River lots a history of the Métis and their kinship networks
As the area’s fur trade was winding down, farming began to take on greater importance in the lives of the people around Fort Edmonton. Many began staking claims to land in the Fort’s immediate vicinity, farming in a river lot fashion. A staple of Métis culture, this style of farming allowed for access to the river, wooded areas, cultivated land, and provided space for hay lands.
A government approved survey in 1882 formalized the division of the land in terms of a river lot pattern, which is what the predominantly Métis population in the area at the time desired. The survey created 44 large lots across the banks of the North Saskatchewan, most of which stretched east of the Hudson’s Bay Company reserve lands. In many ways, the early history of these river lots is a history of the Métis and their kinship networks, marriage between the area’s families was common, as were friendship and support systems.
One the south side, several river lot owners homesteaded on land by agreements made with the Papaschase Cree. Joseph McDonald traded a gun and with some other considerations, concluded this arrangement with the band. A similar understanding allowed Laurent Garneau to settle his nearby river lot number 7, from present day 112 to 109 St. The relationship between the Garneau family and Chief Papaschase was close. In 1885, when Garneau was imprisoned for his previous involvements with Louis Riel, Papaschase personally took care of Garneau’s family.
By the turn of the twentieth century, river lots around present day Old Strathcona began to become urbanized. River Lot 5 became the initial land grant for the University of Alberta, purchased in 1907 from Annie Simpson and her daughter. River Lot 3, immediately west, was sold to a land development syndicate and became the Windsor Park neighborhood. Learn more at https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2020/09/09/edmontons-river-lots-a-layer-in-our-history/
River valley residents alarmed by use of toxic pesticide
Residents in Edmonton’s Riverdale community are concerned about use of a toxic pesticide in the river valley to kill noxious weeds. TransEd, the group responsible for the Valley Line Southwest LRT construction, is spraying the product Trillion on either side of the river inside fenced worksites by the Tawatinâ Bridge.
Area resident Kristine Kowalchuk said she was shocked to find out a toxic pesticide was being sprayed so close to the river, with the chance of it drifting into the water and causing harm to wildlife. She was even more alarmed to find that two of the chemicals in Trillion have contentious pasts. The chemical 2,4-D, which makes up 31 per cent of Trillion, was declared possibly carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization in 2015. Dicamba, accounting for four per cent, was banned in the United States this summer.
Elisabeth Beaubien, a botanist who works at the University of Alberta, said using pesticides to get rid of noxious weeds is not always the best solution. Even when sprayed with care, they can kill other plants in the area or have an impact on local wildlife. Read more at https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/river-valley-residents-concerned-about-pesticide-use-to-remove-poison-ivy
Join socially distance river valley trail walk
Join the River Valley Alliance on September 26 for a walk through Gold Bar Park across the river to Rundle Park to discover your river valley. The walk is around 6 km and should take about 2 hours to complete. The path is mostly flat, wide, and paved, and is accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.
The walk will begin at the parking lot for Gold Bar Park and walk along the river to the Ainsworth Dyer Footbridge. After crossing the bridge, the walk continues through Rundle Park, where you will enjoy the sight of autumn leaves, the flowing river, and the Rundle ponds. After reaching the Rundle footbridge, participants will turn around and return to Gold Bar Park.
Though the event is free, registration is required. More information and registration at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/trekthetrails-river-valley-alliance-monthly-trail-walk-tickets-120232415391 Newsletter sign up and contributions
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Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712
nsrivervalley@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/NSRVCS/
http://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/