Mark Steiger photo
The 2025 golf season has now begun!
The City, in partnership with proshop contractors and food services providers, welcomes all golfers back to its three municipal courses and driving range for the 2025 season. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned golfer, a City golf course has something to offer.
Victoria Golf Course opened on Wednesday, April 23 and Riverside Golf Course opened on Thursday, April 24. Victoria Driving Range is also now open from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. To add, Rundle Golf Course is open with tee times running from 7 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., weather dependent. Rundle is also excited to announce that the new local Shortees restaurant is now open.
Tee times and lessons for youth and adults can be booked at movelearnplay.ca. Edmontonians can visit edmonton.ca/golf for deals, such as the Golf Rewards card, updates and more information on lessons and programs.
City of Edmonton photo
Proposal to expand business park relocates creek and downs 6,900 trees
The Fulton Creek Business Park in southeast Edmonton has requested a rezoning to expand its footprint. This rezoning would require a creek to be relocated and the loss of 6,900 mature trees. City administration supports the business park’s application to rezone natural land for industrial purposes in order to create a more contiguous land parcel.
This relocation of the creek “poses considerable ecological risks,” according to a report from city administration. It would clear 5.38 hectares of the North Saskatchewan River Valley and Ravine System that acts as wildlife habitat and a carbon sink.
The applicant would plant approximately 6,000 new trees where the creek is proposed to be relocated, but city administration said it would take decades for the new area to reach the same level of ecosystem functioning. As a result, this project would hinder the city’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
The application also explains how the business park has engaged with First Nations communities. It states that, while six nations asked how they could be involved and/or expressed concerns about the project, no Indigenous communities have opposed the proposal. To add, Paul and Siksika Nations have written non-objection letters.
The River Valley Alliance supports the project and is excited about the new trails that are planned for the relocated creek. However, Sierra Club Canada, an environmental conservation group, said it does not support relocating the creek. And the Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition has stated its concern about the project and asks to be kept informed. https://edmonton.taproot.news/briefs/2025/04/25/business-park-proposes-relocating-creek-and-downing-6900-trees-to-expand?utm_source=Taproot+Edmonton&utm_campaign=dc361153b9-TAPROOTYEG_SPEAKINGMUNI_305&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ef1adf0932-dc361153b9-421448676&mc_cid=dc361153b9&mc_eid=2d1826a535
Creeping buttercup causes skin blisters and deters herbivores with toxin
Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens) is usually a less hairy plant than other buttercup species. It has long-stalked basal leaves which are larger and looser than those of tall buttercup and are divided into three stalked leaflets. Its stem leaves are smaller and relatively fewer.
Creeping buttercup is even less common in the Edmonton area than tall, but it does form two or three extensive patches in different places close to the creek in Whitemud Park South. Its occurrence there is likely related to the fact that some bridge renovation work was carried out in recent years.
The species is a typical flower of hayfields in northern Europe. And a fun fact is that just like all other buttercups, it also contains a toxin. This is a bitter tasting substance that deters herbivores. The sap can also cause skin blisters.
Keith Diakiw photo
Learn from the land on Saturday July 19 with Keith Diakiw
Embark on a journey into Edmonton’s past this summer on the River Valley Askiy-Geo Discovery Tour. This hike centers around historic and sacred sites within the Edmonton River Valley. And it follows the footsteps of Indigenous Peoples who continue to visit this sacred gathering place on Turtle Island for the last 10,000 years.
The walk is led by Keith Diakiw, a professional Métis geologist and the GEO (Geo Experience Officer) of Talking Rock Tours, the world’s first geo-educational adventure company that is 100% Indigenous-owned and operated. On this tour, Keith shares the extensive history of our region’s fur trade, stretching across 112 years from 1795 to 1907.
Two upcoming walks are scheduled for Saturday July 19th at 9AM – 1PM and 12PM to 4PM. Spaces are limited, and registration will close when the event reaches capacity on July 14, 2025. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/events/external-relations/river-valley-askiy-geo-discovery-tour-with-keith-diakiw.html
April 17 Newsletter
Lise says "I love your newsletter and always learn something new! The article about dabbling/diving ducks was very informative. I so enjoy watching the dabbling ducks on our reservoir pond in Nanton, with the orange legs in the air. This year we hardly have any ducks! Just one pair of mallards. We are suffering drought again and the pond is quite shallow so this must be why, as I learned from the article. I’ve seen at least five different species there in the past. We need to protect our water sources, for our sake and the sake of our wildlife. Thanks for the newsletter!
Oh and I’ve always admired the Mansions and didn’t know the origin story! Merci!"
Jeanna writes "Thanks for printing Megan and Matt’s comments. I was one of the naysayers, but I didn’t understand where the [bike skills] park was to be located. This makes some sense."
Message from the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance
"The Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance (“EMBA”) would like to take this opportunity to provide some information regarding our volunteer Community-Led Project to fund and build the Bike Skills Park which is a component of the City Council approved 2013 Queen Elizabeth Park Master Plan.
The Bike Park will be located on a brownfield site, the former location of an EPCOR waste water treatment facility. Attached are a recent photograph of the main park site and the site drawing from the Appendices to the 2013 Master Plan showing its location, as well as some photographs of the area where the flow trails are to be located. The photos present a small sampling of the fire damage to this area and the proliferation of garbage and hazardous materials. As the drawing illustrates, the site is centrally located near the event space and toboggan hill developed in conjunction with the Walterdale bridge construction. So in addition to being adjacent to an active recreation area, this amenity will serve to rehabilitate this neglected former industrial site and is conveniently located for easy bicycle access by cyclists of all ages. Those who drive to the Skills Park will find ample parking at Kinsmen Park.
Mountain biking and winter fat biking have grown exponentially in popularity this century. Mountain bikers place a high value on the opportunities to respectfully enjoy nature presented by our vast system of natural surface trails. As the only group doing maintenance work on this trail system, EMBA volunteers work to ensure that the trails are sustainable, reduce environmental impacts, and are available for use by all citizens, including hikers, trail runners and their families. This work is highly regulated through our relationship with the City of Edmonton. As an illustration, the permission to do preliminary route planning for the Queen Elizabeth flow trails contains 66 conditions, authored by eight different City departments, including the requirement for a project specific tree plan.
At the conclusion of the extensive public and Indigenous consultations completed for development of the Queen Elizabeth Park Master Plan, the Bike Park component received 81% public support. EMBA volunteers have worked for years to secure recreation and community facility specific grants from the City of Edmonton and Province of Alberta to make this project a reality. We also believe that this project will result in fewer unsanctioned jumps and flow trails, by providing professionally built and maintained amenities, catering to riders of all ages and skill levels.
In a metropolitan area of over one million people, with a City Plan focused on growth to a population of two million, we strongly believe that this centrally located, admission free park will make a profound positive impact on our quality of life. For the most up-to-date information on the Bike Park project, please visit the project website: https://www.edmbikepark.ca/"
Message from the Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition
"A letter in the last River Valley News suggested Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition outright opposes a bike skills park. However, as ERVCC's petition against the proposed QE Park location clearly states, after noting the province is giving $613,000 and the city $407,000 to the project, 'The province's portion could be used to fund a bike skills park in a more appropriate part of the river valley (perhaps Sunridge Ski Area, which is wider and more open, has lifts, and has an adjacent parking lot) and the city's portion could instead go to finally funding a River Valley Trails Strategy, which city council has repeatedly stated it would like to undertake but does not have the money for."
ERVCC would like to see the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance demonstrate its care for nature by acknowledging the river valley is a regionally significant wildlife corridor. A corridor only works if the entire length is intact, and Edmonton's central river valley is currently the main pinch point between the Rockies and Hudson's Bay. This area is in need of restoration, not further degradation. The developer's rendering of what the bike skills park would look like here shows it would be anything but natural. This is why we are calling for it to be relocated. The story of the entire river valley is one of restoration; planners in the past did not say, "this area is a garbage dump, we'd might as well just ruin it some more." Instead, they got to work restoring and protecting it, for the benefit of everyone.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that this park will prevent degradation of other parts of the river valley. EMBA already claimed that if they were allowed to "maintain" the trails, the cutting of illegal trails and building of illegal infrastructure in the river valley would stop. Nothing stopped. Then they said if they could ride in preservation areas, the illegal activity would stop. It just got worse. We would like to see EMBA help close the illegal trails, remove the illegal infrastructure, and publicly discourage mountain bikers from using illegal trails and cutting new ones, to respect the river valley as a wildlife corridor.
We have a responsibility to everyone in the watershed to protect the wildlife corridor. And within the city, the river valley's enjoyment is for everyone. That includes mountain bikers. However, all use needs to respect and prioritize nature. We need to work together to ensure smart planning and enforcement to ensure this river valley is protected and restored for our own benefit and for the generations to come."
Storm Sketch by Jim Stokes, Edmonton City Hall https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/storm-sketch
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