YEG funicular a tale of vandalism, costs and closures
Besides being a choice target for vandals, including a “massive increase” in graffiti over the last two years, there have been numerous lengthy shutdowns for planned and unplanned maintenance work, while crews have been kept chronically busy responding to various alarms, emergency stops and trapped passengers.
For the funicular’s first full year of service, in 2018, records show the city spent $682,000 on operations, before costs settled at around $530,000 in each of the next three years. This includes funding for various kinds of maintenance, utilities, security and custodial services, but not snow clearing, which is covered through a different budget.
Counting all this up, city records show that between January 2018 and July 2022, about 55 months, there were 162 days when the funicular was not in service or experienced a disruption of at least three hours. Of these days with stoppages, 99 involved planned maintenance while 63 featured unexpected issues, including a 10-day closure amid very cold weather in February 2021.
Why was it built? In his column, Keith Gerein says the real motivation was the fact that almost all the $24 million construction bill was covered by other orders of government and the River Valley Alliance. There was no choice in the matter. The city either built the funicular, or it lost the funding. https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/keith-gerein-edmontons-funicular-after-five-years-a-tale-of-vandalism-costs-and-closures
Climate change impacting bird migration patterns
Myrna Pearman photo
In Canada, almost three-quarters of our birds are migratory. "Only the hardiest birds like magpies and even though they're tiny, chickadees, have ways to cope with the cold," said Geoff Holroyd, chair of the Beaverhill Bird Observatory east of Tofield. "There's several hundred species that migrate."
But as our climate changes, those migration patterns are being interrupted. "Some birds are arriving earlier because of our earlier spring temperatures … our mountain bluebirds are now arriving 19 days earlier than they did 60 years ago," said Holroyd, who has been studying Alberta's birds for about four decades.
And in the fall, Holroyd said he has noticed later trends with birds leaving. "Saw-whet owls that we catch at our Beaverhill Bird Observatory are migrating late … one and a half days per decade later," he said. The risks with these changes come with our variable weather, according to Holroyd.
"If the bluebirds arrive early and get hit with a late snowstorm, then they could be in trouble. It can kill them," he said. "With the owls, if they get caught with an early snowstorm in the fall and they've been tricked into thinking they can stay and migrate later, that can also get them in trouble." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/climate-change-is-impacting-bird-migration-patterns-here-s-what-we-know-1.6796477
Upright prairie coneflower has a deep taproot making it drought tolerant
Ratibida columnifera commonly known as upright prairie coneflower, Mexican hat, and longhead prairie coneflower is a native erect perennial prairie plant that grows from one to three feet high with occasional branching, on stems that are green and smooth to slightly rough with hair.
The floral array is a solitary 2 to 3 inch high flower on a tall stalk, held well above the leaves. The flower is a composite. There are 4 to 12 yellow ray florets with rays that are ovate to elliptic in shape and hang downward. The rays can also have a reddish-brown color. When the rays have this alternate color, it is sometimes called Mexican Hat Plant.
Coneflower has a deep taproot making it drought tolerant and it is well adapted to poorer drier soils, mesic to dry moisture conditions. On grazeland Upright Prairie Coneflower is palatable and nutritious to domestic grazing animals as well a source of seeds for birds and other wildlife. It will self-seed. https://www.gardenia.net/plant/ratibida-columnifera
Frederick Todd envisioned YEG with a ribbon of green as its heart
Edmonton’s river valley, the largest urban park in Canada, is an asset that may never have existed without the efforts of Frederick G. Todd. As was common in most Canadian settlements, Edmonton’s river valley was used for industry and manufacturing leading up to the flood in 1915.
In the winter of 1906 through 1907, the City of Edmonton asked Todd to generate a report on how to provide park space to meet the future needs of citizens. In that report, Todd found Edmonton to have the potential to grow into a bustling metropolis owing to its situation in the centre of a developing province, attractiveness for business and residential development, and its picturesque setting.
With the potential for swift growth, Todd noted that park space becomes the limiting factor, and that financial prudency demands purchasing park land before people move in since land costs rise over time. In addition to recommending playgrounds, boulevards along streets, and large parks, Todd emphasized that ravines and hillsides are easily turned into natural areas for the public good as their incline makes other uses more difficult.
Frederick Gage Todd’s report was adopted in principle by the Government of Alberta following the floods in 1915 and that same year Edmonton spoke of the river valley park system in its municipal development plan. It began the preservation of the river valley that has grown stronger over time through zoning bylaws, land use plans, community activists, and government investment. https://www.edmonton.ca/public-files/assets/document?path=Naming_Committee_Biography_Frederick_Gage_Todd_Lookout.pdf
EPCOR YEG river valley solar power plant
Alice writes “Thanks, as always, for the latest issue of the newsletter. The photo by Kyle Schole of Epcor’s solar plant is a whole story and editorial commentary on that project, supposedly a ‘green’ renewable source of energy, but in fact a huge grey bite out of the green valley.”
Wendell emailed “The photo of the solar panels is real? The one with the caption: EPCOR YEG river valley solar power plant. Too bad, eh!”
More than 700 trees at risk in Hawrelak Park reconstruction
Sandra writes “This is an absolute horror situation. Edmonton deserves better. Adding insult to injury with the total climbing! Global warming is real. Cutting down trees accelerates it. Is there any way the public can have a say? I will attend any meetings. I feel it must be reviewed, ASAP. Please let us know. As citizens we deserve to have our voices heard. Thank you for posting.”
Preparing to Cross the Sacred River by Marianne Nicolson, INIW River Lot 11, 10380 Queen Elizabeth Park Road. Conor McNally still. https://www.edmontonpublicart.ca/#!/details/189
Comment or contribution
Please note that articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the wide variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley. Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712