Big Lake Environmental Support Society

By KENTON NEUFELD

The Big Lake Environment Support Society (BLESS) was established in 1991 by Doctors Fin Fairfield and Bob Lane. Big Lake is located in the southernmost tip of Sturgeon County, bordered by St. Albert, Edmonton, and Parkland County, and is one of the Capital Region’s best-kept secrets. The society's major objective is the conservation of the Big Lake environment and wetlands through advocacy, public education, stewardship, and data collection programs. BLESS was instrumental in establishing Big Lake as a provincial Natural Area and Important Bird Area, and in 2015 it formed the basis for Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park (LHCPP). 

BLESS has received the Alberta Emerald Award for Environmental Excellence in Education and the Steward Service Excellence Award from Alberta Community Development. We are the designated stewards of LHCPP. Many of our Presidents and Directors have received local awards for their tireless work to improve our environment. The area’s beauty has inspired a song (“Beautiful Big Lake” by Peter Jansen) and a poem (“On the Creation of Lois Hole Provincial Park” by BLESS President Louise Horstman).

Beginning in 1993, BLESS, with its partners the City of St. Albert and Alberta Environment and Parks, was instrumental in constructing (and eventually rebuilding) a picnic shelter next to the Sturgeon River and a very popular viewing platform at the lake.

BLESS has conducted water quality surveys of Big Lake, as well as a breeding bird survey and plant survey. Our latest efforts have created handy, pocket-sized plant, bird, and animal guides for the park. These books are now available at BLESS events and at the Musée Heritage Museum in St. Albert Place.

In 2005, BLESS became politically active in efforts to ensure that the alignment of Ray Gibbon Drive was moved away from Big Lake. In recent years, BLESS has lobbied against developments that would negatively impact the park environment. BLESS also has positive and productive relationships with the Cities of St. Albert and Edmonton and the Counties of Parkland and Sturgeon, as well as the province. We have worked with Parks staff to name the existing LHCPP trail system and to plan future improvements and extensions. The province’s recent Order in Council has added more than 100 hectares (250 acres) to LHCPP, and both St. Albert and Edmonton are now modifying their development plans to match the new park boundaries.

BLESS’s Summer Nature Program is in its 21st year. Kids and parents alike have enjoyed the BLESS Nature Centre’s game-based activities, which teach basic ecological and environmental principles in a fun way. In response to COVID in 2020, the program had to move outdoors to LHCPP, but this allowed us to create more hands-on environmental education. The program now offers daily nature walks with a theme (bug week, pond dipping, birds, etc.), as well as some evening programming.

Each May, BLESS celebrates World Migratory Bird Day, welcoming migrating birds back to Big Lake. In 2024, BLESS co-hosted the event with Nature Alberta. The scheduled walks and talks by many participating organizations were very popular.

For more information on our activities, photos, and to join BLESS, check out our website at bless-env.ca.

Miles Constable is the Treasurer of the BLESS board. Lyn and Tony Druett are Directors at Large on the BLESS board. All three of them have been involved with BLESS for many years.