UN monitoring mission eyes Site C dam impact of Wood Buffalo National Park
OTTAWA — A United Nations monitoring mission to a world heritage site in northern Alberta appears likely to focus more attention on the contested Site C hydroelectric project next door in British Columbia.
Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1983, is under review this week at the request of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, which petitioned the world body in 2014 to list the park as being under threat from various developments.
The park is at the convergence of the Peace and Athabaska rivers and is considered the largest freshwater boreal delta on the planet.
Conservationists and local First Nations are concerned about how two existing hydro dams on the Peace River are affecting the hydrology of the park — a problem they say will be compounded by B.C.’s massive Site C dam that’s going ahead on the Peace River.