Development, mining and exploration in the Athabasca Oil Sands, Fort McMurray, Alta. (Photo 13297678 © David Webb | Dreamstime.com)

By Canadian Press

UNESCO reaffirms threats to Wood Buffalo National Park, calls for action on oilsands

Jul 4, 2023 | 5:00 PM

A United Nations body is affirming earlier findings that Canada’s largest national park remains under environmental threats from dams, oilsands development and climate change.

The UNESCO report, issued Friday, is the latest step in reviewing whether the vast Wood Buffalo National Park on the Alberta-Northwest Territories boundary should lose its World Heritage Site status.

It says the park shouldn’t be removed from the prestigious list at this time and that some things, such as whooping crane numbers, are improving.

But it adds that about half of what makes the park a special place is deteriorating, mostly because of water quality and quantity.

The report says upstream oilsands development continues to pose a major threat.

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It calls for reform of oilsands monitoring, more thorough review for new projects and an independent risk assessment of the tailings ponds as well as clear plans for how they will be cleaned up.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2023.

The Canadian Press