68 - How to Make a National Park

Did you know that Elk Island National Park used to have a bison abattoir? Have you ever heard of the national parks in Alberta that were dissolved? In this live podcast recording, we explore the wild history of making national parks in our area, and what it can teach us about the current plans to build a new urban national park in Edmonton’s river valley.Ever see wardens feeding the animals in Buffalo National Park near Wainwright, or see the pronghorn in Nemiskam and Wawaskey National Parks near Medicine Hat? Probably not, because they were all dissolved in the 20th century! Listen in as public historian Lauren Markewicz reveals how national parks have been made and unmade in Alberta.Then hear as Taproot’s Mack Male and Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations’ Miranda Jimmy give us the inside scoop on building a new national urban park here in Edmonton. What are the Confederacy’s hopes and dreams for a potential new park? Will you have to pay to get in, and will you be able to pick saskatoon berries?We dive into all that and more, and questions from listeners like you.This episode was recorded on September 21, 2023 at the Alfred H. Savage Centre in Edmonton, or Amiskwaciwâskahikan. It is the culmination of our season driven by listener questions about the history of parks and natural areas in Edmonton.