Adventure for Wilderness – Ice, Glaciers, Gravel, and Oil at Cochrane North, June 28, 2026
June 29, 2026
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We had a dedicated and resilient group join us for our Ice, Glaciers, Gravel, and Oil at Cochrane North Adventure!
We gathered in Cochrane for introductions just before the rain began to pour down. At our first couple of stops, we enjoyed the moody lighting as Tako Koning and Vivian Pharis of the Bighill Creek Preservation Society talked about the Bighill Creek area and the glacial history in the valley. We went over the time periods during which different areas of rock were formed, and saw 60-million-year-old Paskapoo sandstone poking out from the valley cliffs.
Tako and Vivian discussed the hydrology connecting Bighill Springs Provincial Park to the proposed and active gravel mines in the area, and why it was important that additional gravel mines do not get approved, as it could impact downstream conditions for many kilometres, especially in the park. After thinking that over, we visited the park itself, and further contemplated how gravel could impact the thermal springs and ecological integrity of the area.
We spent the early afternoon learning about oil from Tako as we visited some pump jacks and discussed how new technology has much less of an environmental footprint than using the technology of twenty years ago. We also highlighted the problematic Mature Asset Strategy (see more here) which has been proposed by the provincial government, which could leave taxpayers liable to cover the cleanup costs for abandoned and inactive oil and gas infrastructure.
Thank you to everyone who came out in the rain with us today! We hope to see you all on an adventure soon.
Text by Sara Heerema, Photos by Tako Koning and Sara Heerema
