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CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
‘Not based on science': documents show internal government scramble to expand Alberta cougar hunt
Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement shared this photo on their Facebook page on Saturday, March 4, 2018. A controversial decision last year to substantially increase the number of cougars that can be hunted in Alberta was not based on science, according to government documents obtained by The Narwhal. Instead, expanded cougar hunting was 'based on direction from [the] minister last year and input from stakeholders,' according to an internal email between senior staff at the Ministry of Forestry and Parks. Those stakeholders were limited to members of the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society and the Alberta Tree Hounds Association. Internal emails obtained by The Narwhal through four freedom of information requests show senior staff within the ministry said 'social interests, economic effects and departmental mandates' took precedence over 'inventory and monitoring' data for a last-minute increase in cougar hunting quotas. 'Inventory and monitoring information was not the primary element used to inform the process to trigger [the cougar quota] adjustment,' a senior staffer wrote in an email to colleagues. That directly contradicts heated denials by Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen, who lashed out at his Opposition critic in the legislature earlier this year when she suggested he was not taking science and data into account. 'When it comes to wildlife in this province, I would rather manage wildlife with common sense,' he said in response to accusation of political interference from NDP MLA Sarah Elmeligi. 'I'd rather use biology than the ideology that they use.' The internal emails reveal a scramble to change the quotas with little clarity on the process. 'The normal process would be for [the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas] to undertake an updated assessment of a wildlife species population,' then share that information with the Ministry of Forestry and Parks, one senior staff wrote. No new assessment of Alberta's cougar population has been done since 2019. 'I do not believe that we have agreed on a formal process, as of yet, to inform management changes,' the staffer wrote. 'I look forward to the formalization of process,' another staffer wrote in response. 'Me too……….' was the one-line reply. They were reacting to a change that appeared suddenly just five days before the end of the 2023-24 cougar hunting season. Staff were also directed to open new areas where hounds could be used to hunt cougars. 'This is a 97.6 per cent increase in area where cougars can be hunted with hounds,' a briefing note obtained by The Narwhal says. The report made it clear that the change was not because any data had shown an increase in the cougar population. 'Cougar density in these new areas is unknown but thought to be low.' Then, in late 2024, new quotas were set for the 2024-25 season, based on the last-minute increases in March. Those changes represented an almost 40 per cent increase in the total number of cougars that could be hunted across the province as compared to the start of the previous season. At the same time, the province also quietly opened hunting in some protected areas, including Cypress Hills Provincial Park. The changes also allowed outfitters to expand into new areas — specifically around Canmore, Alta. — with separate and specific licences for guided hunting trips. The move increased the number of cougars that could be killed in those areas, over and above the official quota. The government referred to that change as the 'Alberta Professional Outfitters Society extension.' 'Several' outfitters with that association, along with the Alberta Tree Hounds Association, are the only stakeholders mentioned as being consulted about the changes. But even within that limited group, there was pushback on the government's plans. In the documents, the Alberta Tree Hounds Association expressed concerns the new quotas were 'not based on science or the [cougar] management plans at hand,' and were made at the last minute. The heavily redacted documents do not provide clarity on what the group's specific concerns were or if any changes came from its objections. The association's president, Jason Martyn, did not respond to an interview request. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen has faced accusations of conflict of interest over hunting Minister Loewen has been travelling through the U.S. and Europe to promote hunting in Alberta and sell expanded special licences for hunting a range of animals. Earlier this year, he lashed out at Elmeligi in the legislature for suggesting his ties to the hunting industry constituted a conflict of interest. The Opposition critic was forced to apologize for suggesting the minister was engaging in corruption. Loewen previously ran Todd Loewen Outfitting Ltd., which changed its name to Red Willow Outfitters. Registry documents show it is now run by family members, including his wife, Teena Loewen. Todd Loewen's November 2024 public conflict of interest disclosure did not specify a financial interest in the business, saying only the company was 'in a management arrangement approved by the Ethics Commissioner of Alberta.' A month later, following reporting by The Narwhal highlighting the company ownership, it was updated to list Red Willow as an asset of his wife. Loewen's office did not respond to an interview request or a set of emailed questions, but he has repeatedly pointed to a review by the provincial ethics commissioner clearing him of any conflicts. A transcript from a June 2024 meeting of a committee reviewing the Conflicts of Interest Act shows the minister wanted clarity around what constitutes a conflict and that he engaged with the ethics commissioner on his specific portfolio and interests. It also shows the situation was complex and that Loewen was initially barred from making some unspecified decisions and said he had to 'try three times' to remove those restrictions. Cougar hunt changes were made after consulting with hunting groups, not conservationists The documents obtained by The Narwhal make it clear the ministry was actively seeking input from hunting groups. 'The minister asked that you hold an online meeting of some houndsmen [he] is aware of (as soon as possible),' a senior staffer wrote to another in November 2024. 'Please reach out to those folks and set up a meeting within a week's time (or whatever is convenient for those guys during hunting season).' The push to consult with hunting organizations contrasts with how another stakeholder whose emails to the government appeared in the documents says they were treated. The Narwhal showed the documents to John Marriott, a wildlife photographer and advocate against cougar hunting. He said his emails were included in the correspondence with his name redacted. 'I didn't get any responses from anybody,' he said. Marriott says the documents make it clear the government was not following the science, or its own cougar management plan. 'These make it very clear that the quota increases for cougar harvest were not from the cougar biologists and the biologists that normally would be making this decision; this was a directive from above,' he said. Ruiping Luo, a conservation specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association who also reviewed the documents, echoed Marriott. 'They didn't have any new scientific reasoning for changing the quotas and that is something that we suspected: that these quotas were not based on science and there were other factors, like economics, interfering,' she said. 'The other thing — that I think was, again, expected — was there didn't seem to be a ton of consultation, or even consideration of consultation for other groups, for naturalists and recreation users and for Indigenous groups too. This does affect their Treaty Rights to hunt and trap.' 'Who cares about the science?': ecologists concerned about government's wildlife approach The increase in cougar quotas is just one of many changes to hunting regulations introduced by the current government. It has opened hunting of 'problem' grizzly bears after a 20-year ban. It has also lifted quotas on trapping wolverines — citing the need to collect data on how many wolverines are left — and other species. Marco Festa-Bianchet, a retired professor of animal ecology at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, said the decision to increase quotas on cougars without a good idea of the population numbers is troublesome. 'To me, as a scientist, what's really bad about it is just, well, let's just ignore years and years of research and wildlife biology and just say, 'Potentially cougars are bad, let's shoot some more,'' he said. More broadly, Festa-Bianchet said the government is making decisions on what appears to be a whim. 'It's just the whole approach,' he said. 'It's the same with mountain goats and grizzly bears: just, like, who cares about the science?' This story is available for use by Canadian Press clients through an agreement with The Narwhal. It was originally published in The Narwhal, a non-profit online magazine that publishes in-depth journalism about the natural world in Canada. Sign up for weekly updates at
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Forestry minister says more federal funding would make a big difference in wildfire preparedness, prevention
Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Michael Higgins: Evacuation orders have been expanded in the County of Grande Prairie, as well now as the Municipal District of Greenview. What's that say about conditions up in your corner of the province? Todd Loewen: It's definitely dry and we've had quite a bit of lightning that came through earlier that created a bunch of fires. And with high winds that we've been having, it's a perfect scenario for these forest fires to ignite and to grow, and that's the problem. There's a lot of fire in the landscape right now, and with the high winds we've been having, they've been growing exponentially as well. MH: Whether it's the northwest or anywhere else, how would you frame the start of wildfire season in our province and the degree to which it's testing Alberta's ability to respond? TL: The first three weeks of May wasn't that bad. We had a high number of fires, but we were able to get on them quick, and weather conditions allowed us to control those fires pretty quickly. But the last week of May and into June, the lightning came through, and it has a static capacity. As far as our firefighting ability, we've been bringing in resources from other provinces and from other states, and soon here we'll be bringing in people from outside the country, some American crews, Australians as well, maybe even Costa Rica, maybe Mexico. We'll see who has firefighters to spare. We're working through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and they arranged a lot of our people to come in and help from around the world and across the country. MH: Other provinces, including Ontario, now have requested assistance from the federal government. Where is Alberta in that queue? Is it in the queue? TL: The only help we've ever had from the feds, really, has been when we use the military, and of course, they do provide some funding along the way, too. It'd be nice to see more and more help from the feds. We send a lot of money to Ottawa that they distribute. It'd be nice to have a lot of that coming back to Alberta and helping with the firefighting situation. MH: What degree of communication do you have with the minister of emergency management and community resilience, newly elected Alberta MP Eleanor Olszewski, and how do those communications compare with dynamics that played out in the wake of that destructive fire in Jasper last year? TL: I haven't communicated directly, but that communication might be going on through our emergency services minister, Minister (Mike) Ellis. I reached out to Manitoba, the minister there, talking about the situation they have there. Earlier in the season, we were actually providing help to Manitoba and to Ontario, because we were a little on the slower side early in May, but now we need our resources back, and so they've all moved back home. Now we're asking for help from across the country and around the world. MH: We set up the conversation on expanding calls for a national fire service. The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs says we're the only G7 country without a national fire administration. Where does Alberta's government stand on those calls? TL: We haven't come up with anything particular that we want to focus on when it comes to that strategy. We know that we have a good organization here, Alberta Wildfire does great work, we have good personnel here. When it comes to resources, I think that's where we could use some help from the feds. Again, we transfer a lot of money to Ottawa and Ottawa doesn't transfer that much back. If they could transfer some of that back to help us with our fighting wildfire, that'd be appreciated. MH: Fighting wildfires, that is a provincial responsibility, isn't it? TL: Yes, it is. Other than the national parks. MH: OK, so how different an approach do you see the federal government needing to take to this whole conversation? What or could that involvement look like to come from the feds? TL: We'll be in further conversations as time goes forward, but as it is right now, we could use the resources, the financial resources, to be able to bring in the help that we need. The federal government right now, they're not set up to fight fire at all right now –other than Parks Canada; they have their own firefighting abilities and crews and things like that. The provinces have that. If the feds wanted to get in, if they were to help pay for some of the expenses that we have, that would be a big help. And again, we have the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre that we work with. That's a great organization that really does help link us up to resources. MH: We're only approaching mid-June, many weeks left. How concerned are you about where this wildfire season is headed? TL: Always concerned. You never know what the weather is going to bring and what's going to happen. The majority of our issues right now were started by a band of dry lightning that moved through the province and followed by 30-degree temperatures and high winds. If we can avoid situations like that throughout the rest of summer, we might not be in too bad of shape, but we already have enough hectares on fire right now that we do have a long summer ahead of us, working on getting those fires extinguished.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Forestry minister says more federal funding would make a big difference in wildfire preparedness, prevention
Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Michael Higgins: Evacuation orders have been expanded in the County of Grande Prairie, as well now as the Municipal District of Greenview. What's that say about conditions up in your corner of the province? Todd Loewen: It's definitely dry and we've had quite a bit of lightning that came through earlier that created a bunch of fires. And with high winds that we've been having, it's a perfect scenario for these forest fires to ignite and to grow, and that's the problem. There's a lot of fire in the landscape right now, and with the high winds we've been having, they've been growing exponentially as well. MH: Whether it's the northwest or anywhere else, how would you frame the start of wildfire season in our province and the degree to which it's testing Alberta's ability to respond? TL: The first three weeks of May wasn't that bad. We had a high number of fires, but we were able to get on them quick, and weather conditions allowed us to control those fires pretty quickly. But the last week of May and into June, the lightning came through, and it has a static capacity. As far as our firefighting ability, we've been bringing in resources from other provinces and from other states, and soon here we'll be bringing in people from outside the country, some American crews, Australians as well, maybe even Costa Rica, maybe Mexico. We'll see who has firefighters to spare. We're working through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and they arranged a lot of our people to come in and help from around the world and across the country. MH: Other provinces, including Ontario, now have requested assistance from the federal government. Where is Alberta in that queue? Is it in the queue? TL: The only help we've ever had from the feds, really, has been when we use the military, and of course, they do provide some funding along the way, too. It'd be nice to see more and more help from the feds. We send a lot of money to Ottawa that they distribute. It'd be nice to have a lot of that coming back to Alberta and helping with the firefighting situation. MH: What degree of communication do you have with the minister of emergency management and community resilience, newly elected Alberta MP Eleanor Olszewski, and how do those communications compare with dynamics that played out in the wake of that destructive fire in Jasper last year? TL: I haven't communicated directly, but that communication might be going on through our emergency services minister, Minister (Mike) Ellis. I reached out to Manitoba, the minister there, talking about the situation they have there. Earlier in the season, we were actually providing help to Manitoba and to Ontario, because we were a little on the slower side early in May, but now we need our resources back, and so they've all moved back home. Now we're asking for help from across the country and around the world. MH: We set up the conversation on expanding calls for a national fire service. The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs says we're the only G7 country without a national fire administration. Where does Alberta's government stand on those calls? TL: We haven't come up with anything particular that we want to focus on when it comes to that strategy. We know that we have a good organization here, Alberta Wildfire does great work, we have good personnel here. When it comes to resources, I think that's where we could use some help from the feds. Again, we transfer a lot of money to Ottawa and Ottawa doesn't transfer that much back. If they could transfer some of that back to help us with our fighting wildfire, that'd be appreciated. MH: Fighting wildfires, that is a provincial responsibility, isn't it? TL: Yes, it is. Other than the national parks. MH: OK, so how different an approach do you see the federal government needing to take to this whole conversation? What or could that involvement look like to come from the feds? TL: We'll be in further conversations as time goes forward, but as it is right now, we could use the resources, the financial resources, to be able to bring in the help that we need. The federal government right now, they're not set up to fight fire at all right now –other than Parks Canada; they have their own firefighting abilities and crews and things like that. The provinces have that. If the feds wanted to get in, if they were to help pay for some of the expenses that we have, that would be a big help. And again, we have the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre that we work with. That's a great organization that really does help link us up to resources. MH: We're only approaching mid-June, many weeks left. How concerned are you about where this wildfire season is headed? TL: Always concerned. You never know what the weather is going to bring and what's going to happen. The majority of our issues right now were started by a band of dry lightning that moved through the province and followed by 30-degree temperatures and high winds. If we can avoid situations like that throughout the rest of summer, we might not be in too bad of shape, but we already have enough hectares on fire right now that we do have a long summer ahead of us, working on getting those fires extinguished.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Firefighters trapped in remote northern Alberta as wildfires rage across the province
Firefighters battling a blaze in a remote northern Alberta town became trapped Thursday as raging wildfires closed in on communities across the province, forcing thousands to flee. Fires raging in central and northern Alberta grew increasingly volatile Thursday, forcing a new wave of evacuees to flee to safety as baking heat, severe thunderstorms and battering winds fanned the flames. According to Alberta's Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen, eight wildland firefighters were forced to "shelter in place" and wait to be rescued as flames moved toward Chipewyan Lake, about 450 kilometres north of Edmonton. In a statement posted to social media around midnight, Loewen said the firefighters were responding to a wildfire when they temporarily lost radio contact just after 8 p.m. They had to take cover in the community overnight, Loewen said. WATCH | The fire weather pattern everyone is watching: One team was sheltering at the fire station while the other is safe at the local school, which was designated as the community's emergency shelter, Loewen said. "We are working on a plan to extract all eight personnel using NVIS (night vision), though earlier attempts were limited by heavy smoke," Loewen wrote. "There are preliminary indications that there is some damage to structures in the community. At this time, the full extent remains unknown." As of Friday morning, it remained unclear if the firefighters had been rescued. Loewen said updates on the stranded firefighters would be provided as they become available. CBC News is waiting on additional details from officials with Alberta Wildfire, the province's wildland firefighting agency. Chipewyan Lake, which is only accessible by a single industry access road, was evacuated Thursday. The community, home to around 75 people, was evacuated in May 2019 and in May 2023. Two out-of-control wildfires are moving in on the community. One is approaching from the southwest, and as of Thursday afternoon, had burned more than 20,000 hectares. The other is coming in from the north at more than 3,000 hectares. A band of fires is burning across the remote region of northern Alberta, forcing more than 300 people living in Red Earth Creek as well as 1,300 residents of Loon Lake, Peerless Lake and Trout Lake. More than 50 wildfires are burning across the province Friday morning, with nearly 30 burning out of control. A hot, dry spell has strained efforts to contain them. Firefighters have battled increasingly extreme and unpredictable fire behaviour in recent days. Within a matter of hours on Thursday evening, a string of new communities were forced out. Yellowhead County issued an evacuation order to people living around the hamlet of Peers, about 165 kilometres west of Edmonton. As of Thursday afternoon, a wildfire was burning out of control about one kilometre south of the community. Some residents of Westlock County have also been told to flee because of a fire in Hubert Lake Wildland Provincial Park, which spanned 900 hectares. Dene Tha' First Nation issued an evacuation order for residents of Chateh, a community about 660 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. As of Thursday, an out-of-control fire about 20 kilometres southwest of the community had grown to about 1,730 hectares. Familiar with fire After years of destructive Alberta wildfire seasons, it is not the first time many of the evacuees have been forced from their homes. The 1,300 residents of Swan Hills, northwest of Edmonton, were ordered earlier this week to evacuate due to a wildfire that has consumed more than 7,800 hectares and drawn within eight kilometres of the community. It was evacuated due to wildfires in 2023. Dene' Tha First Nation, in the northwest corner of Alberta, issued an evacuation order Thursday evening for the community of Chateh. The community experienced a devastating flood in 2022 and was under threat from wildfires in 2023 and 2024. Chief Wilfred Hooka-Nooza said a fire burning about 10 kilometres away from Chateh forced more than 900 residents to evacuate on back roads. The fire had blocked Highway 58, the main highway to High Level, which forced evacuees to take a 230-kilometre round trip on gravel roads to a safety checkpoint in Bushe River. Even before the evacuation order came, people were concerned about the approaching fire, Hooka-Nooza said. "The wind was blowing toward the community," he said Thursday. "Some people were calling, concerned, remembering the events that they had to go through last year. "So they must be in panic mode. But the main thing is, our group is helping them get out of the community, where they will be safe."
CTV News
30-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfire breaches Chipewyan Lake, temporarily stranding firefighters
An undated photo of firefighting crews in Chipewyan Lake, Alta., in May 2025. (Source: Alberta government) Two firefighting crews in northern Alberta temporarily lost contact with their command centre Thursday evening after a wildfire breached the community they were working to protect. The firefighters in Chipewyan Lake – four municipal firefighters and four firefighters specialized in preventing wildfire spread in urban settings – lost radio contact around 8:40 p.m., according to Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen and the Municipal District of Opportunity. Authorities knew they were safe; one team sheltered at the community's fire station, while the other sheltered in the school, which had been designated the emergency shelter. Attempts to use night-vision helicopters failed because of the heavy smoke, so at midnight, officials were still working on an extraction plan. Eventually, it was determined the road out of the community was safe and the stranded teams drove out, assisted by a 20-person forestry crew who cleared felled trees. More details are expected Friday, but the municipal district said 'preliminary reports indicate that there is structure loss in the community.' This is a developing news story. More to come…
