Contribute an Article

The BRBC publishes Preserving Our Lifeline, a quarterly newsletter that brings our membership updates, news, and research to inform and unite us in our shared vision for the Bow River Basin. The success of our newsletter depends on content submitted by those passionate about the Bow Basin.

The primary audience of Preserving Our Lifeline is the diverse BRBC membership, including government decision-makers, interested public members, and media representatives. It is not uncommon for past issues to be downloaded 1000’s of times from our website.

Editorial Content

The content of Preserving Our Lifeline focuses on the activities of the BRBC, its membership, and other organizations working in the Bow Basin.

Content is submitted on a volunteer basis.

Submission Guidelines

Preserving Our Lifeline submissions are typically from BRBC members. Submissions should follow the intended Editorial Content (above) and are limited to a maximum of 1200 words for feature stories and 150-250 for announcements.

The BRBC Publications Editor will review all submitted content for grammar, spelling, redundancy, conciseness, and readability. The editor is not responsible for fact checking submitted material. The author must ensure information contained within a submission is true, accurate, and available for public release. If the submission includes quotes, please ensure the person quoted is aware that you are writing an article for public consumption and quote them in context and honestly.

The Publications Editor will review all submitted content for consistency with the BRBC’s stated values, including:

  • The BRBC is an inclusive, cooperative and collaborative organization

  • Discussions are intended to encourage openness and transparency in the consideration of issues

  • While the BRBC seeks to achieve some convergence on philosophical principles, it would never be in the Council's best interests to promote uniformity of thought

  • Open criticism of fellow members should be avoided. The focus is on illuminating the issue not on apportioning fault

  • Submissions should be fact-based. Opinions are welcomed, but please identify them as opinions

Submissions with content that has been fully or partially published in other publications (including journals, newsletters, or other web-based platforms) are acceptable but will include full reference to the original publication.

Submission Requirements

Contributors are asked to send submissions via email to the Publications Editor (aczarnecki@brbc.ab.ca) as follows:

  • Attached as a text only file (Word)

  • Photos attached separately (high resolution photo file format (e.g., jpeg, png)

Photo File Requirements

Please ensure you have permission to photograph and identify people in any submitted photos. Contributors should submit photos in photo file format of at least 500kb. Also include an appropriate “cutline” (a one or two sentence description of the photo content). Please identify people in the photo from left to right and ensure correct spelling of any proper names.

Through submission of a photo or diagram to the newsletter, the submitter releases to the Bow River Basin Council the present and future right to publish the photo or diagram as it sees fit.

By-line Policy

Preserving Our Lifeline will publish the name of the original writer or contributing group on any story that identifies a writer/group. Any submitted story without an identified writer/group will be published without a by-line.

Preserving Our Lifeline will publish the name of the original photographer or artist on any photo or diagram that identifies a photographer/artist. Any submitted photograph or diagram without an identified photographer/artist will be published without a by-line.

Thank you for your interest!