Nature Conservancy of Canada acquires land for conservation near Waterton Lakes National Park
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has purchased two parcels of land equalling 2.5 square kilometres near Waterton Lakes National Park.
The site sits between the national park and the hamlet of Twin Butte.
The newly acquired land will act as a wildlife corridor, allowing wildlife such as elk, bears and deer to move more safely around the region.
“It's a corridor so far as wildlife moving north and south as well as out from the Rockies during times of difficult periods of the year during harsh weather, when they need lower elevation, better shelter and habitat to be able to survive,” said Larry Simpson, senior advisor for NCC Alberta region.
The parcels of land will become part of the 130-square-kilometre private conservation lands outside of the national park, called the Waterton Park Front.
Parks Canada is pleased to see more of the land around Waterton National Park being conserved.
“Landscape-scale conservation is a priority for Waterton Lakes National Park, as protecting the land around the park itself plays a vital role in helping to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and contributes to the recovery of species at risk,” Parks Canada said in a statement.
The acquisition took months to complete and was purchased from a private land owner.
The biodiversity of the area has Simpson particularly excited.
“When I talk to biologists about the area, they continue to tell me it's one of the richest places for biodiversity and diversity of plant life in the province,” said Simpson.
The purchase took support from multiple groups including the federal government, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Cenovus Energy.
“One term that's thrown around is the whole of society approach. So that means governments, corporations, individuals, private foundations all working together to try to get a good result for nature,” said Sean Feagan, NCC Alberta region media and communications co-ordinator.
The NCC says it hopes to purchase more parcels of land in the area to conserve over the coming years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.