Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary

Two small lakes tucked within Waskasoo Park, the Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary is one of Red Deer's quietest and most rewarding spots. The shallow, reed-fringed lakes attract an impressive variety of waterfowl and shorebirds, particularly during spring and fall migration when species from across the continent pass through. Great blue herons, white pelicans, and a range of ducks and grebes are reliably present through the warmer months.

A boardwalk and loop trail runs around both lakes, making it easy to walk slowly and watch without disturbing the birds. The sanctuary sits adjacent to the Kerry Wood Nature Centre, so the two are easily combined. Binoculars are helpful but not essential — the herons in particular are impossible to miss.

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The sanctuary was established in 1924, making it one of the first federally protected migratory bird sanctuaries in Canada — the result of lobbying by local naturalist Elsie Cassels, who spent years documenting the species that used the lakes as a staging ground on their north-south migrations. Cassels was a self-taught ornithologist at a time when women rarely worked in natural sciences, and her records remain scientifically valuable today.

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