NSRVCS News - September 25, 2020

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September 25, 2020

If you can’t travel widely, travel deeply
People aren’t travelling much these days. What if the pandemic leaves in its wake a world of overbearing government surveillance, and the political and economic woes mean travel is out of reach for all but the wealthiest or most powerful few?

How do we fully inhabit a particular place, in my case, this northern city, hunched frozen for half the year, consuming outsize amounts of energy to keep the lines open, the water and power flowing?

If our scope of movement narrows, we could go deeper. For one thing, we can walk the river valley. Thanks to the years-long efforts of the River Valley Alliance, there is a network of trails threading the valley from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan. And for the past three years, a group of friends has walked this path together as the Camino Edmonton, named for Spain’s famous pilgrim’s trail, Camino de Santiago.

Read more of Anna Marie Sewell’s meditation at https://www.ualberta.ca/newtrail/ideas/what-if-here-is-all-we-have.html

Rain leads to more landslides, erosion in river valley
"Significant rainfall in 2019 and 2020 has contributed to a greater number of new landslide hazards and trail erosion throughout Edmonton," said city spokesperson Debi Winwood. Several high-water events in the North Saskatchewan River also damaged trails, she added.

According to the city's river valley trail cautions and closures map as of Friday afternoon, there were 29 sections of trail that are under construction, permanently or temporarily closed, or where caution is advised.

Some trails have reopening dates on the horizon; the paved path behind Old Timers Cabin is scheduled to reopen at the end of the summer and re-routing work in Tiger Goldstick Park has an end date of December. Others are listed as temporary closures but have no end date. Trails with more severe damage could be closed for months, if not longer.

Despite this year's environmental obstacles, there is good news for trail users Winwood says the city is working to improve its trail system by repairing and maintaining its existing river valley paths. The city is also adding stairways and other trail connections to make the river valley more accessible. Learn more at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rain-leads-more-landslides-erosion-edmonton-river-valley-1.5729085

Epcor proposal threatens 99 acres of river valley parkland
City Council at a Public Hearing on October 6 will decide on a proposal by Epcor to rezone 99 acres of river valley land to allow for the construction of a solar power facility. Our society supports the growth of renewable green energy, but not in Edmonton’s Ribbon of Green.

The City Plan which was just adopted by Edmonton City Council on September 14, states “Our growth should drive climate resilience ahead and strengthen our natural systems. As a livable city, development and sustainability must be allies, not competitors. To lighten our collective footprint, Greener As We Grow is a commitment to use growth as a catalyst for good design and conscientious decisions.

Greener As We Grow puts Edmontonians at the forefront of two important trends for our region—continuing to develop a healthy city while also paying attention to what will surely be one of the great challenges of our future: protecting and enhancing our land, air, water and biodiversity.”

A key cornerstone of Edmonton’s biodiversity is our River Valley and its ravines, which for almost 100 years have conscientiously been deindustrialized, assembled as a park, and become a critical wildlife corridor and natural areas biodiversity zone. Former gravel pits, garbage dumps and industrial sites like coal mines have been closed.

Renewable green energy can be extremely harmful if it is in an inappropriate location. We believe Epcor’s proposed solar facility is in the wrong place, is a reindustrialization of the river valley and will have a negative impact on flora and fauna. Edmonton has one river valley. This location is not essential for a solar power plant and neither present Edmontonians nor future generations can afford the permanent loss of 99 acres of park land.

If you also are concerned, send your comments to City Council at council@edmonton.ca or 311@edmonton.ca

Conservation lands and climate change
Mitigating the effects of climate change may seem like an insurmountable goal and the solutions seem beyond humankind’s ability to overcome. Though there are many pieces to solving this puzzle, one effective strategy we have is to conserve intact natural areas. Protected areas like Edmonton’s river valley play an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change.

Protecting our local natural areas ensures that our grasslands, forests, and wetlands maintain their ecosystem functions and continue to provide ecosystem services that we rely on. Rising temperatures and drier conditions increase the frequency and severity of disastrous weather events like floods, droughts, wildfires, and severe storms. Our regional ecosystems help protect against severe weather events such as floods and droughts by holding and releasing moisture.

Natural areas contain forests, native grasslands and wetlands that help absorb and store carbon, known as carbon sequestration, which removes carbon dioxide from Earth’s atmosphere. An interconnected network of diverse protected conservation lands maintains biodiversity, provides a refuge for wildlife, and supports long-term ecological resiliency.

Natural spaces also provide opportunities for people to experience the mental and physical health benefits of spending time in nature. Experiencing nature with one another and within our community allows us to maintain collective hope and resiliency in mitigating and adapting to climate change and take local action. Learn more at https://www.ealt.ca/blog/conservation-lands-and-climate-change

Newsletter sign up and contributions
Know someone who would enjoy receiving this weekly newsletter? You can sign up for this newsletter at https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/

If you have a photo, news, an event, volunteer or employment opportunity involving Edmonton’s river valley and would like to see it in this newsletter, please email the material to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712
nsrivervalley@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/NSRVCS/
http://www.edmontonrivervalley.

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September 18, 2020

NSRVCS News - September 18, 2020

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September 18, 2020

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
Know someone who would enjoy receiving this weekly newsletter? You can sign up for this newsletter at https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/

If you have a photo, news, an event, volunteer or employment opportunity involving Edmonton’s river valley and would like to see it in this newsletter, please email the material to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

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/

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September 10, 2020

NSRVCS News - September 10, 2020

Guest User

September 10, 2020

Alberta's raccoon population has traditionally resided largely in the province's southeast. However, in recent years their territory has expanded to include central Alberta and Edmonton.

Raccoons have a highly developed sense of touch. They use water, not for washing, but to soften the tough bristles on the bottom of their paws. This makes the bristles better able to pick up and transmit information about the object the raccoon is handling.

Raccoons are omnivores that can easily adapt to whatever food sources are available. In the wild, they feed on fruits, nuts, berries and insects, and foods that can be found near water such as fish, birds, eggs, and frogs. Near human habitation, raccoons will eat garbage, chickens, compost, corn, bird seed or pet food.

Though nocturnal, raccoons may also roam in the day. They make their dens in culverts, attics, chimneys, outbuildings, tree hollows, barns, abandoned buildings or rock crevices. Like bears, raccoons spend the warmer months fattening up for winter dormancy. Though not true hibernators, raccoons still become inactive enough to lose up to 50% of their body weight.

Tips on living with raccoons at https://www.alberta.ca/raccoons.aspx#:~:text=Related%20Information-,About%20Raccoons,expanded%20to%20include%20central%20Alberta.&text=Though%20not%20true%20hibernators%2C%20raccoons,50%25%20of%20their%20body%20weight

Hawrelak park named after mayor forced to leave office twice
At the centre of Edmonton’s river valley system sits William Hawrelak Park, an emerald oasis that plays host to ice castles and Shakespeare festivals, small family gatherings and the Edmonton Heritage Festival.

What Edmontonians heading into the park may not be aware of is the namesake behind the park: an incredibly popular mayor who sat in the big chair for a dozen years between 1951 and 1975. He was also forced to leave the mayor’s seat two times, once resigning, and once being removed by the Supreme Court of Alberta.

As mayor of Edmonton, Hawrelak was forced twice to leave office over questionable deals he made for his own profit, using his position as mayor to benefit himself. Both times, all the information was in the public domain, available to all Edmontonians and all of Hawrelak’s political challengers.

Hawrelak died in office in November 1975, serving less than half of his three-year term. Thousands of people paid their respects as his body lay in council chambers. City council voted to change the name to William Hawrelak park in 1976. Learn more at https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2020/08/19/mayor-william-hawrelak-resigned-removed-re-elected/

Bears can eat horsetails, but horses cannot
Horsetail, also known as puzzle plant and scouring rush, is a living fossil. For over 100 million years, they dominated the understorey of late Paleozoic forests with some varieties growing as large as pine trees. In modern times most varieties only grow a few feet tall, although a stand of horsetail reaching 20 feet was discovered in Australia several years ago.

Horsetail regenerates soil health through depositing minerals onto surface soil. It can grow in the most unlikely places including waste areas, fields, open slopes, packed gravely soil and even through cement in sidewalks. Horsetail often emerges in places where topsoil is removed or disturbed, a remarkable expression of nature taking care of herself.

All varieties have hollow, jointed stems that can be easily pulled apart – hence the name puzzle plant. Scouring rush refers to the silica-rich stems that have been used to file stone, polish wood, and scour cookware. Knights were said to shine their armors with horsetail and Indigenous woodworkers used it to produce a smooth finish.

Medicinally it is a useful plant too. Of all known herbs, horsetail contains the highest amount of silica, important for healthy hair, skin, nails, and connective tissues throughout the body. Since ancient times horsetail has been used to heal wounds, treat urinary infections, and strengthen bones. Recipes and medicinal uses at http://wildfoodsandmedicines.com/horsetail/

Celebrate and learn more about our river valley
The Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition annual fundraiser, Night Out on the North Saskatchewan, will happen online Saturday, September 19, 2020 from 7 to 8:30pm. Admission is free, though a financial donation is requested.

This fundraiser is an opportunity to celebrate and learn more about our beautiful North Saskatchewan River and Valley. The event will feature presentations from four incredible river valley experts: Michael Sullivan, Dr. Dwayne Donald, Christopher Smith, and Carolyn Buffalo.

Information and registration at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/night-out-on-the-north-saskatchewan-2020-tickets-116179553171