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The “ICY” project offers visitors a new way of helping to monitor Canada’s glaciers in national and provincial parks

Ottawa, is, August 7, 2025 / CNW/ – A photo you take from yourself, it is a self -portrait. When you take a photo of a glacier, it is a ” ICY ».

Today, the Honorable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for official languages, in partnership with Parks Canada, British Columbia Parks, BC Parks Foundation and the University of Waterloo, are proud to launch the project ” ICY “, A new community science project carried out in two national parks and three provincial parks. Visitors will help scientists monitor the evolution of glaciers over time simply by taking and submitting photos, allowing each participant to contribute to essential work in terms of environmental research, while taking breathtaking images and creating unforgettable memories at the same time.

Cell phone supports have been installed at certain views of glaciers, and other supports will be installed soon. Visitors have only to place their phone in the support provided, to take a photo of the glacier and to submit it by means of the QR code on site or through the Georeach website at www.georeach.ca. Clear directives at each place guide the participants throughout the process.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo will analyze the photos received to monitor the evolution of glaciers such as decline, slimming and disappearance, thus offering a precious overview of the repercussions of climate change.

The project ” ICY “Is launched in Jasper national parks and glaciers, as well as in the provincial parks Bugaboo, Garibaldi and Mont Robson. Each site will include one to three supports ” ICY », Offering visitors unique opportunities to participate in the science of glaciers.

The project is based on the success of the “Coastie” project, launched in 2021, as part of which the photos submitted by visitors help monitor the evolution of the coast in Atlantic Canada.

Citations

“In this international year to preserve the United Nations glaciers, our government and Parks Canada are proud to invite Canadians to discover the beauty and power of emblematic glaciers that we are fortunate to have in Canada. Through the project ” ICY “, Visitors are part of history, helping us to understand and protect these precious natural wonders against climate change. Our government has committed to protected more of nature than ever before, and it is by acting collectively that we can achieve our conservation objectives and protect what makes us strong. I invite everyone to take part in this initiative and to submit their best photo of a glacier during their visit to one of the participating parks. »»

The Honorable Steven Guilbeault
Canadian Minister of Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for official languages

“The glaciers are remarkable attractions of the British Columbia provincial parks, which attract visitors near and far. The project ” ICY Is a community research experience in action. When the public is interested in science, it deepens our understanding of these rapidly evolving landscapes, which has never been so important. »»

Tamara Davidson
Minister of the Environment and Parks, BC Parks

“Community science is at the heart of our mission, and it is incredible to see people of all ages participate in the increase in our collective understanding of the wild places of British Columbia. The glaciers are essential to our ecosystems and to the supply of fresh water, and by capturing variations over time, we can help find ways to protect them for the future. Thank you to all the visitors who take a ” ICY And who participate in this incredible effort. »»

Andy Day
Chief Executive Officer, BC Parks Foundation

“The particular partnership between Parks Canada, BC Parks and the University of Waterloo will support a need in terms of glacier collection and analysis in order to better inform parks managers about the evolution of glaciers. The project offers people around the world exceptional educational opportunities to discover the glacial landscapes of Canada, the changes that occur and the way it can be linked to their own community. »»

Chris Houser
Dean, Faculty of Sciences; Professor, Earth and Environment Sciences; University of Waterloo

Briefly facts

  • Canada Shelters a large percentage of glaciers around the world, large fields of ice in the west and northern Canada.
  • Glaciers around the world are melting and in Western Canada back more quickly than ever. Northern Canada is home to some of the largest glacial caps outside the polar regions, which is essential for understanding long -term climatic models.
  • Glaciers are an essential source of fresh water in Western Canada, releasing water in ecosystems during the dry summer months. As they fall back and shrink, the reduction of runoff will affect the groundwater, agricultural practices, even the availability of drinking water downstream.
  • The Georeach educational platform is a Canadian program that allows community scientists to provide valuable data. These data help develop educational documents accessible to learners from around the world, encouraging a more marked rapprochement with Canadian relief and climate change research.
  • The Glaciers National Parkin southeast British Columbia, houses the imposing mountains Selkirk and Purcell. Research work carried out here focuses on ice withdrawal, scientists using repeated photographs and mass assessments to monitor the health of glaciers.
  • The parc national Jasper is the largest national park for Canadian rocky. Recognized for its fauna, glaciers and breathtaking peaks, it also constitutes a hub for major research work on climate change. Recent glacier data Athabasca Indicate a constant melting, year after year, and an increased melting in 2023, compared to the last decade.
    Each photo submitted within the framework of the “ICY” project helps to brush a clearer table of the evolution of glaciers and the measures that we can take to protect them.
  • Learn more about the “ICY” project: https://parcs.apca2.gc.ca/nature/science/impliquez-involved/icy

Related links

SOURCE Parcs Canada (HQ)

Renseignements : Andy Day, BC Parks Foundation, [email protected]604-343-3975, post 130; Media relations, Parks Canada, 1-855-862-1812, [email protected]

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Piper’s Chicago crime-beat podcasts feel like late-night diner chats—complete with clinking coffee cups.
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