Clive Schaupmeyer often uses the northwest Coaldale wetland complex to photograph wildlife that frequent the area.
In 2020, the Town of Coaldale installed six signs designed by Source2Source along the wetland, two of which provide information about plants and animals — information that, as Schaupmeyer told town officials, is incorrect.
“Many of the common species that people would normally see here are not on the signs,” he said. “The majority of species of birds that are on this sign, (it’s) highly unlikely to see them here.”
Town administration suggested working alongside Schaupmeyer to track the wetlands biodiversity growth, but it didn’t address his issue with the signs.
“They just blew me off and didn’t even use the word ‘sign,'” he said.
“When I raised the matter again with the mayor, he said the matter is closed.”
Unhappy, Schaupmeyer wrote to Jason Nixon, Alberta’s environment and parks minister, and said the minister agreed with his concerns.
“Environment and parks staff reviewed your concerns about the signs and determined you are correct and the information is not entirely accurate,” reads part of a written reply that Schaupmeyer received.
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“I have asked department staff to contact the Town of Coaldale and request it correct the inaccuracies on the signs.”
In a statement to Global News, Coaldale mayor Kim Craig said “the town is going to contact the external professional that prepared and approved the wording of the signs.”
“It would be our hope that these parties would correct the signs at their cost, but at this early stage, we have not yet had a chance to have these conversations,” her statement reads, in part. “Therefore we cannot speak to potential costs at this time.”
“The signage part will be replaced, that’s the only solution here,” Schaupmeyer said.
The signs were originally purchased with grant money from Alberta Environment and Parks’ watershed resiliency and restoration program.
Global News has reached out to Source2Source for comment and will update this article if we receive a response.
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