(February 06, 2018) The Fisheries Act is Canada’s oldest piece of environmental legislation, and on February 06, 2018 the federal government proposed changes that will modernize the act, and restore protections for fish habitat that were removed under the previous government. Specifically, the renewed act will restore protection for all fish, rather than just those that are part of a fishery, along with restoring protection for fish habitat. Further, it makes it explicit that scientific information should be ...

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(December 17, 2017) It’s easy to understand the threat posed by climate change to polar bears.  But how many people think about what climate change means for fish?  Fish that thrive in cold rivers and lakes, such as brook trout, walleye, whitefish, and sturgeon, are an important cultural and economic resource that is deeply threatened by climate change.  How threatened?  That is what WCS Canada set out to discover by modeling not just the impacts of climate change, but of new roads and ind...

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(November 03, 2017) After a quarter century living and working in the Arctic, it continues to take our breath away on a regular basis. Mostly it’s the wildlife: a stupendous aggregation of migrating Sandhill cranes or caribou, a beach overflowing with fur seals, a close up encounter with a wolverine. Other times it could be a phenomenal display of northern lights.But sometimes the news impinges on that wonderment. Increasingly, we read reports of previously unimaginable levels of melting Arctic sea ice or the...

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(June 14, 2017) A new scientific analysis by Wildlife Conservation Society Canada has identified a conservation gem nestled beside the two crown jewels of the Rocky Mountain national park system. The area, known as the Bighorn Backcountry, lies just east of Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta and represents one of the most ecologically important areas in the province’s Eastern Slopes region. Based on findings about the importance of this region to wildlife, clean water and recreation...

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(June 07, 2017) Yukon’s Boreal Mountains region adds a whole dimension to Canada’s most iconic forest.  Here snow capped mountains and alpine plateaus are perched above broad river valleys rich with life.  The region is a haven for predators and prey alike, from grizzly bears and wolves to sheep and moose.  There are few other places left in the world that have been so little changed by human development.  That’s why we need a plan to protect the wild in this globally impor...

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(June 05, 2017) On World Environment Day, Canada hosts a global celebration of our natural heritage and commitment to protect 17 percent of terrestrial areas by 2020. While this international commitment is a significant achievement, Canada can lead with an even bolder vision to protect some of the last truly wild places remaining on the planet – our northern landscapes.Click here to read more

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(April 20, 2017) By Don ReidHuman beings often have a conflicted view of change. We like certainty and stability. In conservation, however, we have learned that living with certain changes is essential because they create the conditions for many species to thrive. Lately, however, climate warming is creating new and different kinds of changes, often taking place more rapidly than we are accustomed to.Click here to read more. 

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(April 20, 2017) To address climate change in Ontario, Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) developed a Climate Change Action Plan identifying a number of actions, across multiple ministries aimed at reducing the magnitude and/or rate of greenhouse gas emissions. These range from the creation of a low-carbon and zero emission transportation sector to reducing fossil fuel use in buildings and homes to developing carbon offset programs using managed forests and agricultu...

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(April 01, 2017)  At WCS Canada, we are working to help wildlife survive – and thrive – across our huge country. Our gorgeous new annual report captures both the beauty of wildlife and the challenges we face in ensuring their survival across Canada.  From caribou to ice seals, we explain how WCS Canada scientists are using the insights gained from long hours in the field to shape conservation and land-use plans and to help species survive. We also look at how we can take...

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(March 27, 2017) Although fish and fisheries are an integral part of Canada’s history, culture, and economy, protection for fish and fish habitats has been declining in Canada for at least a decade. The Fisheries Act is Canada’s oldest environmental law and an important piece of legislation that gives the Government of Canada the authority to manage fisheries and protect fish habitat. However to be effective, the Fisheries Act must be modernized, include evidence-based a...

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