Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is being threatened with inundation. The Government of Alberta has just announced that it is planning to create a new permanent reservoir to mitigate impacts of flood and drought in Calgary. Three potential locations are being investigated; one of these, the Glenbow East Reservoir option, would result in destruction of the central corridor of the park, leaving only upland coulees above water. Please support the preservation of this unique and vital park by voicing your concern to the government now.

Critical ecological resources would be lost if the Glenbow East Reservoir dam is built. The Nature Conservancy of Canada estimates that less than 5% of native fescue grasslands remain in the whole country, so loss of this landscape in the park would be significant. Endangered species would be harmed by this development, including the Limber pine (which takes 50 years to reach maturity). Among the over 100 bee species that have been identified at the park, are several species that are at risk and threatened, including the Western and Yellow Banded bumble bees. The park provides a valuable ecological landscape to a great variety of plants and animals; flooding the park would have wide-ranging consequences for this ecological diversity.

Many cultural resources are located in Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park and would be lost forever if the dam is built here. Twenty-seven prehistoric sites have been recorded in the park and cover a range of types including tipi rings, and a bison kill site. Among the sixteen historic sites in the park are early ranch sites, and the one-of-a-kind Glenbow Quarry and Townsite, with the associated General Store / Post Office building. This quarry was the source for many heritage buildings in Calgary and across Alberta. These well-preserved and important historic sites are rare archaeological resources. All these cultural sites provide a physical link to our past which would be destroyed by a dam in this location. 

Prized educational, recreational, and tourism resources would be ruined if the dam is constructed here. Urban children participate in many educational programs at the park through school and summer programs, and they learn about the natural environment and diverse cultural history of western Canada. The Great Trail (formerly known as the Trans-Canada Trail) runs right through the heart of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, bringing tourism and recreational opportunities to our region of the province.

The land that is now Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park was donated by private landholders specifically to protect and preserve this landscape from development and destruction. Now the Provincial Government is considering doing just that. Please register your concern for the protection of this wonderful park by commenting on the government website and/or by attending one of their Information Sessions (4-8 PM on Sept. 30 at Cochrane Ranche House, on Oct. 3 and Oct. 15 at RockPoint Church). Your intervention is crucial and urgently needed. The Government is only accepting input until 31 October 2019.