River Valley News - Aug 14/25

Bridging the Gap: New Footbridge Over NSR

Photo Credit: Elliott Knopp, CityNews

A new pedestrian bridge connecting Edmonton and Strathcona County has opened, completing a major link in a more than 100-kilometre trail system through six municipalities in the North Saskatchewan River valley. Located just north of the new Northeast River Valley Park, which opened in 2023, the bridge includes shared-use pathways, gathering areas at each end and two lookout points offering stunning views of the river and the surrounding valley. You can find out more about the trail network on the River Valley Alliance website.

The bridge from Edmonton’s 167th Avenue to Strathcona County’s Township Road 540 is a big win, but the City of Edmonton says there will still be some closures over the summer so crews can install canopies. To support the project, Strathcona County is also building additional amenities along Township Road 540, including a parking lot, portable washrooms and a multi-use trail connection.

The $38.6-million project was funded 50 per cent by the River Valley Alliance, with the remaining cost shared equally by the City of Edmonton and Strathcona County. “It doesn’t really just put this region on the map, it puts Alberta on the map, it puts Canada on the map. Worldwide, people do travel to destinations just like this trail,” said Kristine Archibald, the executive director of the River Valley Alliance. The River Valley Alliance says the final piece of a complete river valley trail is a 25 km gap tying the town of Devon to southwest Edmonton, which is still waiting to be completed.

New footbridge finally connects Edmonton and Strathcona County | Urbanized

New river valley footbridge connecting Edmonton to Sherwood Park opens to the public

Bioblitz & Blooms: A Day for Pollinators at Smith-Blackburn Homestead

Photo Credit: Edmonton Area Land Trust website

Want to make a hands-on difference for nature in your backyard? The Edmonton & Area Land Trust needs your help! A few of their upcoming events haven't gained the number of people they were hoping for, and August is a critical month for managing invasive plants. In particular, the Smith Blackburn Homestead Bioblitz and Weeding needs more hands.

The Smith Blackburn Homestead is a unique property located just east of Elk Island National Park, in a region recognized by UNESCO as the Beaverhills Biosphere Reserve. This land is comprised of deciduous forest, dominated by Trembling Aspen and Balsam Poplar, and underlain with Raspberry and Beaked Hazelnut. The landscape is dotted with wetlands containing willows, asters and cattails. 

This ecosystem combination allows birds, such as Great Blue Herons, Soras, Common Loons and Common Yellowthroat, to nest, raise their young and thrive. Other species living in this space include the Black Bear, Deer, Moose, Beaver, Wood Frogs, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterflies and many more.

The established pollinator garden is under pressure from invasive weeds. In order to help the pollinators the garden was established for, EALT needs some help reducing the presence of invasive plants.

The volunteer activity will be focusing on removing the white cockle, thistle, and other weeds that have found their way into and around the garden. The event will occur on Saturday, August 16, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. To register, click the link below:

https://signup.com/go/aEoCGqj

From Gold Dust to Green Space: The Story of Miner's Flat

Photo Credit: Provincial Archives of Alberta B5287

Mining of placer gold and platinum in the Edmonton area preceded the discovery of gold in the Klondike by more than 40 years, and continues today with small, hobby operations. Placer gold was first discovered in the North Saskatchewan River valley in the 1850s by prospectors moving into British Columbia's Cariboo area via Edmonton.

In 1867, 175 prospectors, known as the 'Overlanders', left Eastern Canada passing through Edmonton on their way to the Cariboo gold fields. About a third stayed in Edmonton to try their luck in the Fort Edmonton area and settled on Miner's Flat. Prospectors set up their tents and sluices in the area in the hopes of finding gold in the silt banks along the North Saskatchewan River.

On a good day in low-water stages, miners claimed they could recover 0.5 ounces a day, all of it as fine flakes, called flour gold associated with fine, black sand - there are no nuggets in the North Saskatchewan River. The black, heavy-mineral-bearing sand was panned to concentrate the gold, and then the gold was dissolved with mercury to concentrate it further.

Gold mining in the Edmonton area peaked between 1895 and 1907, with some 300 miners working the bars 100 km upstream and downstream of Edmonton. Larger steam-powered dredges enabled miners to extract up to 2 oz. of gold per day. In the last two years of operation, about 7500 troy oz. of gold were extracted, but profits were marginal and miners left to join the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush.

After the miners left, the City of Edmonton purchased the land coined ‘Miner’s Flat' in 1907. Although a powerplant was initially planned, the area was designated as parkland in 1910. It was named Laurier Park after a visit to Edmonton by Sir Wilfred Laurier.

Parts of the area were mined for gravel and later used as a waste disposal site, but in the early 1960s the area became home to the Storyland Valley Zoo. In the late 1980s, the City suggested the name be amended to Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park.

Edmonton Geological Society - Field Guides

Mountain Scene, No. 4 by Jennifer Bushman, City Hall

Edmonton Arts Council | Mountain Scene, No. 4

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com.

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River Valley News - Aug 7/25

Even in retreat, there is regeneration

In Blue, artist Kelsey Stephenson invites you to experience the healing presence of Alberta’s glacial landscapes. Through the cyanotype process, a photographic technique developed with water, these works carry the vivid blues of melting ice and flowing rivers. Moving among large silk panels and delicate prints on paper, you’ll find yourself immersed in the cycles of freeze and thaw, light and shadow, stillness, and flow.

The imagery traces the path of the North Saskatchewan River from its headwaters in Banff National Park, drawing inspiration from the surrounding terrain of the Athabasca and Saskatchewan Glaciers. While glaciers tell stories of loss, they also feed the veins of our planet—melting into rivers, nourishing ecosystems, and reminding us that even in retreat, there is regeneration. 

This work holds space for renewal. It asks you to consider what it means to be well within yourself and the natural world. As you move through these layered, suspended pieces, there is time to breathe, to remember, and to reconnect with places that carry meaning and comfort.

Situated in the University of Alberta Hospital, McMullen Gallery aims to inspire, educate, and engage their audience – including patients, medical staff, hospital visitors and members of the general public. Open since 1986, this public gallery is a haven to which anyone may retreat and relax, reflect, share a quiet visit, while viewing displays of visual art by individual artists, collectives, and organizations. 

BLUE – Kelsey Stephenson 

July 28 - September 14, 2025, in McMullen Gallery

8440-112 St NW

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. -7 p.m. 

Saturday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

https://www.friendsofuah.org/exhibitions-list/2025/7/28/blue-kelsey-stephenson

How a Comet's Trail Becomes a Light Show

The Perseids meteor shower can be seen from the northern hemisphere each year, from late July to mid-August. This year, an increasing number of shooting stars should be visible every night, until the light show peaks on the night of August 12 and 13.

During the peak, typically in the darkest hours after midnight, up to 50 to 80 meteors per hour can streak across the sky. To be even more specific, look up at the sky between moonset and dawn to see the most meteors of the night. The Perseids take their name from the constellation Perseus because they appear to fall right from it.

Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle causes this remarkable phenomenon. It orbits the sun, leaving a trail of dust and gravel in its path. Every summer, the Earth crosses the comet's orbital path and passes through its trail of debris. That debris becomes meteors as it disintegrates in our atmosphere and generates impressive flashes of light!

In Alberta there are five designated Dark Sky Preserves. The most accessible to the Edmonton area is the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve, which encompasses Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area and Elk Island National Park. For further information on how to best view the meteor shower check out the following links:

Perseids: How to watch the best meteor shower of the year | Canadian Space Agency

Perseid meteor shower 2025: All you need to know

Photo courtesy of Joel Weatherly Photography

The "Sea Ravens" of Our Skies

The double-crested cormorant is a large black bird with a long sinuous neck and a yellow-orange throat patch. The name cormorant is a contraction of two Latin words; corvus and marinus which when put together mean “sea raven”. With their penchant for fishing and their black colour it is easy to see why.

They weigh between 1.2 and 2.5 kilos and are exceptional divers, some able to dive to depths of 45 meters using their powerful webbed feet and using their wings as rudders. Cormorants eat a wide variety of fish along with some crustaceans, amphibians and insects. Their long beak, with the tip of the bill shaped like a hook, is an excellent aid in catching prey.

A cormorant’s time is spent almost equally between fishing and resting. Some people believe that their oil glands are insufficient for waterproofing, and although these oil glands may help them be a better diver, it also means they must spend a large portion of time drying their wings. Observers will often find cormorants on top of tall trees of telephone poles with their wings outstretched to catch the drying rays of the sun.

Cormorants are colonial nesters whose guano has been known to kill the very trees they perch upon. At the very least, it will stain and discolour any rocks below. A few of the Cormorants' favourite local hangouts in the Edmonton area include Hermitage Park and Beaumaris Lake. Send us a message of where your favourite place in Edmonton is to see these unique birds!

The Cormorants are Coming! - Alberta Institute For Wildlife Conservation

Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Pocsidio via Alberta Birds | Facebook

The U of A's River-Powered Cooling Secret

Have you ever wondered what those two concrete slabs poking out of the North Saskatchewan River just West of the High Level Bridge are? When the question is posed online, many are quick to say things like “Lime Scooter parking spots” or that they are part of a “river raft sobriety test section”, but they are in fact part of the University of Alberta’s Cooling Plant.

The cooling plant is situated on the banks of the North Saskatchewan river and uses river water in the winter months to produce chilled water used to meet the university’s cooling needs. The river water is supplied to the plant via two concrete intake structures located on the bed of the river, each connected to a wet well by a “1980 built 54-in. diameter steel pipe,” which runs under the riverbed perpendicularly to the river flow.

This is one of two cooling plants that are part of the U of A’s district energy system which is owned and operated by the university, and supplies thermal and electric power to the greater campus area. The U of A heating plant produces steam to heat and power the Greater Campus Area. Five large boilers burn natural gas, producing one-billion kilograms of steam each year. The heating plant also operates two steam turbine generators. Together these generators can produce 25 per cent of the power the UAlberta campus needs.

The U of A found they could help reduce their environmental impact by producing heat in their central heating plant, which is about 25 per cent more efficient than using stand-alone boilers in buildings. Additionally, using cold river water as condenser water is more efficient than using cooling towers. 

Energy & Climate Action (E&CA) offers tours of some of the university's LEED and Green Globes certified buildings, labs who have made outstanding commitments to energy and water efficiency, and the university's district energy system. To book a tour, email emso@ualberta.ca.

Utilities Behind the Scenes | University Services, Operations + Finance

Photo courtesy of Curtis Meunier via Google Maps University of Alberta Cooling Outtake Platform

News release July 16 confirms Nordic Spa plans now official

Louise says “ the Nordic Spa is NOT proposed IN the river valley. The LAND is adjacent to the river valley and above the top of a bank on land that had been developed for residential use for many years. If you are going to point out that residents think it is, you should equally point out that it is not according to all studies, plans and zonings.”

Competition by Kirra Kent

Magpie painting, https://www.kirra.ca/about-artist  

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com.

Forward this link to anyone you think may want to sign up for this newsletter https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/newsletter-signup

River Valley News - Aug 1/25

Built in 1900, it is the city's oldest river crossing

Emily Carr painting (courtesy of BC Archives, PDP00558)

Did you know that the historic Low Level Bridge over the NSR is actually two bridges side by side? The first bridge was constructed in 1899-1900 by the Dominion Bridge Company. It is listed on the Edmonton Inventory of Historic Resources and was designated as a Municipal Historic Resource. 

This bridge was designed for the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway. In addition to this railway track, it carried an Edmonton Radial Railway streetcar track. A timber deck was later added to allow vehicular traffic. The bridge continued to carry both railroad and vehicular traffic until around 1950. 

A second parallel bridge was added in 1949 by the Dominion Bridge Company. Although it has very similar design details as the original bridge, it does not hold a historic designation. 

The northbound structure underwent its most recent major rehabilitation in 2006, which provided an additional 25 years of service for the structure. And the Low Level Bridge Southbound underwent its most recent major rehabilitation in 1994. 

While typical bridge design life expectancy is between 75-100 years, with rehabilitation work every 25 years to maintain critical elements, both bridges are nearing the end of service life. For this reason, the City has now begun rehabilitation on the southbound Low Level Bridge. 

Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025, with some carry-over work into 2026. For closure information and traffic disruptions check the City of Edmonton website at: https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=alberta/lowlevelbridge/ 

A fun fact about the watercolour featured above is that it was done by Emily Carr in 1911. She painted the depiction of the bridge upon her return to Edmonton. She was in town to retrieve her dog that was left with a friend while she was away for fourteen months in France.

Don’t miss these late summer splashes of yellow amongst RV greens 

Goldenrods flower in late July to early August and are sometimes mistakenly blamed for causing allergies, even though their pollen is heavy and not easily dispersed by wind. These vibrant yellow flowers rely entirely on animal pollinators and are often seen crawling with insects, such as bees, butterflies, and soldier beetles.

Because of their late season blooming, Goldenrods provide nectar and pollen for wildlife long after many plants have stopped flowering. The plants and their seeds provide food for finches and other birds, and foraging animals (e.g. sheep, cattle, deer, horses). They have also been used by Indigenous people for medicine and other purposes.

Their genus name ‘Solidago’ is derived from Latin and means “to heal or make whole”. This reflects their use as a traditional herbal medicine. Goldenrod is often used as a supplement for improving urinary health as well as reducing inflammation of the body.

Goldenrod flowers and leaves can also be dried or used fresh to make tea. The flowers and leaves are edible and can be used as garnishes. 

https://prairiepollination.ca/plante-plant/verge_dor_du_canada-canada_goldenrod/ 

https://inaturalist.ca/posts/84112-plant-of-the-month-goldenrod-solidago 

Aquatic invaders threaten Alberta’s waters. Here’s how you can help

Protect Our Waters is a call to action by the Alberta Invasive Species Council. This campaign aims to stop aquatic invaders in their tracks by promoting messages such as ‘Clean Drain Dry’ and empowering the public to take action, so we can protect the waters we love.

CLEAN - Remove all visible plants, mud, and sand before leaving the shore. Rinse, scrub, or pressure wash your boat and equipment away from storm drains, ditches, or waterways. Use hot water if possible.

DRAIN - Once on shore, drain all water from boats by removing the bilge plug and water from livewells, buckets, internal compartments, etc. Transporting watercrafts (motorized and non-motorized) with the drain plug in is illegal. Failure to pull the plug may result in a $600 fine.

DRY - Allow all parts of your boat and equipment to dry completely before entering another body of water. Leave compartments open and sponge out any standing water.

Water craft enthusiasts can even look for free, self-serve, waterless cleaning systems that reduce the spread of invasive species called CD3 machines. They can be found at various locations in the Edmonton area, including at the Sir Wilfred Laurier Boat Launch, a popular spot on the North Saskatchewan River.

https://abinvasives.ca/protect-our-waters/ 

https://www.cd3systems.com/ 

pisiskapahtam (To notice and observe or watch) by Lana Whiskeyjack, City Hall

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/pisiskapahtam-to-notice-and-observe-or-watch  

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com.

Forward this link to anyone you think may want to sign up for this newsletter https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/newsletter-signup