Take a drive on the wild side: province unveils bighorn licence plate to support conservation

By: George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative ReporterSource: The Macleod Gazette

Alberta’s iconic bighorn sheep officially hit the road this month, thanks to a fundraising licence plate that features the work of a renowned Grande Prairie artist.

Three rams backdropped by Mount Lougheed are highlighted in a design that celebrates Alberta while raising money for conservation, the province announced Tuesday.

“The whole picture, it just emulates Alberta,” Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen told The Macleod Gazette in an interview, noting that the bighorn sheep is Alberta’s official mammal.

“I believe that this is something every Albertan can relate to and every Albertan would be proud to have on their vehicle,” added Loewen, who started developing the idea three years ago.

The rams’ horns in the design are based on the actual horns of specific sheep that once lived in Alberta, he said.

Also big in many Albertans’ identities is Mount Lougheed, which dominates the horizon south of the Trans-Canada Highway in Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary.

Although it looks like a massive, single ridge to the motoring public, the mountain is actually topped with three separate peaks. It’s named after Sir James Alexander Lougheed, grandfather of the late Peter Lougheed, a former Alberta premier.

Desmond McCaffrey was tapped to create the scene. His work already graces two Canadian coins in a 2014 series celebrating the white-tailed deer.

Proceeds from the new plate go to the Alberta Conservation Association, a registered charity and not-for-profit that protects and enhances fish and wildlife habitats and populations. Established in 1997, ACA represents at least 10 member groups, among them the Alberta Wildlife Federation, the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society and Nature Alberta.

Featured on the specialty plate is the slogan “Wild Strong Free,” which varies the recently adopted new slogan for standard licence plates, “Strong and Free.”

The cost of the specialty plate is $75, plus a $13 registry agent fee. Not included are standard vehicle registration fees. Every plate sold puts $55 into ACA’s hands.

A provincial news release quotes Todd Zimmerling, ACA president and CEO, as saying: “The licence plate provides a great opportunity for every Albertan to show their support for wildlife and wild spaces.” 

The money will go directly towards enhancing fish and wildlife populations and habitats, he said.

Loewen said the commissioned artwork symbolizes “the wilds of Alberta and the majesty of the mountains,” adding that McCaffrey’s style is a perfect fit.

“He’s won many awards and his paintings are beautiful,” said Loewen, who represents the riding of Central Peace-Notley.

Born in North Battleford, Sask., McCaffrey is a self-taught wildlife artist who made his passion a full-time profession in 1989.

On his website, his bio calls his work “deeply rooted in personal experience and a lifelong connection to the land.”

Raised mostly in Alberta, McCaffrey as a child depicted scenes from memory after hunting and fishing trips with his father.

On his contact page, McCaffrey says he usually answers messages within a day or two — “unless I’m deep in the bush gathering inspiration.”