Alberta wildlife is ready for its close-up

Researchers are using remote cameras and cutting-edge tools to better study and monitor Alberta’s wildlife.

Researchers have used remote cameras to monitor wildlife in Alberta for many years, and for good reason: the technology is cost-effective, efficient and safe while enabling researchers to observe multiple species at the same time. However, collecting the data, coordinating with other researchers and reporting information effectively can be challenging.

Alberta’s government is teaming up with researchers to develop new resources and tools that will help wildlife experts work together, study and monitor bears, moose, cougars and other species from miles away.

“We are dedicated to wildlife conservation in Alberta. Led by our Chief Scientist, we are helping researchers better understand how wildlife is behaving and responding to the world around them to help make sure that Alberta’s amazing wildlife continue to grow and thrive for future generations.”

Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

Remote cameras, also referred to as wildlife cameras or camera traps, are important tools for wildlife conservation. Their footage allows researchers to gain a better understanding of wildlife numbers, behaviours and ways to support conservation, all while keeping humans at a safe distance from the action.

The use of remote cameras by Alberta researchers, agencies, industry and the public has been steadily increasing. Alberta’s government and the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) have helped distribute remote cameras to every corner of the province, from the boreal forest in the north to the grasslands in the south, tracking more than 2,500 species.

Through a $66,000 grant by the Office of the Chief Scientist in 2022, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, ABMI and the University of Alberta developed new remote camera standards and best practice resources, as well as training materials and tools for wildlife monitoring. As part of this project, Alberta released new remote camera survey guidelines and standards to help improve research, data collection and reporting. This work also improved Alberta’s understanding of what remote cameras are capturing, leading researchers to adjust the cameras and get a clearer picture of wildlife conditions.

This year, another $70,000 in government funding will go towards creating a new online tool to help researchers design remote camera projects, gather data and analyze it. With remote cameras placed throughout the province, this new online tool will help Alberta’s wildlife monitoring projects streamline and coordinate their efforts, regardless of their location, leading to better research.

“The Office of the Chief Scientist is proud to support research and guidance on use of cutting-edge technology to help improve monitoring of provincial wildlife populations. This work will produce results to support the management and conservation of mammals and other wildlife species in the province.”

Jonathan Thompson, chief scientist of Alberta

“Alberta collects a vast amount of data using remote wildlife cameras. The funds provided by the chief scientist’s office will help us develop analysis frameworks that make the work done by individual organizations more consistent, repeatable and transparent. It also will help us better approaches for sharing data that drastically improve our ability to measure and manage at broad scales the species and ecosystems that we treasure.”

Erin Bayne, professor, University of Alberta, and co-director, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute

“The implications for data compatibility are huge: the more the standards are adopted by remote camera users, the larger the pool of data available to answer bigger and broader questions about wildlife. The Alberta remote camera steering committee is now working to develop accessible tools to support all users, from new to experienced users, in designing remote camera projects, data analysis and modelling. This will help more people conduct effective wildlife camera research and monitoring while also increasing the amount of data available to all.”

Corrina Copp, information centre director, Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute

Quick facts

The Office of the Chief Scientist coordinates the delivery of an environmental science program to provide scientifically rigorous data, information and reporting on the condition of Alberta’s environment.
Grants through the Office of the Chief Scientist support evidence-informed decisions on programs and policies addressing Alberta’s natural resources.
Remote cameras are most often used to monitor medium to larger mammals like white-tailed deer and bears but can also capture images of smaller creatures like birds and amphibians. They are also used to monitor elusive and far-ranging predators like wolverines and cougars.
Typically, the camouflaged camera is mounted to a tree or post. Some are programmed to trigger when movement or a change in heat is detected in their field of view, while others are activated by a timer. The camera collects data on all species that pass by and stamps the video or picture with the date and time.
The chief scientist and the Alberta government are committed to supporting research and delivering accessible reporting on the condition of Alberta’s environment.

Related information

Multimedia

View B-roll footage of wildlife captured using remote cameras

Related Topics:#AlbertaWildlife #GovernmentOfAlberta #WildlifeCameras #WildlifeMonitor

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Low oil prices could have big consequences for Alberta’s finances

Published on April 26, 2025

Todayville

From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill

Amid the tariff war, the price of West Texas Intermediate oil—a common benchmark—recently dropped below US$60 per barrel. Given every $1 drop in oil prices is an estimated $750 million hit to provincial revenues, if oil prices remain low for long, there could be big implications for Alberta’s budget.

The Smith government already projects a $5.2 billion budget deficit in 2025/26 with continued deficits over the following two years. This year’s deficit is based on oil prices averaging US$68.00 per barrel. While the budget does include a $4 billion “contingency” for unforeseen events, given the economic and fiscal impact of Trump’s tariffs, it could quickly be eaten up.

Budget deficits come with costs for Albertans, who will already pay a projected $600 each in provincial government debt interest in 2025/26. That’s money that could have gone towards health care and education, or even tax relief.

Unfortunately, this is all part of the resource revenue rollercoaster that’s are all too familiar to Albertans.

Resource revenue (including oil and gas royalties) is inherently volatile. In the last 10 years alone, it has been as high as $25.2 billion in 2022/23 and as low as $2.8 billion in 2015/16. The provincial government typically enjoys budget surpluses—and increases government spending—when oil prices and resource revenue is relatively high, but is thrown into deficits when resource revenues inevitably fall.

Fortunately, the Smith government can mitigate this volatility.

The key is limiting the level of resource revenue included in the budget to a set stable amount. Any resource revenue above that stable amount is automatically saved in a rainy-day fund to be withdrawn to maintain that stable amount in the budget during years of relatively low resource revenue. The logic is simple: save during the good times so you can weather the storm during bad times.

Indeed, if the Smith government had created a rainy-day account in 2023, for example, it could have already built up a sizeable fund to help stabilize the budget when resource revenue declines. While the Smith government has deposited some money in the Heritage Fund in recent years, it has not created a dedicated rainy-day account or introduced a similar mechanism to help stabilize provincial finances.

Limiting the amount of resource revenue in the budget, particularly during times of relatively high resource revenue, also tempers demand for higher spending, which is only fiscally sustainable with permanently high resource revenues. In other words, if the government creates a rainy-day account, spending would become more closely align with stable ongoing levels of revenue.

And it’s not too late. To end the boom-bust cycle and finally help stabilize provincial finances, the Smith government should create a rainy-day account.

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Governments in Alberta should spur homebuilding amid population explosion

Published on April 26, 2025

Todayville

From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill and Austin Thompson

In 2024, construction started on 47,827 housing units—the most since 48,336 units in 2007 when population growth was less than half of what it was in 2024.

Alberta has long been viewed as an oasis in Canada’s overheated housing market—a refuge for Canadians priced out of high-cost centres such as Vancouver and Toronto. But the oasis is starting to dry up. House prices and rents in the province have spiked by about one-third since the start of the pandemic. According to a recent Maru poll, more than 70 per cent of Calgarians and Edmontonians doubt they will ever be able to afford a home in their city. Which raises the question: how much longer can this go on?

Alberta’s housing affordability problem reflects a simple reality—not enough homes have been built to accommodate the province’s growing population. The result? More Albertans competing for the same homes and rental units, pushing prices higher.

Population growth has always been volatile in Alberta, but the recent surge, fuelled by record levels of immigration, is unprecedented. Alberta has set new population growth records every year since 2022, culminating in the largest-ever increase of 186,704 new residents in 2024—nearly 70 per cent more than the largest pre-pandemic increase in 2013.

Homebuilding has increased, but not enough to keep pace with the rise in population. In 2024, construction started on 47,827 housing units—the most since 48,336 units in 2007 when population growth was less than half of what it was in 2024.

Moreover, from 1972 to 2019, Alberta added 2.1 new residents (on average) for every housing unit started compared to 3.9 new residents for every housing unit started in 2024. Put differently, today nearly twice as many new residents are potentially competing for each new home compared to historical norms.

While Alberta attracts more Canadians from other provinces than any other province, federal immigration and residency policies drive Alberta’s population growth. So while the provincial government has little control over its population growth, provincial and municipal governments can affect the pace of homebuilding.

For example, recent provincial amendments to the city charters in Calgary and Edmonton have helped standardize building codes, which should minimize cost and complexity for builders who operate across different jurisdictions. Municipal zoning reforms in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer have made it easier to build higher-density housing, and Lethbridge and Medicine Hat may soon follow suit. These changes should make it easier and faster to build homes, helping Alberta maintain some of the least restrictive building rules and quickest approval timelines in Canada.

There is, however, room for improvement. Policymakers at both the provincial and municipal level should streamline rules for building, reduce regulatory uncertainty and development costs, and shorten timelines for permit approvals. Calgary, for instance, imposes fees on developers to fund a wide array of public infrastructure—including roads, sewers, libraries, even buses—while Edmonton currently only imposes fees to fund the construction of new firehalls.

It’s difficult to say how long Alberta’s housing affordability woes will endure, but the situation is unlikely to improve unless homebuilding increases, spurred by government policies that facilitate more development.