Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park has been expanded.

On January 24, 2024, the Government of Alberta issued an Order in Council adding significant land (238 hectares) to Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park (LHCPP). (Official Alberta Parks announcement). The Big Lake Environment Support Society (BLESS) believes this is extremely good news. These additional lands will now be environmentally protected, and only used for nature-based activities compatible with the conservation of this important wetland and bird habitat. 

The parcels in St Albert covered by this Order in Council (see the map below) include the 90-acre parcel north of 137 Avenue acquired by the Province specifically for this purpose. There is also an additional parcel immediately southwest of the intersection of Ray Gibbon Drive and LeClair Way. Over the past 5 years, BLESS has lobbied for those parcels to be shown as future parkland in the City of St. Albert’s planning documents. Now that the Order in Council has been issued, the City of St. Albert’s existing Municipal Development Plan and proposed Area Structure Plan should be revised to conform with the Province’s plans and zoning for these lands.

The plan accompanying the Order in Council shows that a parcel in the northwest corner of Starling in the City of Edmonton will be part of LHCPP. The City of Edmonton and Rohit Developments are planning to realign the roadways in this corner of the neighbourhood in the next two years. This proposed realignment, in conjunction with this Order in Council, permits this important natural area in the southeast corner of LHCPP to be protected. It could facilitate the installation of a future connection between the existing natural wildlife corridor in Starling and the future southeast corner of the park.

The Order in Council added significant lands in the County of Sturgeon to LHCPP.  It is a natural area located halfway between Meadowview Drive and the north shore of Big Lake. Just east of the existing “Ducks Unlimited Natural Area”. BLESS is very pleased to learn that the Province is expanding LHCPP on the north side of Big Lake. We have been lobbying both the City of St Albert and the County of Sturgeon to preserve the natural areas between Big Lake and Meadowview Drive. These are some of the most important natural habitats in the entire Edmonton Area. It is essential that both jurisdictions ensure that there is no inappropriate development south of Meadowview Drive.

Looking to the future, we recommend that the Province and each of the municipalities surrounding Big Lake build on what is facilitated by this Order in Council. The City of St Albert should amend their existing and proposed documents and plans to conform with this Order in Council. The City of Edmonton and Rohit should ensure that their proposed road realignment does not prejudice the environment in this southeast corner of LHCPP. Both the Counties of Parkland and Sturgeon should ensure that any development close to Big Lake does not prejudice LHCPP. And, most of all, the provincial politicians should allocate some funding for the proposed trail system and day-use facilities in these expanded areas of LHCPP.

More information regarding BLESS’s ongoing concerns regarding the proposed St Albert West Area Structure Plan can be found on BLESS’s website. An expanded version of that article includes a plan for the area taken from the City of St Albert’s 2018 Red Willow Park West planning document. That plan matches what has now been specified in this Order of Council. We hope and expect that other St Albert planning documents will be revised to be coordinated with the Red Willow Park West plans and the Province’s plans for Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park.

For more information contact:

Kevin Aschim

BLESS Vice President

board@bless-env.ca