This episode: About the Whale Society of Edmonton (or Don't Go Anywhere Without a Porpoise)

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!

This episode: Parks for Tomorrow. We’re going to look at one protest in Banff on a drizzly October day in 1977. And we’re going to peek behind the scenes to see how and why organizers tried to get media attention. We’re sharing three stories about Albertan environmental groups and journalists way back in the 70s.

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.

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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 episode: a story about Hilary McDowall - a journalist based in Lake Louise in the 1960s and 70s. We talk about World War II spies, skiing, failed Olympic bids, and how difficult it can be to be a reporter in a small town without being engulfed in conflicts of interests.

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.

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.

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

The second episode of Clock In - An ECAMP Podcast, produced by Chris from Let's Find Out. Each episode, host Jay Gilday helps people talk to their parents about the work they did when they were younger. Along the way, we learn how working life has changed in the city.

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!

The first episode of Clock In - An ECAMP Podcast, produced by Chris from Let's Find Out. Each episode, host Jay Gilday helps people talk to their parents about the work they did when they were younger. Along the way, we learn how working life has changed in the city.

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.

Two little updates on things coming soon to the Let's Find Out feed!

• 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.

Did you know that Elk Island National Park used to have a bison abattoir? Have you ever heard of the national parks in Alberta that were dissolved? In this live podcast recording, we explore the wild history of making national parks in our area, and what it can teach us about the current plans to build a new urban national park in Edmonton’s river valley.

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 Gwun-Yeen 君妍 Lennon asks: what is the best playground in Edmonton? We crawl and swing through the past and present of playgrounds in our city to help her and her toddler on their quest.

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.

Did you know that Elk Island National Park used to have a bison abattoir? Have you ever heard of the national parks in Alberta that were dissolved? Join us for a live podcast on September 21 recording exploring the wild history of making national parks in our area, and what it can teach us about the current plans to build a new urban national park in Edmonton’s river valley.

The evening will be hosted by Chris Chang-Yen Phillips, with special guests including Lauren Markewicz – a public historian, member of the IUCN Bison Specialist Group, and author of Like Distant Thunder: Canada’s Bison Conservation Story.

Let’s Find Out is an award-winning local history podcast, published by Taproot Edmonton. We take questions from curious Edmontonians about local history, and find out the answers together.

This event caps our season exploring the history of parks and natural areas in Edmonton.

When: Thursday, September 21, 2023
Doors open at 7 PM, event begins at 7:30 PM. 
Where: Alfred H. Savage Centre (13909 Fox Drive, Edmonton AB)

Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 at the door, or free for Taproot Members with a discount code (check your Taproot newsletter!)
Buy now: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lets-find-out-how-to-make-a-national-park-tickets-706945792897

This venue has barrier-free access.