111 Street-Blackmud Creek pedestrian bridge replacement
City Council’s Executive Committee on March 22 will decide whether to approve the 111 Street-Blackmud Creek Pedestrian Bridge replacement project Environmental Impact Assessment.
The pedestrian bridge was constructed in 1971 and was historically used as a vehicle bridge before it was repurposed as a pedestrian bridge in 1994. The bridge will be replaced by repurposing a section of the Connors Road Pedestrian bridge, which was removed from the Southeast Valley Line LRT construction.
According to the City Administration’s report, public engagement was not required to support this project based on the nature of the work. The project was considered primarily technical in nature and centred around the functional replacement of the bridge. Although public engagement was not carried out for this project, an online public information session will be held prior to construction, which is currently anticipated to take place in early 2021.
You can read Administration’s report and the Environmental Impact Assessment by clicking on Agenda item 6.6 at https://pub-edmonton.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=137eed5d-5d63-4913-8b30-57b76918bf0b&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English
If you wish to speak at Executive Committee on this issue, register with the City Clerk at 780.496.8178, city.clerk@edmonton.ca or in-person before the 9:30am meeting begins.
Having paws not stopping this painter
A young Edmonton artist is making his debut with vibrant abstract paintings filled with dynamic, energetic brushstrokes. He is also a dog. Hunter and his owner Denise Lo have been creating their unique paintings and selling them on Etsy since 2017.
Hunter poses for Instagram photos next to his paintings in places ranging from Edmonton’s River Valley to the Rocky Mountains, all with the quiet dignity and gentle smile that Shiba Inus are known for.
Hunter has been curious and energetic ever since he was a puppy. “We took him to dog parks, on runs, we even got him a treadmill at one point so he could release that energy,” Lo explained. “But it just wasn’t enough. Eventually we ran out of things to do with him.”
“We stumbled upon painting and now here we are!” Lo selects the colours and dips the brush in the paint, allowing Hunter to pick up the brush with his mouth and touch it to the canvas. Lo mentioned that the motion came naturally to Hunter. “I didn’t tell him to do it. He just did it.” Read more at https://thegatewayonline.ca/2021/03/meet-hunter-local-shiba-inu-and-painter-extrodinaire-the-gateway/
Rabbit Hill walk a fantastic view
Historically called Rabbit Hill, this site is now known as Rabbit Hill Natural Area in Magrath Heights Park. This natural area, with an elevation 713 metres, is one of the highest points in Edmonton and geologically known as a kame. During the last ice age huge volumes of sand, gravel and till were deposited by the continental ice sheet as it receded.
Indigenous hunters took advantage of the excellent view to watch for bison and deer at drinking spots in the river valley below. Archaeologists have found material here left by people who lived thousands of years apart. The most common remains are small stone chips left from tool making, as well as fragments of the tools themselves.
The earliest visitors probably camped on Rabbit Hill 12,000 years ago, and used tools created by sharpening petrified wood and mudstone. Because the North Saskatchewan valley was carved out from top to bottom, the earliest archaeological sites are on the highest river terraces. Remarkably, occupations dating from 8,000 years ago can be found even on the lowest terraces.
The river valley and its ravines were an attraction since they contained food and tool-making resources of critical importance to humans: abundant plants, animals, and fish as well as quartzite cobbles and chert pebbles. Chert and quartzite break in a predictable fashion, and can be fashioned into sharp-edged projectile points, scrapers, and knives. Walking map and information at https://encf.org/walks/magrath-heights-neighbourhood-loop/
Photo by Inga Goba titled Elephant in Rundle Park
River valley concern or contribution
If you have a river valley concern or question, contact us at nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Your friends and neighbours can sign up for this newsletter on our web site.
If you have a photo, information, or event about Edmonton’s river valley and think it should be in this newsletter, email it to us.
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712
http://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/
https://www.facebook.com/NSRVCS
https://www.instagram.com/nsrvcs
