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Everything you need to know to enjoy the long weekend in an Alberta park

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From the Province of Alberta

Get ready to long weekend

It’s time to kick off the summer camping season and for Albertans to get out and explore provincial attractions or simply travel to visit family and friends.

Camping in Alberta Parks campgrounds is one of many options for Albertans this May long weekend.

“Whatever it is Albertans choose to do this long weekend, our province has a wealth of unique experiences that support our economy, including camping in our provincial parks. Wherever the destination, government hopes people will have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable May long weekend.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks

Below are a few tips and information to support a safe and enjoyable long weekend.

Camping

  • We all share a responsibility to be courteous campers, which ensures campgrounds are enjoyable and safe for everybody.
  • General etiquette rules are:
    • Avoid excessive noise so that everyone can enjoy the peace and tranquility of parks.
    • Quiet hours are between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
  • Still looking for a campsite or a picnic area? Check out AlbertaParks.ca.

Liquor in provincial parks

  • The previous liquor ban in select provincial parks is lifted; however, rules and regulations around campground quiet hours, excessive noise and appropriate behaviour continue to be in place and will be enforced.
  • Liquor consumption is restricted to registered campsites only.

Fire bans

  • At this time, a fire ban is in effect throughout most of northern Alberta, prohibiting campfires, unauthorized burning and restricting the use of off-highway vehicles on public lands.
  • Fire bans outside of Alberta provincial parks are posted on AlbertaFireBans.ca Download the Fire Bans app before you head out.
  • Provincial parks-related fire bans, restrictions and associated advisories are posted on AlbertaParks.ca Fire Bans.

Safety on the road

  • More collisions and fatalities take place on Alberta’s roads on long weekends than other weekends. To help travellers get home safely, traffic enforcement measures will be ramped up this May long weekend.
  • Alberta sheriffs will be working in integrated traffic units with RCMP to patrol provincial highways to target impaired drivers, aggressive and careless drivers, distracted drivers and speeders.
  • Drive for the conditions of the road (check 511 Alberta for latest highway conditions).

Fish and wildlife

  • Increased enforcement on our highways, waterways, public lands and in our parks will help responsible Albertans enjoy the long weekend safely.
  • In addition to protecting fish and wildlife and managing human/wildlife conflicts, fish and wildlife officers will be protecting the landscape and waterbodies, including monitoring random camping, boating and off-highway vehicle use.
  • Ensure you know the fishing regulations and the hunting regulations.

Bear safety

  • Albertans can do their part to avoid human-bear conflict. Be bear and cougar smart. Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
  • When travelling in bear country, keep dogs on a leash, travel in groups and make noise whenever possible.

Impaired driving

  • Arrive alive! Any form of impaired driving is unacceptable and dangerous, and puts everyone on Alberta roads at risk.
  • Impaired driving from alcohol, drugs, fatigue or distraction injures or kills thousands of Albertans every year.

Museum and historic sites

  • Alberta’s historic sites, museums and archives are open for the summer with new programs and experiences.
  • People can purchase an Experience Alberta’s History Annual Pass and get unlimited access to all provincial historic sites and museums for one year from date of purchase.

Recreation on public land

  • Conditions on the May long weekend are typically very wet due to spring rains, melting snow and frost, making the land more susceptible to significant damage from recreational activities.
  • Be aware of regulations around motorized recreation and non-motorized recreation on trails and in waterways. Wheeled and tracked vehicles are not permitted to be operated or parked on the bed, shore and/or in the water of Alberta’s streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands.
  • Damage or loss to public land (i.e., dumping of garbage, abandoned vehicles, sign removal, gate removal) needs to be reported to the Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800.
  • Camping is limited to a 14-day stay on public land.
  • Respect the land and know the rules and regulations around random camping on public lands.

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Alberta

ASIRT investigations concluded on fatal officer-involved shooting involving the RCMP.

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Incident investigation report from the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT)

Introduction

On December 22, 2022, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed pursuant to s. 46.1 of the Police Act to investigate a then non-fatal Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer-involved shooting. The shooting of the affected person (AP) was reported to have happened during an interaction with him, as a result of him being a suspect in a complaint of a man with a gun.

While AP initially survived, he died of complications from the shooting the following day.

ASIRT’s Investigation

ASIRT’s investigation was comprehensive and thorough, conducted using current investigative protocols and principles relating to Major Case Management. Information from civilian witnesses, the subject and a witness officers, and importantly video recordings provided sufficient information to determine whether the force used by the subject officer during this incident was reasonable.

Circumstances Surrounding the Officer-Involved Shooting

On December 01, 2022, Maskwacis RCMP received a call reporting that a male [AP] had been drinking and left the caller’s house with a gun. AP was shooting the gun in the country (believed to be the area around the residence). Two RCMP officers responded.

Witness officer (WO) located AP walking on the road with a rifle. AP walked toward WO’s marked police vehicle with the rifle pointed at the vehicle/WO, while WO was seated in the driver’s seat. WO then exited his vehicle with his carbine rifle and moved to the rear of his vehicle while AP kept the rifle pointed at the police vehicle. The subject officer (SO) arrived on scene, but came from the opposite direction. AP turned around and walked toward SO with the barrel of the rifle pointed upwards. SO exited his police vehicle with his service pistol drawn and walked toward AP while he
repeatedly provided verbal direction to AP to drop the firearm. AP and SO were walking toward each other; at that time AP still had the barrel of the rifle pointed upward. As SO and AP got within approximately five meters of each other, AP lowered the barrel of the rifle and pointed it directly at SO. SO fired multiple rounds and struck AP with four rounds causing AP to stumble, drop the rifle and fall to the ground. AP initially survived the shooting and was transported to an Edmonton hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. The following day, AP succumbed to his injuries.

Analysis

The subject officer was lawfully placed and acting in the execution of his duties in dealing with AP as a person who was the subject of a complaint about him being in possession of a firearm and shooting it off.

The Use of Force

Under s. 25 of the Criminal Code, police officers are permitted to use as much force as is necessary for the execution of their duties. Where this force is intended or is likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm, the officer must believe on reasonable grounds that the force is necessary for the self-preservation of the officer or preservation of anyone under that officer’s protection.

A police officer’s use of force is not to be assessed on a standard of perfection nor using the benefit of hindsight.

With the benefit of hindsight, time for detached reflection and knowledge of the ultimate outcome, it is easy to speculate about how things could have been done differently. That is not the standard, however, against which an officer’s conduct is measured. The question is, applying principles of proportionality, necessity, and reasonableness, whether the force used falls into a range of possible reasonable responses.

Proportionate Response

Proportionality requires balancing a use of force with the action to which it responds. Here, the subject officers were faced with an individual that was armed with a gun and pointing it in their direction. As such, the response by the subject officers in using their respective firearms to shoot AP was proportionate to the threat of death or grievous bodily harm that he reasonably posed to both of them.

Reasonably Necessary

As set out previously in this report, AP presented as a lethal threat to both SO and WO given his actions in pointing his rifle at them. While WO did not shoot during this incident that does not impact the analysis of SO’s actions. Under the circumstances as then faced by SO, no other use of force options were reasonably available for attempted use. The use by SO of his firearm to incapacitate this lethal threat was reasonably necessary. Given the above, the defence available to SO under s. 25 of the Criminal Code would apply.

Conclusion

Under s. 25 of the Criminal Code a police officer is justified in doing what he or she is authorized to do and to use as much force as is reasonably necessary where he or she has reasonable grounds to do so. Force intended to cause death or grievous bodily harm is justified if the officer believes, on reasonable grounds, that the force was necessary to prevent the death or grievous bodily harm of the officer and/or any other person. The analysis under s.34 of the Criminal Code leads to a similar finding that subject officer’s actions were lawfully permitted.

After a thorough, independent and objective investigation into the conduct of the subject officers, it is my opinion that they were lawfully placed and acting properly in the execution of their duties. There is no evidence to support any belief that any officer engaged in any unlawful or unreasonable conduct that would give rise to an offence. The force used was proportionate, necessary and reasonable in all the circumstances.

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Alberta

Alberta requests more control over provincial immigration system

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Alberta is requesting more control over its provincial immigration to address its skilled workforce shortage, including increasing Ukrainian evacuee participation in the job market.

Premier Danielle Smith has written a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to re-evaluate his government’s decision limiting the number of allocations for Alberta’s provincial nominee program in 2024. Last week, the federal government informed the province it would only receive 9,750 such allotments – which is the same number of allocations Alberta received in 2023 and is less than the 10,140 for 2024 the federal government had originally allocated.

As of February 2024, Alberta accounts for just under 12 per cent of Canada’s population, but it leads the nation in net employment growth, with 42.8 per cent of the country’s employment gains between January and February 2024. By not providing the requested increase to Alberta’s provincial nominee allocations, the federal government is restricting the province’s ability to keep up with its growing labour market demands, especially as it relates to integrating Ukrainian evacuees into Alberta’s job market.

“Alberta is growing and that is good news. Since January 2023, more than 100,000 new jobs have been created in our province and our employment rate has led the country even longer. At the same time, we continue to experience labour shortages that could be resolved by welcoming skilled workers from around the world, including evacuees from Ukraine, many of whom have the exact skills that our job market most needs. Alberta has long been the economic engine of Canada and we are once again requesting Ottawa respect section 95 of the Constitution and let us welcome the skilled individuals we need into our province on our terms.”

Danielle Smith, Premier

With Alberta’s population growth at levels not seen in four decades, Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program is best placed to address the province’s unique immigration and economic goals.

Part of Alberta’s population growth has resulted from Russia’s invasion in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since that time, Alberta has welcomed a significant number of Ukrainian evacuees to the province. While it is anticipated that many will return to Ukraine following the war, Alberta is also expecting a number of families to apply for permanent residency via the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program. An increase in the number of allocations from the federal government would assist these new Albertans to fill positions in the province’s workforce.

“Immigration is key to Alberta’s ability to address labour shortages and to grow our economy. This limitation imposed by the federal government on our provincial nominee program will be a very difficult pill to swallow, not only for businesses that need this skilled labour but also to the many Ukrainian evacuees who have the skills we need and wish to stay permanently in Alberta.”

Muhammad Yaseen, Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism

Quick facts

  • The federal government through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sets provincial immigration nomination limits. It also approves all permanent resident applications.
  • Alberta maximized its 9,750 nomination allocations in 2023, with a total of 10,029 nominations issued within the federal government administrative buffer.

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