Annual Report – 2021

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Connecting with Nature and Rediscovering Community Here in Fish Creek

The Friends of Fish Creek 2021 Annual Report

Fish Creek Provincial Park is a cherished natural area that holds special meaning for generations of Calgarians. Having this amazing park as part of our backyard enhances the quality of life for all who visit, and each year community members explore new areas of the park and even rediscover the magic of familiar areas. The Friends of Fish Creek is dedicated to protecting Fish Creek by engaging people in activities that both support a sustainable park environment and strengthen the important bonds of community.

It has been thirty years since the Friends of Fish Creek began, and in that time long-running programs like Speaker Series, Park Watch, Birding and Invasive Species Management have expanded in new and exciting directions. Since 1992, the Friends has grown from a small group of volunteers into a far-reaching charitable organization. Today we have seven staff members and an ever-increasing number of members, donors, volunteers, partners, and supporters who are all engaged in our activities.

In recent years, programs like Wellness, Beaver Coexistence, Pop-Up Outreach and innovative fundraising projects have attracted new volunteers and helped us to increase our reach throughout the community. 2021 was another significant year in the evolution of our small non-profit organization and we would like to thank you for your support and interest in our conservation and stewardship activities. We hope that you enjoy the following report and look forward to continuing along this journey with you.

The Friends of Fish Creek mission is to engage the community through activities and awareness to conserve a truly unique naturalized urban park.

Our vision is a sustainable Fish Creek Provincial Park that improves the quality of life for present and future generations.

Photo courtesy of Stan Kwasniowski

Executive Director’s Report

Nic Blanchet, Executive Director
Friends of Fish Creek

2021 started out as a challenge! For a community organization that brings people together in service of our wonderful park we obviously had some thinking to do, how could we keep up our momentum, address all the issues we focus on in the park, and continue to provide meaningful experiences for our loyal volunteers? As usual, the answer lay in teamwork, our community and staff working together diligently and thoughtfully to find ways to continue our work within the framework of provincial health restrictions and the myriad ways these impacted individuals and families.

The result was truly amazing, another record year. 2021 was also the first full year of the Enhanced Partnership Pilot so we had a lot to do and a short time to figure out our new operating environment, through innovation, open honest discussion, and calm assessment the community and staff achieved the majority of the goals set for 2021 and exceeded some. There were many new initiatives developed in 2021 and I will highlight some of them below.

A high-profile program and a long-term goal of mine was achieved in the creation of the Fish Creek Ambassador program. Led by Chris Lalonde, this program resulted in the Bow Valley Ranch Visitor Centre being staffed by Friends’ volunteers to support park visitors during busy times. This is the first time the Visitor Centre has had personnel dedicated to supporting visitors since I started with the Friends in 2012 and is a milestone in the story of the Friends. We are very pleased to have launched this exciting flagship program last year.

Ecology and Conservation staff led by Shana Barbour developed a vegetation management plan for the park, and we will be using the digital app developed by Emma Stroud Citizen Science and Stewardship Coordinator to track our progress using interactive maps, like the own pictured below.

Arc GIS Map showing the location of different invasive plants species between 37^th St and the Bow Valley Ranch

Friends’ volunteers planted 265 trees as part of restoration activities in 2021 supporting the regeneration of key vegetation communities. A new Biocontrol program was developed, and staff and volunteers trained to become proficient in delivering this program as part of our invasive species management programs. We achieved our goal of engaging, training, and managing community groups to deliver conservation action in their community. Staff supported the City of Calgary in training their staff to engage and manage volunteers. Staff and volunteers worked on improving plant survey skills leading to the discovery of previously unknown patches of native vegetation and a better overall understanding of the distribution of native plants in the park to guide our conservation planning and action. We formed new working partnerships with Stantec, The City of Calgary, Tannas Conservation Services, Tree Canada, Sun Valley Drive Group, Biocomposites Group, For Trees Nursery and Intricate Vegetation.

Many of our solutions to the restrictions involved using our new skills and ability with IT allowing several programs to go online including our formal education program Learning Naturally. To maintain our support of schools that would normally attend this program Katie Bakken worked with Kaylee Hope to develop the Virtual Author in the Classroom program which was delivered live online to 32 grade 5 classes.

All of these outcomes were made possible by innovative thinking, flexibility and teamwork and we should all be very proud of our achievements in 2021.

I would like to thank our volunteers, staff, community, board, and colleagues in Alberta Parks for all of their efforts to make 2021 a resounding success set us up for an even better 2022 in which to celebrate our 30^th Anniversary.

Board Chair’s Report

Bob Morrin, Board of Directors Chair
Friends of Fish Creek

Back in April 2006, I had my first experience with the Friends of Fish Creek. Over the last 16 years, I have been active with the Friends, both as a volunteer Board member and as a volunteer with many other programs and activities run by the Friends. When I joined the Board, the Friends had recently gone through some challenges. The focus of the Board was to set the Friends on a course to establish its resilience for going forward. How the Friends, with the support of our volunteers and staff, adapted to the ever-changing restrictions resulting from the COVID pandemic over the last 2 years, clearly demonstrated the strength and resolve of our community.

When I first joined the Board in May of 2006, we met monthly. The meetings could be two hours or longer as we would get into some very detailed operational discussions. Over time the decision was made for the Board to become more focused on Governance and less so on day-to-day operations. Board committees were formed to allow for more detailed discussions on relevant topics with recommendations to be brought back to the full Board. Board meetings were reduced to every second month with committee meetings taking place as required, but quite often every two months in the month between the Board meetings. The change to a governance approach for the Board proved to be valuable as the Friends went through some significant “step” changes resulting in new programs which were provided and often had additional funding required to operate and sustain the programs. We often found that these new programs came with operational impacts that we had not anticipated at the beginning of the program. As a Governance Board, we now conduct additional due diligence in advance of the new programs to be better prepared to perform the new programs and potential initiate some mitigation strategies.

Examples of the “step” changes the Friends have experienced in recent years include:
• Learning Naturally – required the Friends to secure significant corporate funding to sustain the program.
• Single Track Trail – a significant grant was received with a short period of time to plan and assess how to best approach the performance of the required work.
• Enhance Partnership Pilot (EPP) Project – a multi-year project with Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) providing close to $500,000 of funding. The Friends needed to enhance how we tracked the allocation of staff and volunteer time across related tasks which were funded by not only AEP but through other funding sources. Near the end of 2021, we implemented a new time tracking software program to improve how expenses are allocated.

The Board works with the Executive Director to assess the impact of these new programs on the operations of the Friends and then compare how the Friends can best adapt going forward based on the learnings of the new activities. Over the 16 years (the last 5 as Chair) I have been involved with the Friends, I have had the pleasure of working with four different Executive Directors. They have all been instrumental in the building and nurturing of the Friends community. Our staff and volunteers have also played key roles in the Friends success. As we enter our 30^th year, we are well positioned to continue in delivering a wide variety of programs in support of our mandate.

Alberta Parks Liaison Report

Jennell Rempel, Community & Partner Relations Team Lead,
Environment and Parks, Parks Operations Division

2021 has been an extraordinary year, and the work of the Friends demonstrates just how much can be accomplished during challenging times when we come together. It has been a pleasure to work behind the scenes on so many projects, and I would like to highlight in this report many of the positive impacts for Parks that these initiatives have had.

Fish Creek is Alberta’s largest urban Provincial Park, and with that comes the essential role of the Friends in building community, stewardship, and raising awareness with those who visit and those who live so close to this rolling grassland-parkland oasis. 2021 saw the launch of the Fish Creek Trail Master Planning process, where the Friends of Fish Creek played a key role during targeted stakeholder discussions, as well as ensuring that as many community members as possible knew about and had the opportunity to contribute to this important report, which will help to see improvements in trail connectivity, sustainability, and accessible design. The Trail Master Plan will be completed this spring, and will launch a series of improvements to the signage and trails themselves in the coming years. Friends programs such as Park Watch, Weed Wackers and Riparian Restoration will continue to be closely connected to the sustainability of the trail system, providing that “special sauce” of action-orientated projects, monitoring, and reporting to inform current and future efforts.

Fish Creek Ambassadors, Marianne and Don, at the Visitor Centre

The re-activation of the Visitor Information Centre has revitalized an important hub for information, gathering, and comfort in Fish Creek. The amazing volunteers welcome people in, answer questions and record information that is helping to improve the kinds of information, programs and services available in Fish Creek and on the web. This has also been an important to link to other “pop up” info tables throughout the park, bringing site-relevant topics and themes to day use areas.

The Beaver Tales interpretive sign loop between Bebo Grove and Marshall Springs has created a new opportunity to bring the kinds of in-depth info typically found indoors at museums and Info Centres out into the park. The signs help to explain and raise people’s curiosity about the many beaver-related sites, sounds and activities they can view all around. As Fish Creek continues to see growing visitation numbers and fuller parking lots, the value of projects like these shine an important light on the variety of ways we can approach accessibility to information and interpretation about Fish Creek.

The growth of grassland stewardship projects throughout the park has been nothing short of awesome this year. The alignment of key partners, expertise, data collection, fundraising, and field work has enabled an incredible leap forward in the usable knowledge and conservation possibilities in this urban park. The value of this cannot be stated enough. The Friends have done so much this year to advance grassland stewardship in Fish Creek Provincial Park. And 2022 looks even busier!

Although, that can be said of ALL of the projects coordinated by the Friends of Fish Creek. Their inspiration and drive has created such a rich culture of stewardship, engagement and fun in Fish Creek. 2021 has truly set the tone for so much to look forward to in 2022. Thank you Friends!

2021 By the Numbers, January 1 – December 31

Statistics – Community Engagement Activities

Individual volunteers – 704
Volunteer hours – 18,932
Program Days – including volunteer sessions – 909
Program participants – 3,014
Community members engaged – 3,003
Community partners – 41

Community Event Photos 2021

Beaver Education walk at Marshall Springs, March 12

Weaselhead/Glenmore Preservation Society at Creekfest, July 18

Kaykima Wilderness Society at Creekfest

Photos courtesy of Alan Lam

Statistics – Conservation and Stewardship Activities

Bags of litter removed from the park – 289
1,601 kg of invasive plants removed from the park
379 Trees wrapped and 158 trees unwrapped
265 Trees and 67 shrubs planted
199 Trees and shrubs mapped and monitored
150 m of Streambank restored
500 m of Streambank assessed

Restoration/Vegetation Management Photos – 2021 Season

Shana, Dylan, Cassie and Emma at the end of a Restoration Day

Toadflax Weevil release in July, photo courtesy of Alan Lam

Poplar Planting near Bow Valley Ranch with Tree Canada, September 2

TD Learning Naturally

As with so many things in 2021 Covid 19 continued to have a big impact on the TD Learning Naturally program in Fish Creek Provincial Park. Due to pandemic restrictions no in-person programming was possible through much of 2021. This meant that what would normally be an opportunity for thousands of students to engage and learn directly with nature and our provincial parks was not possible. This was really too bad as the great benefits of the Learning Naturally Program include giving so many an opportunity to experience learning in a completely different way and at the same time introduce them to nature and the many benefits of our provincial park system.

Ongoing restrictions and the associated challenges for schools and teachers in trying to incorporate field trips into their teaching practice meant Learning Naturally had to find a way to stay engaged with its schools. Many would refer to this as a “pivot”, a term we are all too familiar with and maybe tired of hearing. In the late winter of 2020/2021 The Friends devised a plan to pilot a virtual program offering for Learning Naturally schools. Friends partnered with author Frances Backhouse and the Parks education staff to create and deliver one hour online/virtual presentations to school classes. Kaylee Hope, Learning Naturally Program Coordinator worked with the author to coordinate and deliver presentations to 30 Grade 5 classes in 10 different schools reaching 689 students through May and June 2021. The presentations centered on beavers and wetlands so they were a great fit to the current Grade 5 Science curriculum. Participating schools received copies of the book “Beavers – Radical Rodents and Ecosystem Engineers” and presentations meshed with the book’s content. Alberta Parks supported the program through review and input on the virtual presentation during development and with the development of a comprehensive resource guide. The guide offered teachers a range of pre/post activities, resources and resource links to compliment and extend the learning. The guide was made available at no cost to participating schools.

Grade 3 student: “I didn’t want to go to school today because I knew it was a field trip day. But then, my mom told me I might see a woodpecker! So I jumped out of bed, ran to the bus, and was so excited for school today!”

September of 2021 saw the return of in-person field trips for schools to the park. HOORAY!

Roland Kirzinger, Formal and Environmental Education Coordinator worked with park management and an AHS health inspector to devise mitigation strategies to allow programs to resume at the Environmental Learning Centre in the safest possible manner, following all required AHS recommendations and guidelines. Information regarding procedures and requirements for schools/classes to follow while at the park were developed and disseminated to participating teachers/schools ahead of visits. Challenges continued for schools whether with volunteers, bussing restrictions or concerns of teachers and administrators around Covid and the safety of students. These are all very understandable and as always, the Learning Naturally Program and the park were as flexible as possible in accepting changes to bookings and participation.

Regardless of the challenges faced through the autumn season (September – December) Learning Naturally programs hosted:

29 program dates
61 teachers
146 parent
974 students

We look forward to continued field trips (fingers crossed) for the remainder of the academic year. Roland Kirzinger, Formal and Environmental Education Coordinator for Alberta Parks wishes to thank Kaylee Hope, Learning Naturally Coordinator for her continued excellent work in coordinating the Learning Naturally Program. Kaylee is a joy to work with. Roland also thanks the Friends of Fish Creek for their ongoing support of the Learning Naturally Program.

Quotes from students in the TD Learning Naturally program –

Grade 4 student: “Miss Kaylee! We have found so many animal tracks and habitat! Look, another habitat!” – This group was participating in the orienteering program but had so much fun looking for tracks and habitats that it took them quite awhile to get to their first checkpoint.
Grade 3 student: “Miss Kaylee, you have the best job! You get to be surrounded by this beautiful nature every single day!”
Grade 2 student: “These trees are so beautiful!”
Kindergarten student: “This was the best day of my whole life!”
Grade 3 student: “This sucks…. I haven’t even seen a woodpecker.” Child sees a woodpecker – “This is the best day ever!!! Let’s name him Greg!”
Grade 1 students: “Can we come back tomorrow? Can we live here? I want to stay here forever!”

Information provided by:
Roland Kirzinger, Formal and Environmental Education Coordinator, Alberta Environment and Parks – East Kananaskis Management Area

Kaylee Hope, TD Learning Naturally Coordinator, Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society

Volunteers

2021 Volunteer of the Year Award Winners

Kevin Tanasichuk – the Bill Hiebert Inspiration Award
Dylan Barnes and Cassie Fuller – Steward in Action
Christina Arnold – Behind the Scenes
Doug Van Staalduine – Behind the Scenes
Smita and Himanshu Sangale – New & Noteworthy
Pat Fitzsimmons – Community Champion
Benjamin Baragar – IT Support
David Mitchell – Staff Choice Birding
Angel Spasoff – Staff Choice
Kathy and Paul Seaman – Friendmaking and Fundraising

Friends volunteer Himanshu and the Beaver Interpretative sign at Marshall Springs

Dianne Allen, Katie Allison, John Anderson, Lorrie Anderson, Anthonia Anowai, David Arnott, Mujtaba Arshad, Lois Ayling, Marie Bakker, Robert Bakker, Don Barrington, Morris Baskett, Stephanie Bates, Renee Beaton, Jo-Anne Bechtel, William Beitzel, Melinda Bell, Robert Bell, Angela Bentley, Gabor Biro, Wendy Both, Deborah Bouchard, Stephen Boucher, Bob Bowman, David Breckon, James Brignall, Keenan Brignall, Christine Brodsky-Ingham, Trent Brolund, Gary Brown, Robert Brown, Teresa Brown, Terri Bruneau, Dennis Burns, Ron Burr, Arthur Buturla, Bob Byers, Ashley Carcamo, Jean Channon-Simpson, Deandra Chipilliquen-Molina, Ellie Cho, Agnes Chrzanowska, Trevor Churchill, Em Clark, Sheila Clark, Debbie Cole-Gauer, Kathryn Hull, Christian Cox, Brent Craig, Margaret Csuka, Cathy Cush, Sandy Davis, Sergio De Paoli, Alex Deaconu, Ron Deshayes, Bernie Diebolt, Mark Donald, Wendy Duha, John Dunfield, Ruby Eaglechild, Brandon Eberle, Kirby England, Kevin Etherington, Aaron Eugenio, Charis Falardeau, Brian Farewell, Sheryl Farewell, Jackie Figiel, Bertha Ann Fisher, Dave Fletcher, Wlad Franco-Valias, Donna Franke, Grant Gale, Linda Gale, Joe Gerritsen, Bill Ghazar, Isabel Ghazar, Josh Gibbs, Gail Goldsmith, Judy Gordon, Phil Greer, Kim Grimson, Neil Groeneveld, Alejandra Guerrero

Diane Haggarty, Peter Haggarty, Jacob Harbachuk, Emily Hart, Garrett Hendricks, Denise Hiebert, Jo Hildebrand, Don Hladiuk, Marianne Hladiuk, Chantae Ho, Justine Ho, Kari Horn, Peter Hoyer, Lynne Hulse, Stephen Hyde, Mike Ingham, Rick Ippolito, Simon Iremonger, Wasan Jema, Ihncheol Jung, Lindsay Kaing, Amy Kamel, Tomofumi Kamiike, Kumiko Kamiike, Tom Kelly, Chalise Kemp, Liza Khromova, Marcia Kiewiet, John Kimber, Colleen Klatt, Jason Klatt, Jerry Knight, Joseph Knight, Bianka Koszler, Anna Kucharski, Beth Laing, Dorothy Laing, Olivia Laing, Alan Lam, Bev Lane, Dermot Lane, Megan Law, Peter Leigh, Bob Leonhardt, Dianne Leonhardt, Terryne Levine, Anna Lizak, Robert Lodge, Silvia Lopez, Dave Lumley, Morgan Mackie, Shelley MacLellan, Coleen Mahoney, Lori Mainland, Deanna Markle, Natalie Masuda, Toni Matthews, Doug Maxwell, Diane McCaffrey, Liana McCreadie, Mike McCreadie, Jaime McDonald, Gord McLure, Chris Meade, David Meisner, Margaret Meisner, Jennifer Meredith, Mike Meredith, JJ Mission, Julienne Mission, Bruce Mitchell, Sue Mitchell, Anne Moe, Bob Morrin, Ruth Morrow, Margaret Moule, Ahmed Msaibawi, Alana Muenchrath, Sara Murray, Elaine Murta, Jim Murta, Ted New, Annette Ng, Wendy Nickson, Emma Norris, Sabiha Nova, Edmund Olivier, Keihle Olson, Kiara O’Shea

Jasmine Parhar, Walter Pedersen, David Pethrick, Stephen Phelps, Randy Plishka, Ryan Quan, Traelyn Rachar, Gabriel Ramos Stella, Catherine Ranger, Michael Ratliffe, Rose Ratliffe, Will Ratliffe, Dave Reid, Ian Richardson, Sharon Richardson, Joyce Ritsco, Lynda Rive, Jo-Anne Robak, Rick Robb, Colin Robinson, Colleen Rodgers, Paul Rogers, Emily Rousell, Jay Ryu, Dawna Sagi, Ward Sanderson, Julia Schneider, Roxanne Selkirk, Zdenka Servus, Margie Seto, Duncan Shipley, Barbara Simpkins, Stuart Simpson, Bill Skinner, Doreen Smale, Jennifer Solem, Jessica Solomon-Velthoen, Liz Soria, Marina Spahlinger, Carina Sprinkhuysen, Christina Steed, Carole Steeves, Diane Stinson, Jennifer Stokes, James Stroud, Tom Sullivan, Thomas Sun, Ted Sutton (pictured to the left), Allan Thacker, Dwayne Thomas, Reinhard Thomas, John Thompson, Lorna Thompson, Katie Thorpe, Finnigan Thuna, Naoko Tomioka, Michael Topham, Michelle Tran, Aaron Travnicek, Cinzia Turchet, Lesley Turner, Angela van Son, Marco van Son, Leao Vermeylen, Henry Villanueva, Bryan Vithilingem, Joan Walker, Wayne Walker, Tara Wallace, Esther Wiebe, Garth Wilson, Peony Wong, Jaime Wood, Robert Worona, Tammy Yee, Diana Young, Mia Zimmerman, Rita Zoura, Joe Zuckernick

Thank You 2021 Donors

Thank you to all of the individuals and organizations who helped make 2021 a truly incredible year for personal donations. With your support, we raised over $148,500 in donations last year. Special thanks to everyone who purchased raffle tickets or bid on auction items for our I ❤ Fish Creek fundraiser. Thank you to those who contributed in kind support and all donors who would prefer to remain anonymous.

Deer Level – $5,000 – $14,999

Linda & Alex Braun, Elizabeth Britton, Alixe Cameron-Eyles, Debbie Cole-Gauer & Chris Gauer, Gerald Hoffman, Jennifer Howard, W Earl Martin, Elizabeth Morrison, Kris Van Grieken

In-Line Pigging Solutions

Beaver Level – $1,000 – $4,999

Lorrie Anderson, Jody Balko, Elaine Barnes, Marg Blondheim-Whetstone, Jessica Chamberlain, Tanya Connelly, Brent Goheen, Diana Jones, James Marriott, Doug Maxwell, David Mitchell, Diana Mitchell, Randy Plishka, The Sarjeant Family, Kim Sarjeant, Dayna Schuster, Saj Shapiro, Jennifer Solem, Elizabeth Soria, Carole Steeves, Irwin & Olga Vines

Aqueduct Foundation, The Harry & Martha Cohen Foundation, The EON Foundation, The Hindle Family Foundation, M.A. O’Kane Consultants Inc,

Spruce Level – $750 – $999

Sandy Cameron, John McWilliams, Stephen Phelps, Wayne & Joan Walker

Shaw Communications, TC Energy

Aspen Level – $500 – $749

Peggy Baillie, Betty Boon, Bob Bowman, Gerry Burger-Martindale, David Chittick, Roger Cross, Allan Eisenbart, Rebecca Fairbanks, Deborah Gibson, Russell Harrison, Kari Horn, Ali Horvath, Fred Jaeger, Joel Jarding, Michelle Jarosz, Shaan Lally, Alan Lam, Stephen Mathezer, Louise Nobert, Stephen Normore, Ken Pride, Christy Repchuck, Navah Samra, Pan Sciore, Stewart Scott, Katharina Simpson, Melanie Windle, Robert Worona, Sharon L Young

Trinity Christian School, Wellwithin Chiropractic

Birch Level $100 – $499

Tracy Anderson, Kimberley Anderson, Niels & Marion Andreasen, Bob Andrew, Christina Arnold, Rosanne Barvir, Jeannine Bednar, Melinda Bell, Jay Bellaire, Dianne Bitz, Ann Boerner, Barbara Brandt, Gail Bridge, Michele Broadhurst, Tracy Byrne, John Cadman, Rose Calderwood, Claude Cameron, Joe Cavar, Ron Chamberlain, Georgina Clark, Donna Clement, Ann Clipstone, Kim Cole, Joan Collins, Lynda Corkum, Sharron Cross, Dianne Cully, Kimberly Dattilio-Hadden, Rick Delamont, Ron Deshayes, Dave & Diane Desmarais, Kate Diakow, Deborah Dinkel, Colin Dooley, Shannon Doram, Pearl Drebit, Stefanie Elliott, Jessica Fallis, Nancy Farries, Bertha Ann Fisher, Barbara Francis, Wlad Franco-Valias, Brian Gervais, Colin Goldie, Louis Guay, Eva Hemingway, Harold Hovdebo, Peter Hoyer

Christiane Hummel, Alan Hunt, Jennifer Isaak, Fred Jacob, Sonya Jakubec, Diana Jansens, Caroline Jasper, Marcie Jensen, Barrie Johnson, Keith Kendal, Katherine Koch, Bernard Kohrs, Ryan Krenz, Madelene Krokom, Michelle Kromplak, Walter Kurz, Chris Lalonde, Ralph Lane, Tamara Lee, Donna Leonard, Dianne Leonhardt, Jacqueline Lewis, Lisa Listgarten, Carianne Loach, John Loh, Chester & Heather Maciorowski, Patricia Matheson, Annemarie Mayer, George McBride, Jade Milson, Willa Miniely, Andres Montanez, Alyssa Morrell, Bob & Louise Morrin, Elaine Murta, Marilyn Nasserden, Johanna Neubert, Helen Newel, Patricia Newson, Wendy Nickson, Valerie Nielsen, Evelyn Olson-Smith, Rod Ortmann, Todd Owens, James Parakin, Lyle Patton, Jenny Peetoom, Geoff Perlin, Jane Pesta, Robert Pollard, Karen Radke, Rose & Will Ratliffe

Brent Raves, Robin Read, Dave Reid, Bruce Rempel, Ted Rhodes, Sabine Richter, Clinton & Lisa Roberts, Harminder Sandhu, Christopher Saunders, Garnet Scaman, Elena Schacherl & Ron Ostrander, Gloria Sebulsky, Heather Setka, David Severson, Ron & Judy Shandro, Peter Sikora, Barbara Simpkins, William Skinner, Scott Smith, Mark Smith, Deborah Smolinski, Susan Sowerbutts, Bob Sprague, Tyler Stappleton, Diane Stinson, Carol Stokes, Chad Stronge, Kathryn Strycker, Thomas Sullivan, Anne Swain, Ward Sykes, Leslie Szentner, Shara Tamagi, Xen Tan, Kevin Tanasichuk, Shae Tanner, David & Joan Tetrault, Jeff Tonge, Carol Uggerslev, Michelle Van Gelderen, Mary Vlooswyk, Ron Westcott, Ursula Winster-Goodfellow, Peter & Yvonne Young, Teresa Zajac

ATB Financial, Avenida Pet Clinic, Calgary Co-op Deer Valley, Canadian Tire Southland, Capital Chev, Chinook Honey & Arch Meadery, Cenovus, Chris Gibbs Photography, Clyde Vincent Limited, Drops of Gratitude, Fish Creek Naturopathic Medicine, Fish Creek School, Fish Tales Fly Shop, Richard Gotfried MLA, Highwood Golf and Country Club, Holistic Institute of Health and Fertility, Home Depot, Kensington Art Supply, McKenzie Meadows Golf, Oakley Store, Patagonia, Pensak Houghton Dentistry, PURE Cycle, Saje, Soffritto, St. Mary’s University, Suncor, Sunny Cider, TELUS

Special Recognition

Carla Atkinson, Mim Att, Katie Bakken, Julie Black, Christine Brodsky-Ingham, Teresa Brown, Marg Burgart, Mike Buschman, Robert Byers, Olga Bymak, Lorraine Campbell, Tracy Cairns, John Chrumka, Tara Clayton, Lorna Coglon, Mary Cook, Reg Curren, David Dares, Bryon & Barbara Delarue, Andrew Denton, Richard & Marie Dobson, Angie Douville, Heidi Duncan, Anne Elliott, Mary Enright, Max Feldman, Kristopher Fernet, Lara Fitzpatrick, Lynn Foley Hale, Alyson Fortowsky, Dominique Fraser Landry, Joe Gerrtsen, Josh Gibbs, Sandra & Alan Graff, Madeleine Gravel, Kevin Hadden, Maura Hamill, Gayleen Hamilton, Melvyn Herrick, Denise Hiebert, Debby Hodgson, Lavina Hoffman, Lorraine Holmwood, Amber Hooper, Andrea Hull

Jenifer Hung, Sara Jaremko, Diane Jones, Tamara Kaplan, Risa Kawchuk, Evelyn Keele, Kim Kirillo, Elizabeth Klein, Heather Knox, Michael Kohrs, John Kubinski, Charissa Lacasse, Connie Leclair, Vanna Lees, Maureen Luchsinger, Beryl Maguire, Linda Manwarren, Pierrette Marier, Deborah Massier, Marjorie Mayers, Jaime McDonald, Signe McIntosh, Joanne McNair, Shelley McReynolds, Mary Mehrabi, Danielle Miller, Daniela Mitrache, Sam Monaghan, Andrew Morris, Margaret Moule, Diana Mowry, Fraser Mulholland, Conor Mullaly, Allan Naylor, Cedric Nelson, Annette Ng, Diane Noer, Jirina Novak, Lynda Nugent, Todd Oickle, Ole Olesen, Martha Ortiz, Matthew Pachell, Kerry & Matthew Pachell, Gary Park, Patricia Parker, Ralph Parks, Brian Patterson, Susan Patterson

Jennifer Pearson, Lindy Pruitt, Ed Quiring, Janet Ratliffe, Marlene Ray, James Redditt, Patricis Remmers, Amy Rempel, Alanna Rinkel, Lynda Rive, Debbie Rodych, Guy Rogers, Janet Russell, Darlene Shymkiw, Divya Singh, Peter Snell, Angel Spasoff, Donald Stiles, Ingrid Stolzenberg, Stephanie Strelau, Ann Sullivan, Patrick Sullivan, Edward Switzer, Marilyn & Don Talbot, Richard Thom, Diane Trimming, Diane Trofimenkoff, Lesley Turner, William & Linda Tymchyshyn, Peeranut Visetsuth, Muruga Vithilingem, Jennifer Walker, David & Esther Wiebe, Nick Wiggins, Sigrid Wili, Helena Wilson, Marion Wolff, Sylvester Zacher

Cafe Jindo, City & Country Urban Winery, Councillor Peter Demong, Eau Claire Distillery, Fluor, Field Stone Fruit Wines, Italian Centre Shop, London Drugs Heritage Plaza, Monogram Coffee, Rocky Mountain Soap Co – Southcentre

Photos: Beaver – Tony LePrieur, Birch – Friends of Fish Creek

Treasurer’s Report

Phil Greer
Treasurer, Friends of Fish Creek Board of Directors

For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Society reported a net loss (excess of expenditures over revenues) of $7,777 compared to net income of $53,606 for the year ended December 31, 2020. Our revenues for financial reporting purposes were $568,807 in 2021 compared to $492,294 in 2020. The COVID – 19 pandemic continued to impact the operations of the Society, resulting in reduced activity and lower revenues from traditional sources. These reductions were partially offset by funding from the Enhanced Partnership Program with the government of Alberta (EPP). This funding covers programs between July 2020 and March 2023. This was also a good year for the Dedication Bench program which saw new sales and renewals valued at $67,026.

We incurred expenses for financial reporting purposes in 2021 of $576,284, an increase of $137,596 compared to 2020 expenses, reflecting increased salaries and wages related to the EPP program plus increased spending on other programs such as Learning Naturally where activities were reinstated in 2021 at reduced capacity due to COVID – 19 restrictions.

Our total cash position at December 31, 2021 was $432,568 compared to $368,266 at December 31, 2020. This increase is primarily due to the receipt of $200,000 in EPP funding during the year as well strong fundraising and donation results. We have set a budget for 2022 that reflects a near return to normal activities. A delayed casino has now been rescheduled for the fall of 2022 which will significantly add to our financial resources.

View Summarized Financial Information

Thank You 2021 Supporters

Eagle Level $50,000 +

Bobcat Level $25,000 – $49,999

Owl Level $15,000 – $24,999

Deer Level $5,000 – $14,999

Beaver Level $1,000 – $4,999

Aspen Level $500 – $749

Birch Level $100 – $499

Community Connections

The Friends of Fish Creek would like to extend our sincere thanks to the following organizations and individuals for collaborating with us and supporting our programs and events in a variety of ways last year. If you do not see your name or organization listed here, be sure to check the donor, volunteer and supporter list.

AM770, Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation, Alberta Invasive Species Council, Frances Backhouse, Biosphere Institute, Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth, The Calgary Journal, Calgary Public Library, CanadaHelps, Chinook Country Historical Society, The City of Calgary, Cows and Fish, CreekWatch, CTV Calgary, Ruby Eagle Child, Kirby England – You Betula Environmental, Evergreen Theatre, Ghost Watershed Alliance, Flora Giesbrecht – Elbow River Watershed Partnership, Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation, Global Calgary, Grassland Restoration Forum, Kate Hanna and Em Clark – The Canadian Wildlife Federation, Helis, Denise Hiebert

Tsuut’ina Food Bank drop off, December 20

I Love Fish Creek Provincial Park in YYC, Intricate Vegetation, Kaykima Wilderness, Holly Kinas, Dale Leckie, Leonor Henriquez Leon, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Raymond Many Bears, Miistakis Institute, NextAfter Institute, Northbridge Financial Corporation, O2 Planning + Design, The Path Less Taken, Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Peter Puffin’s Whale Tales, Lacy Roberts – Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, SAIT, St. Mary’s University, Bettina Sieger, Tannas Conservation Services, Trout Unlimited Canada, Tsuut’ina Food Bank, The Venturers Society of Calgary, Larry Wasyliw, Peter Weasel Moccasins, Weaselhead/Glenmore Park Preservation Society, The Wild Bird Store, Lisa Wilkinson – Alberta Environment and Parks, and Youth Central

Night Fishing Coyote at Marshall Springs, photo courtesy of Mistakiis

Staff and Executive

Friends of Fish Creek Staff – 2021

Nic Blanchet – Executive Director
Katie Bakken – Community Engagement Facilitator
Shana Barbour – Stewardship & Social Enterprise Manager
Chris Lalonde – Communications Manager
Emma Stroud – Citizen Science & Stewardship Coordinator
Dylan Barnes – Citizen Science & Stewardship Coordinator
Julia Schneider – Program & Stewardship Coordinator
Victoria Dickinson – Community Engagement & Communications Coordinator

2021 Executive

Bob Morrin – Chair
David Mitchell – Vice-Chair
Phil Greer – Treasurer
Henry Villanueva – Governance Chair
Kari Horn – Secretary
Christina Steed – Director at Large
David Breckon – Director at Large
Neil Groeneveld – Director at Large
Michael McCreadie – Director at Large

Friends of Fish Creek Contractors

Bob Andrew – Bookkeeping Services
Kaylee Hope – TD Learning Naturally Coordinator

Alberta Parks Staff

Jeremy Bakken, Jody Bares, Joan Friedel, Roland Kirzinger, Meagan Montgomery, Joe Oberhoffner, Jennell Rempel, Andrew Schoepf, Irene Till

Environmental Enforcement Branch, Southern Alberta Area, Calgary Badlands District Conservation Officers Troy Christianson, Brian Ferguson, Ryan Hannusch and Nick Mandrusiak

The Venturers Society

Trevor Boardman, Jonathan Bricker, Cody Craig, Mike Depper, Len Esau, Josh Hauk, Michele Jean, Tim Krynen, Ed Quiring, Rachel Ryan, Travis Schwab, Conrad Tiedemann, Lindsay Watkinson, Kelsie Webster, Kelsey Wood

Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Canadian Conservation Corps Interns
Dylan Barnes, Casey Fuller

Contact Us
The Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society
PO Box 2780 Stn M, Calgary, AB T2P 2M7 403-238-3841, (fax) 403-297-5284
Our office is in the Cookhouse, Bow Valley Ranch, Fish Creek Provincial Park,
15975 Bow Bottom Tr. SE

www.friendsoffishcreek.org, info@friendsoffishcreek.org
twitter.com/fish_creek, facebook.com/friendsoffishcreek, instagram.com/fish.creek, youtube.com/user/FriendsOfFishCreek

Charitable Registration #891199747 RR0001

Donate Here

Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $10.00 or more.