$500k donation to help preserve Crowsnest Pass wildlife corridor

Jan 7, 2020 | 3:16 PM

CROWSNEST PASS, AB – CP is donating half a million dollars to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to support a “critical wildlife corridor” near the B.C.-Alberta border.

Called the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor, after former-Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, it is located between Crowsnest Lake and the town of Coleman, connecting crown forest reserve lands in the north to the Castle parks network (Castle Provincial Park and Castle Wildland Provincial Park) along with Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National park.

The $500,000 donation will help in conserving lands in the corridor with CP being the presenting sponsor for several community events aimed at raising awareness fo the area.

It will also be used to conduct research on wildlife movement through the use of cameras.

“CP has a long history operating through the Crowsnest Pass and recognizes the potential impacts our operations can have on wildlife and ecosystems along our right of way,” says CP’s Managing Director of Environmental Risk Glen Wilson. “We are committed to helping grow the North American economy in a sustainable manner, while supporting meaningful programs and research such as this.”

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Artist rendering of a potential wildlife crossing in the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor. (Supplied by Brent Calver)

“The Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor is the accumulation of many years of work in the Crowsnest Pass and is a major conservation achievement,” adds NCC Regional Vice President Bob Demulder. “This natural link between protected spaces has been a priority for conservation organizations for decades.”

Some of the animals inhabiting the corridor include elk, deer, moose, bighorn sheep, bears, wolverines, and cougars.

To date, the NCC has conserved more than 80% of the target lands in the corridor area and is in discussions with the remaining landowners in hopes of securing the final properties this year.

by David Opinko