Keep Ottawa Out Of Our River Valley

Keep Ottawa Out Of Our River Valley

Saskatoon’s beautiful river valley and trail network is something residents are proud of - and rightfully so.

Since 1979, the Meewasin Valley has been protected and stewarded through a locally-driven partnership that includes the City of Saskatoon, the University of Saskatchewan, and the Province of Saskatchewan.

That local management has helped ensure the Meewasin Valley continues to thrive - balancing conservation, public access, and recreation for nearly half a century.

But now, that local control is under threat.

The federal government wants to turn our river valley into a “National Urban Park” - handing over control to Ottawa politicians and bureaucrats.

At first, the pitch sounds friendly - more trails, more conservation, more funding.

But read between the lines, and it’s clear what’s really going on: federal control over land that should remain in local hands.

Ottawa’s stated priorities for these National Urban Parks aren’t focused on the environment or recreation - they’re about “climate resilience,” “reconciliation,” “equity,” and “inclusion.”

Right now, Saskatoon residents, Meewasin, and local leaders decide how our natural areas are maintained and enjoyed.

Under a National Urban Park model, Ottawa says they’d work collaboratively with locals, but ultimately they’d have the final say.

And, if other programs of the federal government are the guide, they’ll be fully in favour of local decision making so long as the locals make the decision that Ottawa wants.

As soon as locals dare to make a decision that Ottawa doesn’t like, suddenly the collaboration goes out the window.

Critically - once we give control away, we can’t get it back.

So the federal government is incentivized to make everything sound great now, but who knows what they’ll do and how they might change land use rules in the future.

There isn’t even a guarantee of long-term federal funding - they could go back on their promise before the ink even dries.

Maybe they wouldn’t - maybe this would be the first federal program in Canadian history that lives up to all the promises made by Ottawa politicians.

But, why risk it?

Saskatoon already has a wonderful park system that’s working well.

Why hand it over to Ottawa?

If you believe Saskatoon’s natural spaces should stay under local control, and that our parks shouldn’t be turned into another federal experiment, sign our petition now.

Say no to a National Urban Park.

Sign the petition to Keep Ottawa Out Of Our River Valley!