new Canadians - fishing

[thumper]

Not wanting to reignite the debate, but...
Alberta Tourism Parks & Recreation have recognized the need to bridge cultures with new Canadians, in both encouraging them to use our parks, and in using them appropriately, safely, and legally.
In line with Sundances' suggestion, Tourism & Parks has produced a booklet called "Nature as a Second Language" in multiple languages.
Information can be found at:
http://www.albertaparks.ca/docs/NSLReport_Final.pdf

- or you can pick up a copy at the KCounty visitor Centre, or KCountry offices in Canmore. I'd encourage people who feel strongly about this issue to contact the authors and make suggestions for items to be included in fuure editions.

The national parks are contemplating doing something similar, if they haven't already begun drafting one. You may have an opportunity to provide suggestions on this by contacting the park superintendant.

[SushiUnagi]

Thats good news! Thanks for sharing Thumper. A good first step in bridging any cultural gaps. Hopefully we will see these booklets and brochures in other languages...and eventually the fishing regulations book as well.

[Winch101]

Take this in the loving caring way in which it is meant.

Seeing as the country and the province and the economy are broke .

You as a new " canadian " could wait to take a competency test

in one of the official languages ( already in print ) before you get

any kind of licence .. drivers - fishing -hunting...guns.. etc etc etc...

Just an idea ...That way the Feds ( for instance ) would get their

pound for the test as well as the licences ..

Basically we as in " canadians " have lost our minds .... or

Nous avons perdue notre intelligence ....!

[boot]

Any initiative that makes fishing more accessible to everyone is a good initiative in my book. Encouraging people to fish and educating them is our best hope at maintaining our resources for future generations.

I know that some people worry about the cost of education (in different languages), but isn't the eventual cost of not educating far higher? I understand that there's an argument for "learn the language", but we have to be realistic. Becoming a Canadian does not require you to demonstrate a high degree of language competency in French or English. With that said, we could pinch pennies and have our fisheries suffer or we could spend the money now and watch our fisheries improve? The answer seems obvious to me... :confused:

[Okotokian]

.

You as a new " canadian " could wait to take a competency test

in one of the official languages ( already in print ) before you get

any kind of licence .. ....!

I get ya Winch, but it's hard to tell a "new" canadian they have to take a competency test for a fishing licence when native-born canadian's don't have to (and it's not like we pick up the regs through osmosis or genetically). We don't want anyone bringing in ANY more training or certification hoops to jump through. Don't give them any more ideas! LOL :)

But I also think we don't need the regs translated into 87 languages. Probably the most useful thing SRD could do is simply contact the various cultural associations, remind them to remind their members that there ARE regs, perhaps offer to do a presentation. We can't be translating every government regulation and law into every language that new immigrants speak. But we could perhaps do some inexpensive things to get the message to them.

Heck, we have a mentor system for new hunters... maybe a mentor system for new Canadians who want to hunt and fish? We could teach them right... do a good job and we get all those cultural groups that government does seem to listen to to advocate for hunting, fishing, and gun rights! LOL ;)