists, poets and award-winning writers challenge us to understand and protect our natural heritage. r Alberta's system of parks is an evolving legacy. From ecological reserves and wilderness areas that focus on protection, to provincial parks and recreation areas which afford opportunities for outdoor recreation and heritage appreciation — Alberta's parks are world-class. Join with Albertans to celebrate, enjoy, learn about, understand and appreciate the legacy of parks that has been entrusted to our care! Lake Claire || P eace-Athabasca Delta Ramsar Site | [ W ood Buffalo National Park [ Ca nadian Shield IA t habasca Dunes Ecological Reserve [ R ichardson Lake Bird Sanctuary ^] S and Plain Lake Athabasca The above diagram is an orientation to the satellite photograph inside the covers. This photograph of the north-east corner of Alberta shows an area of extreme landscape diversity as well as sites protected by four different park-related designations. The top-half of the photograph lies within Wood Buffalo National Park. Surrounding Lake Claire is t he Peace-Athabasca Delta Ramsar Site. Just below is t he Richardson Lake Bird Sanctuary. This area is one of the world's largest freshwater deltas. To the left of Lake Claire, the land slopes upward toward the Birch Mountains and is blanketed by coniferous stands of the boreal forest. The two white crescent shapes in the lower-left corner are active sand dunes, the larger protected as the Athabasca Dunes Ecological Reserve. Numerous kettle lakes are clearly visible below the Reserve, and above, is an extensive sand plain of glacial outwash. The entire area in the vicinity of the Reserve has been subjected to a recent forest fire. The redder tones are wetter sites such as the valley of the Richardson River between the areas of active sand that did not burn. Between Lake Athabasca and the Slave River are the granite outcrops of the Canadian Shield. The long narrow configuration of many of the small lakes is t he result of glacial erosion along faults in the bedrock. (Alberta Transportation and Utilities/ Radarsat International) Alberta's Parks - Our Legacy Rosemary HI. Calvert, FRPS Published by Alberta Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation Edmonton, Canada. Copyright 1992. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Every effort has been made to obtain all necessary copyright. If a ny copyright has been unwittingly misstated or infringed, the Alberta Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation offers apologies and will rectify the omission in the next printing. Although the information contained in this book is, t o the best of the knowledge of the Alberta Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, correct, the Foundation cannot make any representation as to its accuracy or suitability for the purpose for which any person may wish to use it. Edited by Donna M. von Hauff, Edmonton, Canada Front/Back Cover photographs by Rosemary H.L Calvert, Calgary, Canada Design by Wei Yew Studio 3 Graphics, Edmonton, Canada Printed and bound by D.W. Friesen, Altona, Canada Distributed in Canada by Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Canada 96 95 94 93 92 5 4 3 2 1 Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Alberta's Parks — Our Legacy Includes index. ISBN 0-7732-0649-3 1 . P rovincial parks and reserves — Alberta. I. v on Hauff, Donna, 1952- II. Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation FC3663.A53 1992 971.23 C92-090354-1 SB484.C3A53 1992 Alberta's Parks - Our Legacy Fred Vermeulen Edited by Donna von Hauff Published by Alberta Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation TABLE OF CONTENTS Caring for the Land 6 Parks ... A Tradition 7 A Chance to Reflect 9 Growing a Book 10 Boreal Forest 13 Calling Lake Provincial Park • Can You Eat These? • M ushroom Magic • Carson-Pegasus Provincial Park • C old Lake Provincial Park • Cross Lake Provincial Park • Garner Lake Provincial Park • Gregoire Lake Provincial Park • H illiard's Bay Provincial Park • Kimiwan Lake • L akeland Provincial Park • L esser Slave Lake Provincial Park • Long Lake Provincial Park • M oonshine Lake Provincial Park • Moose Lake Provincial Park • Notikewin • O'Brien Provincial Park • P embina River Provincial Park • S ir Winston Churchill Provincial Park • Thunder Lake Provincial Park • P itcher's Cottage • Wabamun Lake Provincial Park • Williamson Provincial Park • Winagami Lake Provincial Park • Young's Point Provincial Park • A Visit to the Park on July 1, 2010 An Evolving Legacy 14 Conquering the Land • The Birth of P arks in Alberta • The History of t he Provincial Park Movement • Community Spirit • R esolving a Dichotomy Canadian Shield 47 Foothills 49 Parks and People • B eauvais Lake Provincial Park • B ig Hill Springs Provincial Park • Chain Lakes Provincial Park • A Commemoration • Crimson Lake Provincial Park • William A. Switzer Provincial Park Grassland 57 The Great South Circle Tour • Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park • F rom Past to the Present on a Bus • D inosaur Provincial Park • K inbrook Island Provincial Park • L ittle Bow Provincial Park • L ittle Fish Provincial Park • M idland Provincial Park • M ilk River Canyon • P ark Lake Provincial Park • P olice Outpost Provincial Park • Tillebrook Provincial Park • Willow Creek Provincial Park • Woolford Provincial Park • Taber Provincial Park • Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park • Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park Parkland 97 Aspen Beach Provincial Park • B ig Knife Provincial Park • C ooking Lake-Blackfoot • Dillberry Lake Provincial Park • Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park • G ooseberry Lake Provincial Park • Hasse Lake Provincial Park • The Little Park that Could • M a-Me- O Beach Provincial Park • M iquelon Provincial Park • P igeon Lake Provincial Park • Queen Elizabeth Provincial Park • R ed Lodge Provincial Park • R ochon Sands Provincial 4 Park • S askatoon Island Provincial Park • S trathcona Science Park • S ylvan Lake and