I visited Wabamun Lake many times in my youth, as a part of the Beaver and Cub Scouts programs. We did many summer and winter camps near the lake, often alongside fellow Scouting groups. I have so many great memories of enjoying lakeside activities, including canoeing, hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, obstacle courses, scavenger hunts and survival skills training, among others.

Unfortunately in the summer of 2005, a major train accident resulted in massive oil contamination of the lake. We were no longer able to enter the water after that, and some of our seasonal camps had to be relocated to other sites due to the cleanup work being done.

That was the first time in my life I understood how fragile our water bodies really are and how one single incident can cause devastating impacts on a waterbody, greatly affecting its health, local wildlife and the relationship we humans have with it. It was also quite shocking to see an area we knew well appear as front page news in newspapers and on TV, as emergency and cleanup crews scrambled to protect people and wildlife.