Work by the Alberta Conservation Association will soon be supported by sales of a new provincial licence plate. Alberta announced on Monday a new specialty licence plate – the first, the government said, focused on conservation. The plate features a painting by Grande Prairie artist Desmond McCaffrey of two bighorn sheep, Alberta’s provincial mammal, with Mount Lougheed in Kananaskasis Country in the background. The bottom of the plate reads, “WILD STRONG FREE.” The plate will cost $75, plus a $15 registry agent and standard registration fees. The Alberta Conservation Association will receive $55 from every plate sold when it becomes available Tuesday. “Alberta’s wildlife and wild places are a source of pride for people across our province. This licence plate gives Albertans an innovative, simple and visible way to support conservation while celebrating one of our most iconic species. Every plate sold helps protect habitats and keeps our fish and wildlife populations healthy for future generations,” said Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen in a press release. The conservation association, founded in 1997, conducts work in the areas of stewardship, habitat restoration, and wildlife research. The sheep depicted by McCaffrey are the Blind Canyon Ram, which was harvested in 1911 and later recognized in the 60s as the world record holder for size, and the Canmore Ram, which had garnered a local reputation in the 1980s. McCaffrey’s original painting will be displayed in the legislature.
