Thread by @CBCFletch

Today an Alberta Environment spokesperson said "it was never the plan to 'delist' parks": cbc.ca/news/canada/ed…

In February, the Environment Minister sent a briefing to UCP MLAs: "We will also initiate the proposed removal of 164 under-utilized sites from the parks system..."

This briefing note also broke the proposed removal of these 164 sites from the parks system into two groups:

• 119 proposed "deregulations"
• 45 proposed "divestitures"

What does that mean exactly?

The briefing went on to say "deregulated sites would have the park designation removed" & be made available "for other land uses, if desired."

"Divestment means that we would remove the park designation & sell or transfer the land to another entity"

Another part of the briefing package included suggested answers to anticipated questions MLAs might face about the parks being removed from the system.

This was the suggested answer to the question: "How will these changes affect my constituents?"

The anticipated questions also included one about whether any consultation had occurred about the parks being removed from the system.

This was the suggested response:

Another suggested response to questions about how this would affect tourism in Alberta said removing the parks from the system could "allow for and accommodate tourism development of types that are currently restricted by park designations."

All of which seems hard to square with today's statement from Alberta Environment and Parks:

"Alberta's parks are not, and have never been, for sale and it was never the plan to 'delist' parks."