Photo Courtesy Alberta Government

By Tanner Smith

Wildfire Prevention

Bertie the Beaver celebrates 65th birthday to kick off National Forest Week

Sep 18, 2023 | 4:59 PM

The Alberta Wildfire mascot, Bertie the Beaver, and Central Peace-Notley MLA and Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen held a special conference in Red Deer, Monday, September 18.

During the conference, they celebrated the 65th birthday of the beloved wildfire prevention mascot, with Loewen unveiling a new graphic for the CL-215T Airplane.

“Airtankers like this help limit the spread of wildfires, buying firefighters critical time on the ground. Alberta has been using this plane for over 35 years, and to mark Bertie the Beaver’s milestone birthday, we’ve made him our ‘eye in the sky’ by putting his picture on the tail section. Watch for Bertie across Alberta and help celebrate this milestone by doing your part to prevent wildfires.”

Bertie, who first arrived to Alberta in 1958, was a gift from Walt Disney, as a token of appreciation to the province, and has been a staple of Alberta fire prevention ever since.

“Now Bertie has been a valued member of the Wildfire Prevention Team since 1958. When he was hand-drawn and gifted to us by Walt Disney himself, as a thank-you for allowing Disney to film Wildlife documentaries in the Kananaskis region. Throughout Bertie’s years of service, he has marched in countless community parades, visited hundreds of schools, has been hugged and high-fived by tens of thousands of children and adults, and even though Bertie has reached an age where many would consider retiring, he is not even close to hanging up his hat.” explained Loewen.

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

Local History

Oliver's Funeral Home - 109 years of Service

Sep 04, 2024

Photo Courtesy Todd Loewen

Bertie’s birthday also coincides with another fitting holiday, National Forest Week, which occurs every third week of September, across Canada.

Loewen and Bertie encourage all Albertans to get involved and learn more about our region’s forest heritage and the role it plays in all of our lives.

“During this year’s National Forest Week, Alberta’s government encourages everyone to learn about the important role forests play in our province’s economic, environmental, social, and cultural well-being. We are committed to a responsible and sustainable Forest management strategy and harvesting our forest is one of the ways that we protect our forests and communities from catastrophic wildfire.”

Loewen added, that the Alberta Government is committed to ensuring new generations of Albertans will be able to experience all the benefits our forests provide.

During the conference, Loewen also thanked all firefighters for their efforts during a historical wildfire season. “I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication shown by everyone at (Alberta) Wildfire. Your service, especially during this very challenging wildfire season, has been exemplary and we are grateful for everything you do to keep our communities and our forests safe.”

Throughout the 2023 wildfire season, Alberta Wildfire estimates 1,014 wildfires have been lit, with estimates set at over a million hectares of land burned, due to these fires.

For more information about Alberta Wildfire, wildfire prevention strategies, or up-to-date information about the current wildfire situation across the province, click here.