Big Hill Springs Provincial Park

Rocky View County has approved the development of a 30+ year gravel operation close to the boundary of Big Hill Springs Provincial Park – one of Alberta’s oldest parks which attracts approximately 250,000 visitors per year. In July 2023, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas issued an approval under the Water Act (Alberta) for the mine, which is located on land overlying an aquifer that feeds a nationally significant thermal spring and Bighill Creek. There is community concern that the mine will irreparably damage the groundwater ecosystem, wetlands and tufa formations.

Bighill Creek Preservation Society is a non-profit organization with a mandate to advocate for the protection of the Bighill Creek watershed. The Society filed a statement of concern under the Water Act (Alberta) in January 2022 regarding the gravel mine. The Clinic has been retained as legal counsel to advise the Society on an appeal of the Water Act approval for the mine.

In July 2023, the Clinic assisted the Society in filing a Notice of Appeal with the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board regarding the Water Act approval issued by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas. In September 2023, the Board directed the Society to make submissions on how it is directly affected by the approval issued by Alberta Environment for the mine project. In October 2023, the Clinic assisted the Society in making these submissions along with a request that the Board issue a Stay against the approval until the appeal is decided. In March 2024, the Board ruled that the Society is directly affected by the approval and thus is entitled to appeal the approval before the Board, but it denied the application for a stay. An appeal hearing date has not been scheduled.

This matter is ongoing.