In This Issue
The Last Scows: Alberta’s ferry history and a spring guide to the Klondyke.
The Quiet Clearcut: Why density shouldn't cost us our urban tree canopy.
Neural Buffers: How birding the River Valley strengthens your brain.
Invasive Species: Protecting our trails from "uninvited guests" like Orange Hawkweed.
AGM Reminder: Join us on March 9 for Tom Radford’s history of the river.
The Last of the Alberta Scows
In the late 19th century, Alberta’s massive river systems—including the Peace, the Athabasca, and the Red Deer—were formidable barriers that shaped the movement of every settler and trader. During the first fifty years of the system, from the 1870s through the 1910s, Alberta’s ferry network reached its peak with over 100 ferries operating simultaneously across the province. These cable-pulled scows were the essential "living bridges" of the prairies, providing the only reliable way to move wagons, livestock, and mail across a landscape that was just beginning to be connected by a formal road network.
These "reaction ferries" are a marvel of simple engineering, using a bridle cable to angle the boat so that the river’s own current provides the power to push it across the water. Though many of the province's original ferry sites have been replaced by permanent bridges, the six remaining vessels—including the Bleriot on the Red Deer River and the Crowfoot on the Bow River—remain active parts of the Alberta provincial highway system. The Klondyke Ferry, located north of Vega on the Athabasca River, remains the closest operational link to this mechanical heritage for those in the Edmonton region.
While the Klondyke Ferry remains docked for the winter waiting for the Athabasca River to clear, its spring reopening offers more than just a transit route—it serves as the gateway to the rugged beauty of Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Provincial Park. Located just a short drive from the ferry’s southwest landing, this park protects a unique landscape of stabilized sand dunes and ancient pine forests. It’s a place where the history of the Klondike Trail meets a diverse ecosystem, offering a quiet, unpaved escape for those looking to explore the same terrain that early travellers traversed over a century ago.
Photo credit: David Bloom / Postmedia
Balancing Infill with Edmonton’s Living Infrastructure
Urban planner and conservationist Grant Pearsell argues that Edmonton’s older neighbourhoods are built on a "layered" garden system of heritage shrubs and trees that historically provided essential windbreaks and food. This living legacy represents a resilient history of northern living, creating a shared ecosystem of "land wisdom" that modern, simpler landscaping often fails to replicate.
As Edmonton densifies through infill, Pearsell warns that we are erasing this "living infrastructure" without a plan to replace its cumulative benefits. The loss of mature trees, lot by lot, leads to increased neighbourhood heat and decreased air quality, creating an "equity gap" in which the cooling and health benefits of nature are increasingly reserved for those who can afford established lots.
Pearsell emphasizes that trees are as vital to a city's health as roads or pipes. He calls for a recognition of trees and gardens as essential infrastructure, ensuring that access to shade and nature remains a right for every Edmontonian, regardless of their income level. Ultimately, he challenges us to view land conservation as a way to preserve the trust and sense of belonging that roots a community to its landscape.
Opinion: The quiet clearcut: Infill shouldn't cost Edmonton its trees and gardens
Building a Neural Buffer in the RV by birding
Recent research from York University suggests that birdwatching isn't just a quiet hobby; it’s a high-intensity workout for your gray matter. By identifying subtle patterns in feathers and songs, expert birders actually reshape their neural pathways, making their brains more structurally efficient. This process of neuroplasticity mirrors the cognitive benefits of learning a complex new language or a musical instrument.
Beyond just being "sharp," these structural changes serve as a powerful buffer against age-related cognitive decline. The study found that while everyone's brain naturally thins over time, dedicated birdwatchers maintain denser regions responsible for memory and attention. Essentially, grabbing your binoculars today builds a "cognitive reserve" that helps protect your mind well into your senior years.
Our own River Valley is the perfect laboratory for this mental conditioning, especially as we head into the early March thaw. Next time you're on the trails, try focusing on a single species—like the White-breasted Nuthatch—to engage those specialized visual processing centers. Your brain will appreciate the three-minute nature reset, and your future self will thank you for the extra neural scaffolding.
Bird watching may build better brains, study says | CBC Radio
Birdwatching could help slow ageing, breakthrough study finds | BBC Science Focus Magazine
Defending the River Valley from Invasive Species
Last week marked Invasive Species Awareness Week, a national effort to highlight the "uninvited guests" that threaten the delicate balance of our local ecosystems. As the snow begins to melt in the River Valley, it’s the perfect time to learn which species don’t belong, as these invaders often hitchhike on hiking boots and bicycle tires. By staying vigilant, we act as the first line of defence for the native biodiversity that makes our city’s parkland so unique.
One specific threat to keep on your radar this coming season is Orange Hawkweed, a deceptively pretty but aggressive invader that thrives in open meadows and forest edges. This plant is easily identified by its vibrant, fiery-orange flower clusters and distinctively hairy stems, but it quickly forms dense mats that smother the native wildflowers our local pollinators rely on. Reporting sightings of this "Noxious" weed is a simple but vital way to help preserve the natural integrity of our favourite trail systems.
If you spot a suspected invader like Orange Hawkweed, the City of Edmonton makes reporting simple through the 311 app, where you can upload a photo for quick identification. You can also contact the Alberta Ag-Info Centre at 310-3276 to speak with a weed inspector or address specific concerns about prohibited species in your area. Being a good environmental steward starts with observing our local trails and ensuring these "nasty invaders" don't get a foothold in our gardens or parklands.
Feedback: Why Some Ducks Skip Migration
Hi there!
Thanks for letting your readership know about one of WILDNorth's education offerings! I just wanted to mention that the photo supplied is of a Common Goldeneye (a type of diving duck). A small group of this species also overwinters on the North Saskatchewan River. They feed on small fish and aquatic vertebrates but rarely leave the river. Mallards, a type of dabbling duck, on the other hand, move back and forth from the river to areas in the city where they can find food such as spilled grains along the railroad tracks or at the Alberta Grain Terminal. You can often see small flocks flying back and forth throughout the winter.
Love your newsletter!
Best regards,
Kim Blomme, RVT
Director, Research & Policy
WILDNorth Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
Don’t forget to RSVP for the NSRVCS Annual General Meeting this Monday, March 9! Email nsrivervalley@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link and join us for Tom Radford’s presentation on our river’s history, followed by our yearly update.
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