Home > Gripped Outdoors

Parks Canada Used Balloons to Celebrate Instagram Following, Oops

One day after the news of more unmarked graves were found at another residential school... yikes

Parks Canada used four big balloons to celebrate reaching 500,000 Instagram followers, and a lot of people think they’re not really reading the room that well.

Not only that, but this comes one day after the news that over 700 unmarked graves were found at a Saskatchewan residential school. Read more here.

Even though Parks isn’t releasing the balloons into the atmosphere, hopefully, it’s a bad look. This year, Green Eco Friend posted a story about some alternatives to using balloons, but even going one step further would be to just post a photo with the words “500K” or something like that. Or, just don’t celebrate it at all.

Comments on social media were quick to criticize Parks Canada’s actions. Here are a few examples, you can read more on Instagram (before they likely take the post down).

“Dreadful that they used balloons to celebrate, which will take years to break down i the environment. What poor taste. Yikes.”
“Perhaps a recyclable sign would have been more appropriate?”
“I’m so disappointed that you chose Mylar balloons for this photo op. Mylar balloons are made from metalicized polyester, which is dirty in both production and disposal.”
“What a terrible example to set, tin balloon garbage Parks Canada?? Really???”
“Mylar balloons? From an agency protecting the environment? I’m pretty sure this is not meeting the expectations of Canadians…. Did everyone in the photo need to step off the boardwalk onto the natural area?”

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

The Best Climbing Gear According to Our Editors – March

Every month we're bringing you our favourite gear so you can complete your climbing kit with the latest and best stuff out there