James Part 7

This episode: Parks for Tomorrow. We’re going to look at one protest in Banff on a drizzly October day in 1977. And we’re going to peek behind the scenes to see how and why organizers tried to get media attention. We’re sharing three stories about Albertan environmental groups and journalists way back in the 70s.It's part two of our mini-series… You Can Change the World! Or… Why Would I Talk to You?Parks for Tomorrow was a coalition of scientists and environmental groups from across Canada who came together to protect national parks from commercial exploitation. Most urgently, they wanted to stop expansion of the Sunshine Village ski resort in Banff, and cattle grazing and haycutting in Waterton and Prince Albert National Parks. Their campaign was centred around a march down the streets of Banff on October 23, 1977. The Parks for Tomorrow demands were endorsed by conservation groups from across Canada who said they represented over 750,000 members. The ground-level organizing work was done by a small group of volunteers, many from the Banff-based Bow Valley Naturalists.We went through Bow Valley Naturalists’ records at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies to learn why they valued media coverage so highly – and ask how much these lessons would apply outside of a park.--Don't miss our next live show - Let's Find Out: About the Whale Society of Edmonton.Yes, Edmonton really used to have a save-the-whales club. No, they weren't based at West Edmonton Mall. But they did make a big splash.Join Let's Find Out host Chris Chang-Yen Phillips for a live podcast recording, exploring the fascinating history of the Whale Society of Edmonton.Live PodcastTuesday March 3 20266:30 – 8 PMCity of Edmonton ArchivesPrince of Wales Armouries10440 108 AvenueFrom 1979 - 1984, the group led public education programs about whales and dolphins and advocated for their protection. Together we'll learn what drove these Edmontonians in a time of hope and crisis, and see fan art and letters they received from around Alberta.Get tickets through Taproot Edmonton: luma.com/q45148xeThis episode is brought to you by SkirtsAfire, Edmonton's annual festival featuring the work of women in the arts. This year's festival takes place from March 5 to 15, 2026, in Old Strathcona and the French Quarter, plus a new venue: ArtsHub Ortona!This episode is also brought to you by The Pulse, Taproot Edmonton's daily newsletter. Subscribe to The Pulse and you'll get original journalism from Taproot's team of reporters, summaries of recent news and upcoming event listings, and The Taproot Mini crossword.

This episode: a story about Hilary McDowall - a journalist based in Lake Louise in the 1960s and 70s. We talk about World War II spies, skiing, failed Olympic bids, and how difficult it can be to be a reporter in a small town without being engulfed in conflicts of interests.This is part one of a three-part mini-series about Alberta environmental groups and journalists in the 1970s. It was a surprisingly hopeful time for environmentalists in Alberta. Change was in the air, and governments seemed inclined to listen to public demands for conservation. So we're trying to understand why environmentalists ever talked to journalists, given that half the time they dismissed them as ill-informed city slickers or harmless housewives?We're calling this mini-series "You Can Change the World" or "Why Would I Talk To You?"Hilary McDowall's writing is a fascinating window into the relationship between journalists and environmentalists. She served as the Calgary Herald’s Lake Louise correspondent, and as sole publisher and editor of a tiny publication called the Kicking Horse News. Hilary and her husband Jack lived in the village year-round, letting her offer readers a unique window into local characters, mountain delights, and the seasonal rhythms of the ski resorts. From the mid-1960s onward, she wrote very critically about environmentalists who opposed bringing the Olympics to the area and expanding housing and highways. There was some key information she chose not to share with readers, though. Her story hints at dilemmas in reporting from a small community in a national park.This episode is brought to you by Skirtsafire, Edmonton's annual festival featuring the work of women in the arts. This year's festival takes place from March 5 to 15, 2026.This episode is also brought to you by Taproot Edmonton, the best source of reliable intelligence about the Edmonton region. Check out Taproot's podcast Speaking Municipally every Friday to hear the latest about what's going on at city hall.

Yes, Edmonton really used to have a save-the-whales club. No, they weren't based at West Edmonton Mall. But they did make a big splash.Join Let's Find Out host Chris Chang-Yen Phillips for a live podcast recording, exploring the fascinating history of the Whale Society of Edmonton.Live PodcastTuesday March 3 20266:30 – 8 PMCity of Edmonton ArchivesPrince of Wales Armouries10440 108 AvenueFrom 1979 - 1984, the group led public education programs about whales and dolphins and advocated for their protection. Together we'll learn what drove these Edmontonians in a time of hope and crisis, and see fan art and letters they received from around Alberta.Celebrated author and activist Candas Jane Dorsey will share stories about her late sister Jaclyn Dorsey, who helped lead the Whale Society.City Archivist Kathryn Ivany will introduce you to the Whale Society's files at the City of Edmonton Archives, and show you how you can explore your own questions at the archives.Doors open at 6 PM, show begins at 6:30 PM.This venue is wheelchair-accessible and has gender neutral washrooms.Tickets: $15 regular / $10 for Taproot Edmonton membersGet tickets through Taproot Edmonton: luma.com/q45148xe

The second episode of Clock In - An ECAMP Podcast, produced by Chris from Let's Find Out. Each episode, host Jay Gilday helps people talk to their parents about the work they did when they were younger. Along the way, we learn how working life has changed in the city.We're sharing the first two episodes in the Let's Find Out feed. New episodes of Clock In come out on Mondays here.Shima Robinson has always admired her mom. Shima served as Edmonton’s 10th Poet Laureate, and performs spoken word poetry under the name Dwennimen. Her mom, Elsa Robinson, is an accomplished visual artist and former teacher. Shima finds Elsa such a stalwart and reliable human being. Given how hard it can be to be a parent and make a living as an artist, Shima’s always wondered: How has Elsa pulled it off? And how have Elsa’s jobs and art informed each other?In this episode, Clock In host Jay Gilday helps Shima ask her mom, and finds the admiration runs both ways.Clock In was produced by Joe Hartfeil and Chris Chang-Yen Phillips. Our researcher is Cathy Roy. Artwork and design by Mike Kendrick and Raffaella Loro. Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Jay Gilday.This episode is brought to you by the Taproot Edmonton Calendar. Visit for listings of all kinds of happenings in the Edmonton area: theatre shows, networking events, community gatherings, and much, much more. Want to reach Edmonton's smartest, most engaged people? Advertise in Taproot!