Icy Initiative offers a new way for visitors to help monitor Canada’s glaciers in national and provincial parks
August 7, 2025 Parks Canada
When you take a photo of yourself, that’s a selfie. When you take a cool photo of a glacier, that’s an Icy!
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and minister responsible for Official Languages, in partnership with Parks Canada, British Columbia Parks, and the BC Parks Foundation, and the University of Waterloo, are proud and excited to launch the Icy Initiative, a new community science program in two national parks and three provincial parks. Visitors will help scientists monitor glacier change over time simply by taking and submitting photos, making every participant a contributor to vital environmental research, while capturing some stunning shots and making unforgettable memories along the way!
Cell phone stands have been installed at select glacier viewpoints, with more to come. Visitors simply place their phone in the provided holder, capture a photo of the glacier, and submit it via the QR code on-site or through the GeoReach website at https://georeach.ca/. Clear instructions at each location will guide participants through the process.
Submitted photos will be analyzed by researchers at the University of Waterloo to track glacial changes such as retreat, thinning, and disappearance—offering valuable insight into the impacts of climate change.
The Icy Initiative launches in Jasper and Glacier national parks, as well as Bugaboo, Garibaldi, and Mount Robson provincial parks. Each site will feature one to three Icy stands, creating unique opportunities for visitors to engage with glacier science.
This initiative builds on the success of the Coastie program, launched in 2021, where visitor-submitted photos help monitor coastal changes in Atlantic Canada.
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