Park volunteer programs put on hiatus after death
Safety review launched after man fatally struck by tree in September
Volunteer programs in Alberta’s provincial parks have been shut down pending a safety review, prompted by the death of a volunteer in a park last year.
Murray Langdon, spokesman for Alberta Environment and Parks, says a stop-work order was issued to more than 2,000 of the province’s park system volunteers in September after an incident “claimed the life of a valued and respected volunteer.”
The province is working to ensure volunteer programs comply with the same occupational health and safety practices required for Alberta Parks’ staff.
Langdon couldn’t say when the safety review will be completed but added the “work completed in the near future” will allow volunteer organizations to “resume their vital contributions” to Alberta’s park system.
“Alberta Parks is fully committed to ensuring the safety of our volunteers who dedicate their time, talent and passion through partnering organizations,” Langdon said in a statement.
In the meantime, dozens of volunteer groups, which Murray says donate “100,000 hours of time and several millions of dollars” worth of improvements to the parks, have been sidelined.
Nic Blanchet, executive director of the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society, says the 240-member group was only told about the stop-work order at 4:30 p.m. on Monday — not in September like the province said.
“I think overall, it’s good,” Blanchet said.
“It’s a good thing that this (safety review) has happened, but I think the timing could have been better, let’s say that.”
He said revamping the group’s health and safety practices has been a “massive undertaking,” and all volunteer activities in the park, including the park watch and nature stewardship programs, are on hiatus.
He says the province gave the group “a conservative two-week window” for when the stop-work order could be lifted.
“We would have been happy to do this in December or January … and it wouldn’t have disadvantaged so many community members.”
He said the group is more than willing to comply with the province’s health and safety procedures, but added many volunteer groups don’t have the same staffing resources as Friends of Fish Creek.
On Sept. 29, 2017, Jim Uffelmann, 57, of Cochrane died while volunteering on a trail clearing project. The volunteer was reportedly struck by a tree.
Cochrane town council approved the renaming of an offleash dog park in Uffelmann’s memory last year.
We would have been happy to dothisin December … and it wouldn’t have disadvantaged so many … members.
The dedication ceremony will take place in June.