A story about the people who decided to run a save-the-whales group from the prairies, and the splash they made in the media. This episode is a live show recorded on March 3, 2026 at the City of Edmonton Archives.

From 1979 – 1984, the Whale Society of Edmonton led public education programs about whales and dolphins and advocated for their protection. Listen to learn what drove these Edmontonians in a time of hope and crisis.

Celebrated author and activist Candas Jane Dorsey shared stories about her late sister Jaclyn Dorsey, who helped lead the Whale Society as its secretary.

City Archivist Kathryn Ivany introduced listeners to the Whale Society’s files at the City of Edmonton Archives, and showed them how to can explore your own questions at the archives.

This is the conclusion to our mini-series about Albertan environmental groups and journalists in the 1970s: You Can Change the World! or Why Would I Talk to You?

Head to our website to see pictures from the event and archival images, like the fan art sent to the Whale Society by children like Judith Taylor.

The Whale Society of Edmonton was founded by a group of Edmontonians in 1979. They attracted about 200 members all around Canada, but the core volunteers were less than a dozen people, mostly connected to the University of Alberta.

Thousands of kilometres from the nearest coastline, they led public education programs about whales and dolphins and advocated for their protection.

Their president, Dennis Wighton, told the Edmonton Journal: “A lot of people here haven’t ever seen a whale, but they have a feeling, ‘for God’s sake, leave them alone, I want them to be there’.”

Dennis Wighton was an administrator for the genetics department at the U of A. The U of A’s campus paper, The Gateway, did a profile on him in 1979. Dennis really wanted the university to be a leader in reducing pollution – stuff like not putting mercury in the river.

He told the Gateway: “If we’re not first in the community, who will be?”

“It was very simple in the Sixties to bang people over the head and get them moving. It seems too easy to criticize today; now you’ve got to suggest alternatives.”

Many of the Whale Society's records are preserved at the City of Edmonton Archives.
Three younger women look closely at papers spread out on a table at the archivesListeners looking through Whale Society files

Soon after the Whale Society launched in March 1979, they were “plunged full-tilt” into trying to change the world. Media outreach was part of their approach.

Canada had stopped commercial whaling, but the Whale Society wanted Canada to support a global moratorium against whale killings. The place to do that would be at the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The Whale Society believed that public pressure could influence the Canadian delegation’s position at an IWC meeting that summer.

That message was shared on by radio host Bill Coull on Alberta-wide radio station CKUA. Dennis Wighton also spoke to the Edmonton Journal about the campaign.

Whale Society members wrote about their own work in smaller publications like their newsletter and the NPPAC’s Park News. In general, they seemed to recognize they had a friendlier audience and more control of the narrative. They used those advantages to explore the science, and wonder, and outrage that drove their campaigns.

Every issue of their newsletter was named after a different whale. Issue 3 was the Grey Whale News, and Chris Hanslik wrote a 4-page story about grey whales.

Whale Society Secretary Jaclyn Dorsey wrote for Interface Magazine in 1980 about her week at “Whale School” in Washington State’s San Juan Islands, learning from experts in orca and minke whale research.

She also wrote back to a CKUA listener about the Whale Society's strategy.

Shout-outs in this episode to the Taproot Event Calendar, and to the City of Edmonton Archives' Tim O'Grady and Dylan Bremner. Research for this episode was supported by the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies' Lillian Agnes Jones Scholarship. Credit to Nathan Binnema for this episode's alternate title. Thanks to the Edmonton Heritage Council for lending audio equipment for the show!

It's part two of our mini-series… You Can Change the World! Or… Why Would I Talk to You?

Parks for Tomorrow was a coalition of scientists and environmental groups from across Canada who came together to protect national parks from commercial exploitation. Most urgently, they wanted to stop expansion of the Sunshine Village ski resort in Banff, and cattle grazing and haycutting in Waterton and Prince Albert National Parks. Their campaign was centred around a march down the streets of Banff on October 23, 1977. The Parks for Tomorrow demands were endorsed by conservation groups from across Canada who said they represented over 750,000 members. The ground-level organizing work was done by a small group of volunteers, many from the Banff-based Bow Valley Naturalists.

We went through Bow Valley Naturalists’ records at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies to learn why they valued media coverage so highly – and ask how much these lessons would apply outside of a park.

--

Don't miss our next live show - Let's Find Out: About the Whale Society of Edmonton.

Yes, Edmonton really used to have a save-the-whales club. No, they weren't based at West Edmonton Mall. But they did make a big splash.

Join Let's Find Out host Chris Chang-Yen Phillips for a live podcast recording, exploring the fascinating history of the Whale Society of Edmonton.

Live Podcast
Tuesday March 3 2026
6:30 – 8 PM

City of Edmonton Archives
Prince of Wales Armouries
10440 108 Avenue

From 1979 - 1984, the group led public education programs about whales and dolphins and advocated for their protection. Together we'll learn what drove these Edmontonians in a time of hope and crisis, and see fan art and letters they received from around Alberta.

Get tickets through Taproot Edmonton: luma.com/q45148xe

This episode is brought to you by SkirtsAfire, Edmonton's annual festival featuring the work of women in the arts. This year's festival takes place from March 5 to 15, 2026, in Old Strathcona and the French Quarter, plus a new venue: ArtsHub Ortona!

This episode is also brought to you by The Pulse, Taproot Edmonton's daily newsletter. Subscribe to The Pulse and you'll get original journalism from Taproot's team of reporters, summaries of recent news and upcoming event listings, and The Taproot Mini crossword.

This is part one of a three-part mini-series about Alberta environmental groups and journalists in the 1970s. It was a surprisingly hopeful time for environmentalists in Alberta. Change was in the air, and governments seemed inclined to listen to public demands for conservation. So we're trying to understand why environmentalists ever talked to journalists, given that half the time they dismissed them as ill-informed city slickers or harmless housewives?

We're calling this mini-series "You Can Change the World" or "Why Would I Talk To You?"

Hilary McDowall's writing is a fascinating window into the relationship between journalists and environmentalists. She served as the Calgary Herald’s Lake Louise correspondent, and as sole publisher and editor of a tiny publication called the Kicking Horse News. Hilary and her husband Jack lived in the village year-round, letting her offer readers a unique window into local characters, mountain delights, and the seasonal rhythms of the ski resorts.

From the mid-1960s onward, she wrote very critically about environmentalists who opposed bringing the Olympics to the area and expanding housing and highways. There was some key information she chose not to share with readers, though. Her story hints at dilemmas in reporting from a small community in a national park.

This episode is brought to you by Skirtsafire, Edmonton's annual festival featuring the work of women in the arts. This year's festival takes place from March 5 to 15, 2026.

This episode is also brought to you by Taproot Edmonton, the best source of reliable intelligence about the Edmonton region. Check out Taproot's podcast Speaking Municipally every Friday to hear the latest about what's going on at city hall.

Join Let's Find Out host Chris Chang-Yen Phillips for a live podcast recording, exploring the fascinating history of the Whale Society of Edmonton.

Live Podcast
Tuesday March 3 2026
6:30 – 8 PM

City of Edmonton Archives
Prince of Wales Armouries
10440 108 Avenue

From 1979 - 1984, the group led public education programs about whales and dolphins and advocated for their protection. Together we'll learn what drove these Edmontonians in a time of hope and crisis, and see fan art and letters they received from around Alberta.

Celebrated author and activist Candas Jane Dorsey will share stories about her late sister Jaclyn Dorsey, who helped lead the Whale Society.

City Archivist Kathryn Ivany will introduce you to the Whale Society's files at the City of Edmonton Archives, and show you how you can explore your own questions at the archives.

Doors open at 6 PM, show begins at 6:30 PM.

This venue is wheelchair-accessible and has gender neutral washrooms.

Tickets: $15 regular / $10 for Taproot Edmonton members

Get tickets through Taproot Edmonton: luma.com/q45148xe

We're sharing the first two episodes in the Let's Find Out feed. New episodes of Clock In come out on Mondays here.

Shima Robinson has always admired her mom. Shima served as Edmonton’s 10th Poet Laureate, and performs spoken word poetry under the name Dwennimen. Her mom, Elsa Robinson, is an accomplished visual artist and former teacher. Shima finds Elsa such a stalwart and reliable human being. Given how hard it can be to be a parent and make a living as an artist, Shima’s always wondered: How has Elsa pulled it off? And how have Elsa’s jobs and art informed each other?

In this episode, Clock In host Jay Gilday helps Shima ask her mom, and finds the admiration runs both ways.

Clock In was produced by Joe Hartfeil and Chris Chang-Yen Phillips. Our researcher is Cathy Roy. Artwork and design by Mike Kendrick and Raffaella Loro. Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Jay Gilday.

This episode is brought to you by the Taproot Edmonton Calendar. Visit for listings of all kinds of happenings in the Edmonton area: theatre shows, networking events, community gatherings, and much, much more.

Want to reach Edmonton's smartest, most engaged people? Advertise in Taproot!

We're sharing the first two episodes in the Let's Find Out feed. New episodes of Clock In come out on Mondays here.

Meet Jay Gilday: musician, postal worker, and host of Clock In. Delivering mail in Edmonton has always felt meaningful for Jay. Imagine his surprise when he found out his grandfather did the same work in the Northwest Territories – by dogsled.

In this first episode of Clock In, follow Jay to the picket line to learn why he and his fellow workers decided to put it all on the line by going on strike. Then hear him sing at open mic night at River City Revival – including a song he wrote to honour his connection to his grandfather, “Shoes.” What parts of ourselves do we bring to our jobs? How much does our work define us? This episode is the start of a journey to understand how Edmontonians’ work and family lives shape each other, and the world around us.

Clock In was produced by Joe Hartfeil and Chris Chang-Yen Phillips. Our researcher is Cathy Roy. Artwork and design by Mike Kendrick and Raffaella Loro. Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Jay Gilday.

This episode is brought to you by Taproot Edmonton, the best source of reliable intelligence about the Edmonton region. Check out Taproot's podcast Speaking Municipally, a great way to stay up-to-date on what's going on at city hall.

And try The Pulse, Taproot Edmonton's daily newsletter. Original journalism from Taproot's team of reporters, plus summaries of recent news and upcoming event listings and the Taproot Mini crossword.

• In the new year, Chris will be sharing a three-part mini-series about environmental groups in Alberta in the 1970s.
• Chris has been helping produce a show called Clock In - An ECAMP Podcast. The first two episodes will be published here next week.

Ever see wardens feeding the animals in Buffalo National Park near Wainwright, or see the pronghorn in Nemiskam and Wawaskey National Parks near Medicine Hat? Probably not, because they were all dissolved in the 20th century! Listen in as public historian Lauren Markewicz reveals how national parks have been made and unmade in Alberta.

Then hear as Taproot’s Mack Male and Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations’ Miranda Jimmy give us the inside scoop on building a new national urban park here in Edmonton. What are the Confederacy’s hopes and dreams for a potential new park? Will you have to pay to get in, and will you be able to pick saskatoon berries?

We dive into all that and more, and questions from listeners like you.

This episode was recorded on September 21, 2023 at the Alfred H. Savage Centre in Edmonton, or Amiskwaciwâskahikan. It is the culmination of our season driven by listener questions about the history of parks and natural areas in Edmonton.

Kathryn and her family find themselves easily visiting 4 playgrounds in a weekend lately, and she estimates she visited around 30 different playgrounds last summer. So she’s been curious about finding the best one in town. She’s been thinking about how much shade and gathering space that playgrounds have, how close they are to other amenities, and how much her kid Yassin can challenge himself on equipment designed for a variety of ages.

First, we spoke to Vancouver Island University professor Laura Suski, who’s been exploring the possibilities and limits of seeing playgrounds as heritage spaces. She’s been exploring questions like whether it’s more important to protect specific equipment or a space itself. Playgrounds, she points out, are one of the only public spaces where children are universally accepted as belonging in North America.

Next, we met up with local playground afficionado Jill Footz, who runs the Edmonton Playgrounds website and social media accounts with her kids. During the pandemic, she started cataloguing their experiences, and they’ve now written about 380 playgrounds in and around the city. Jill told us about modern efforts to make playgrounds more accessible to all kids, from rethinking surfaces to building low-sensory spaces. We met at the Inglewood Rocketship Park (which she has reviewed, of course).

Jill highlighted the Clareview Inclusive Playground and Borden Park. Listeners chimed in to recommend spots like Meadowlark Park and Gold Bar Playground, and we talked about Chris’ mom’s work on the committee rebuilding the Westbrook Elementary School’s playground.

Finally, we met Sierra Club Edmonton & Area Wild Child Project Coordinator Paulina Retamales. Her master’s research at the University of Alberta looked at the history of the Gyro Club playgrounds in Edmonton between 1922 and 1950. Some of Edmonton’s very first playgrounds were built by this club, including Tipton Park and Kitchener Park. She told us about the very structured activities and informal river valley play opportunities kids had there, the men who supervised play at the parks, and the parades. Tipton Park still has information panels about its origins as a Gyro Club playground.

We had a lot of kids to help us playtest Dermott District Park.

This episode is brought to you in part by the Edmonton Community Foundation. Every year, Edmonton Community Foundation produces a report called Vital Signs to measure how the community is doing, in partnership with Edmonton Social Planning Council. This year’s report focuses on food security, how it’s changed over the last 10 years, and where we are today. You can see the latest report at ecfoundation.org/initiatives/vital-signs.

Why not? Lichen are, in fact, fantastically diverse and fascinating organisms. From a conservation standpoint, they are excellent bioindicators. So for conservation organizations, a lichen preserve would make a lot of sense.

Together with Kyla, we set out to understand more about lichens and their place in Edmonton's conservation scene. 

Why not? Lichen are, in fact, fantastically diverse and fascinating organisms. From a conservation standpoint, they are excellent bioindicators. So for conservation organizations, a lichen preserve would make a lot of sense.

Together with Kyla, we set out to understand more about lichens and their place in Edmonton's conservation scene. 

And we were guided into the Larch Sanctuary by Meghan Jacklin, a conservation coordinator with the Edmonton and Area Land Trust.

Zulima is a mom, teacher, and artist who has lived in Edmonton for the last ten years, and is eager to know as many stories about the land in Edmonton as her old hometown. It’s easy to take our spaces for granted: the way our roads are laid out, how big our parks are, where they are, the funny angles where some spaces meet. But Zulima’s question got us to peel back the layers a bit and see that many of the shapes and spaces we move through every day… are influenced by decisions made by land surveyors and farmers and land speculators almost a hundred and fifty years ago.

We met Zulima in Emily Murphy Park (on the site of the old Riverlot #3) on a bright but smoky day. We consulted two books about local river lots to begin answering her question: Tom Monto's Old Strathcona, Edmonton's Southside Roots and Jan Olson's Scona Lives: A History of Riverlots 13, 15, & 17.

Next, we spoke to two local history researchers who have looked at the overlap between the old riverlots and the map of modern-day Edmonton. Connor Thompson is a PhD candidate at the University of Alberta, focusing on Western Canadian history. He wrote an article in 2020 for the Edmonton City as Museum Project, "Edmonton’s River Lots: A Layer in Our History". Dylan Reade is a local documentary filmmaker and history researcher who has traced back many of the individual family stories and land sales on Edmonton's riverlots through archival documents and maps.

The first story was interesting to us because it demonstrated how quickly we can get used to big changes, and accept new normals – something called shifting baselines. Imagine our surprise and delight when we found out the festival was coming back for 2023.

How is that possible? What does it mean? Is Beaverhill Lake back?

In this episode, Chris took a field trip out to Tofield, because he sensed this would be kind of a good news story, of people who remembered the lake, remembered this celebration of birds, and wanted to breathe new life into it. The actual story was more complicated than we imagined.

Trevor started out by taking his daughter Eliot to Victoria Park to take advantage of its free snowshoeing and fort building. He spoke to activity leader Ryanne Osguthorpe. Victoria Park is one of a few parks in Edmonton that now feature geodesic dome warming huts in the winter.

That got us curious about warming huts in parks, so we met up with Danielle Soneff — an industrial and social designer in Edmonton who created warming huts for a pilot project to bring them into city parks. She’s now an MA student at the University of Alberta, studying winter city design and governance.

We talked about why she feels that pilot project failed, and what good winter design principles could be brought to the new Warehouse Park (final name TBD) downtown.

Finally, we spoke with Isla Tanaka, a winter city planner for the City of Edmonton. We asked her how its winter city strategy has evolved over the years, and how it might change now after the first decade of implementation.

Full show notes

In this episode, former historian laureate Shirley Lowe walks us through three stories: how the Grierson Hill dump became Louise McKinney Park, how the Strathcona dump and gravel mine became Hawrelak (aka Mayfair) Park, and how the Beverly Dump became Rundle Park.

Guest speakers on the episode include Marilyn Dumont, Tara Russell, and Sarah De Lano.

We find out how these fossil sites ended up on that list, what kind of information and evidence and argument were used to lobby for a spot, how it changed this space, and what it all means.

This episode is a recording of a short talk Chris gave on March 25, 2022, called Making Space for Fossils: How the Burgess Shale Claimed a Spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The presentation was part of the History, Classics, and Religion Graduate Students Association’s annual conference. This year’s theme was Recovery: Promises and Pitfalls.

In this episode, Chris and Dylan Hall ask Dr. Woolford about his work, about defining genocide in Canada, and about some of the innovative ways Indigenous scholars and communities are moving beyond settler colonial definitions of group destruction. This interview was recorded the day after the lecture.

If you listen and you find yourself needing support, consider calling the National Indian Residential School Crisis line at 1-866-925-4419. You can also reach the National Indian Residential School Text Line for free by texting 68 68 68. 24/7.

You can also call the Canadian Mental Health Association, toll free, 24/7, at 1-833-456-4566 (In Quebec: 1-866-277-3553) or visit crisisservicescanada.ca.

Trevor Chow-Fraser asks Chris Chang-Yen Phillips to talk through his days as a wee student starting school, what the purpose of a university education is, and why he’s headed to the University of Alberta to pursue a Masters’ degree in history.

In the next phase of Let’s Find Out, Chris will be sharing what he’s learning, and how.

We won’t be taking listener questions at the moment, but we are inviting you to send in audio clips for a new segment: Fact Finders. Send us an audio recording and tell us about one of your favourite resources for learning about local history! It could be a book, a grandma, an old souvenir from a festival in the ’60s, a local museum, whatever is filling your local history boots these days. We’ll feature some of them on future episodes.

Part 2 of our miniseries about the Mirama Dining & Lounge dim sum restaurant: How does Mirama fit in the wider history of Edmonton’s Chinatown? How did business go for Mirama after the alleged gang incident in 2004? And why did Mirama eventually shut down? Reporter Nathan Fung asks Lan Chan-Marples and Games Choi for their insights.

Luke Wonneck, Emily Riddle, and Stephen Raitz share three different lenses on how we build nature where we live: both the idea of nature, and the physical manifestation of those ideas. And then we let the audience build and play to see how we can make more space for the rest of nature in our city.

This event was also a fundraiser for The Resilience Institute (formerly known as The Rockies Institute). Audience members helped us raise $600 towards their work, plus $75 and counting from sales of Amanda Schutz’s gorgeous illustration of a white-tailed prairie hare. It’s on sale through December.

When: Sunday, December 1
Doors will be open at 1:30 PM, and the event will begin at 2 PM.
Where: The Almanac on Whyte (10351 82 Avenue NW)
How much: $15
Where to buy tickets: Eventbrite

This event is presented by Taproot Edmonton, a member-supported home for curiosity-driven local journalism in the Edmonton area. Become a member and you’ll get a $5 discount on your ticket.

Grab your free tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ritchie-historical-walking-tours-tickets-66142380641

More on this story: http://letsfindoutpodcast.com/2019/06/26/episode-35-bear-country/

To explore her question, we dug into a stack of academic research. We also went to the University of Alberta’s Pembina Hall to meet Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Director Jars Balan.

That inspired us to try making some juice from kalyna – aka high bush cranberry – berries using this recipe.

Come say hi before NorthwestFest’s May 4 screening of The Trouble With Wolves at 12 PM at Metro Cinema. Use the offer code APN2019 and you’ll get 10% off general admission.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Marlena Wyman, Miranda Lucas, Jacquelyn Cardinal, and Hunter Cardinal.

More info and a bevy of pictures and links from the event:
http://letsfindoutpodcast.com/2019/02/26/episode-31-how-nature-shapes-us/

Join us Saturday, February 9 at 2 PM for an afternoon of short talks and a live recording of Let’s Find Out! Ever wondered how Edmontonians helped create the river valley parks? Curious about how lawns mould the locals who live nearby? We’ll share short stories about how humans and nature have shaped each other in our city.

At the end of the day, you’ll be able to throw in your own questions about humans and nature for the next season of Let’s Find Out.

More info and tickets here: https://letsfindoutpodcast.com/2019/01/07/feb-9-live-panel-on-how-nature-shapes-us/

Ben Freeland learned that the Cree calendar divides the year into six seasons. So he wondered why we don’t revive the calendar here in Treaty Six territory.

Further reading on this month’s episode:
http://letsfindoutpodcast.com/2018/09/26/episode-27-the-cree-calendar/

Here’s that promo code for $5 off tickets to LitFest:
http://www.litfestalberta.org
Promo code: APNROCKS

This episode is supported by Taproot Edmonton.

Oodles of extra content on our website: http://www.letsfindoutpodcast.com

We’ve been working with a group of students from Hazeldean Elementary and Queen Elizabeth high school. They gave us some questions about climate change in our area. Then we brought them to CJSR (Edmonton’s campus and community radio station) for a radio camp to teach them how to use radio and podcasting to find out the answers.

This is the second of two episodes adapted for the podcast from that camp.
Find out more and listen to the full, unedited broadcast from radio camp: http://letsfindoutpodcast.com/2018/03/02/episode-20-if-it-werent-for-you-meddling-kids

—

In this episode we mention the Alberta Podcast Network’s April 7 workshop, “How to start a podcast: From notion to reality”. Click this link to grab your ticket and support Let’s Find Out:
podnow.eventbrite.ca/findout

We’ve been working with a group of students from Hazeldean Elementary and Queen Elizabeth high school. They gave us some questions about climate change in our area. Then we brought them to CJSR (Edmonton’s campus and community radio station) for a radio camp to teach them how to use radio and podcasting to find out the answers.

This is the first of two episodes we’ve adapted for the podcast from that camp.

Find out more and listen to the full, unedited broadcast from radio camp: http://letsfindoutpodcast.com

—

In this episode we mention the Alberta Podcast Network’s April 7 workshop, “How to start a podcast: From notion to reality”. Click this link to grab your ticket and support Let’s Find Out:
http://podnow.eventbrite.ca/findout

Get the full story on our website: https://letsfindoutpodcast.com/2018/01/31/episode-18-the-case-of-the-christmas-train/

Long Weekend Update

Our panelists:
– Dr. Kisha Supernant (Métis Anthropology Professor & Archaeologist)
– Dave Cournoyer (Writer/Political Watcher at daveberta.ca)
– Sarah Hoyles (Producer behind the ECAMP podcast on Edmonton history)

More information at http://letsfindoutpodcast.com.

We’ve got an amazing panel of speakers coming out to The Needle Vinyl Tavern in Edmonton on March 11:
– Dr. Kisha Supernant (Métis Anthropology Professor & Archaeologist)
– Dave Cournoyer (Writer/Political Watcher at daveberta.ca)
– Sarah Hoyles (Producer behind the Edmonton City as Museum Project podcast on Edmonton history)

I’ll be asking them how they know what’s true in their field. And you’ll have a chance to submit your questions about how they do their research too!

Tickets are $15 in advance, available on yeglive.ca: http://yeglive.ca/artists/h5p11432/lets-find-out-podcast

This podcast was originally presented on the Chinese Benevolent Association’s website:
http://www.cbaedmonton.com/chinatown-conference

Find past episodes of Let’s Find Out:
http://letsfindoutpodcast.com

And send me your questions at chris@letsfindoutpodcast.com.

[Editor’s note: This episode has been slightly edited to remove some personal details]

Investigating that question gave us a surprising look at booze, the behind-the-scenes machinations around prohibition, and what your dining room says about you.

Looking for an answer takes us to the Edmonton Public School Board’s archives, a conversation with a current trustee, and to the centre of the conversation about modern-day racism in Edmonton.

This episode contains some explicit language.

Full episode information at http://letsfindoutpodcast.com.

The answer reveals something fascinating about us, and what we can get used to, and how quickly normal can change.

Full episode information at http://letsfindoutpodcast.com.