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May 27, 2022

River Valley News - May 26, 2022

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May 27, 2022

Edmonton National Urban Park update
There are 48 national parks in Canada. Only one, Rouge National Urban Park, is in an urban setting, even though 80 per cent of Canadians identify as urban dwellers. Rouge is in the country's largest metropolitan area, overlapping the Ontario cities of Toronto, Markham, and Pickering.

By 2030, Canada could have 16 more national urban parks. The hope is to have at least one in every province and territory by 2030, according to Miriam Padolsky, director of urban park and ecological corridors at Parks Canada.

In Edmonton, conversations have begun with environmental groups, municipal leaders, and Indigenous nations. Chief Tony Alexis, of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, says "Having an urban park in Treaty 6 territory is a step in the right direction towards reconciliation."

Alexis says Parks Canada has provided assurances that the collaboration will continue once the park opens, "to showcase Indigenous stewardship and provide opportunities for connections to the land, based on Indigenous knowledge and values." Learn more at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/parks-canada-miriam-padolsky-tony-alexis-rouge-larry-noonan-national-urban-park-1.6445937

It is time to include fungi in global conservation goals
It’s no secret that Earth’s biodiversity is at risk. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 26% of mammals, 14% of birds and 41% of amphibians are currently threatened worldwide, mainly due to human impacts such as climate change and development.

And then there are fungi, microbes that often go unnoticed, with an estimated 2-4 million species. Fewer than 150,000 fungi have received formal scientific descriptions and classifications.

If you enjoy bread, wine, soy sauce, and taken penicillin or immunosuppressant drugs, thank fungi, which make all these products possible. Except for baker’s yeast and button mushrooms, most fungi remain overlooked and thrive hidden in the dark and damp. But they are valuable organisms worth protecting.

Mycologists have devoted their careers to understanding the critical roles fungi play. These relationships can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral for the fungus’s partner organism. But it is not an overstatement to say that without fungi breaking down dead matter and recycling its nutrients, life on Earth would be unrecognizable. More at
https://theconversation.com/beyond-flora-and-fauna-why-its-time-to-include-fungi-in-global-conservation-goals-181226

Celebrate Queen’s Jubilee with Commonwealth Walkway stroll
The heart of Edmonton’s trails, from Government House Park to the Funicular, is triple blessed. It is part of three important systems: the TransCanada Trail, the River Valley trail from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan, and the Edmonton Commonwealth Walkway.

The Commonwealth Walkway is a 1,000 km walkable path, linking 100 cities, marking 2,000 points of significance, and providing an opportunity for a third of the world’s population to be more active. Each point of interest has a gunmetal-bronze medallion bearing Queen Elizabeth’s monogram and crown.

The Queen's coronation took place 70 years ago, on June 2, 1953. The Platinum Jubilee celebrations will begin June 2 and continue until June 5, a perfect time for monarchists to stroll Edmonton’s Commonwealth Walkway.

There are thirty points of interest along the route from Government House to the Funicular, with side trips in between. An interactive app provides 100 stories on five themes: River, History, Indigenous, Family, and Winter as you follow the route. Download the interactive app at https://www.edmontoncommonwealthwalkway.com/

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

If you have a comment, concern, or question, contact us at nsrivervalley@gmail.com Please email us river valley photos or event information. Your friends, neighbours and colleagues can sign up for this newsletter on our web site https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/

Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712

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May 19, 2022

River Valley News - May 19, 2022

Guest User

May 19, 2022

Lamoureux Trail historical interpretive walk

Join River Valley Alliance and Fort Heritage Precinct at 1pm on Saturday May 28 for a free historical interpretive walk of the Lamoureux Trail, which is across the river from Fort Saskatchewan.

The walk will begin at the trailhead and be at a leisurely pace, with stops along the way for historical interpretation. The route is mostly flat, approximately 4 km, and takes around 1.5-2 hours to complete.

All abilities are welcome. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Dogs are welcome on this walk but must remain on-leash. There is no fee for the walk, but online registration is encouraged. Information and registration at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/trekthetrails-river-valley-alliance-fort-heritage-precinct-trail-walk-tickets-330142624477

Front Yards in Bloom to highlight Edible Yards

Front Yards in Bloom is back and will include a celebration of 2022 being proclaimed Canada’s Year of the Garden. The proclamation celebrates Canada’s rich horticulture and garden heritage, today’s vibrant garden culture and creates legacies for a sustainable future. Year of the Garden 2022 invites us to plant something red to express our Canadian garden pride.

In honour of Canada’s Year of the Garden initiative, Front Yards in Bloom will highlight the Edible Yard category, which includes everything from vegetables and grains to fruiting trees, berry bushes, perennials, flowers and even mushrooms.

Everyone can participate by nominating a yard or space that you admire. Nominees will receive a yard sign and be recognized in one of six categories: General, Natural, Edible, Public Spaces, Tiny Yards, and Balconies in Bloom. Nominations accepted from May 20 to July 5. For more information or to nominate a front yard, public space or balcony, visit frontyardsinbloom.ca

Edmonton River Valley at the Art Gallery of Alberta

Traditional Métis river lots were determined by the river and are a way to share land so that everyone got access to water. A family’s land would extend out from the river in long narrow lots that all had river access.

In the late 1800s, the north and south banks of what we now know as the Edmonton River Valley were divided into 44 river lots. Those river lots dictate much of the layout of contemporary Edmonton, and Métis landowners like Garneau, Fraser and Groat are now memorialized in namesake communities. 

Tiffany Shaw has mapped the section of the North Saskatchewan River that flows through the city limits of amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton) while thinking about the Métis scrip process. The undulating river is seen from above and references topical mapping and river lots but relies solely on the river itself as land marker.

Shaw's Edmonton River Valley is free of markers of Metis, colonial, and contemporary land division. The rhythm of the river itself is trusted to hold these past and present stories. The exhibit runs until November 13, 2023. More at https://www.youraga.ca/exhibitions/tiffany-shaw-edmonton-river-valley

Common Snowberry a natural antiperspirant

Snowberry is a durable and hardy small shrub which produces small pink flowers and showy white berries in fall and into winter. It is found in dry to moist open forests, clearings, and rocky slopes. This shrub is incredibly adaptable to poor conditions and performs well in shade.

Indigenous people used its berries as a shampoo to clean hair. Crushed berries were rubbed on the skin to treat burns, warts, rashes, and sores; and rubbed in armpits as an antiperspirant. Various parts were infused and used as an eyewash for sore eyes. A tea made from the roots was used for stomach disorders; a tea made from the twigs was used for fevers.

Snowberry berries are an important food for grouse, grosbeaks, robins, and thrushes. The shrub provides good cover and nesting sites for gamebirds, rabbits, and other small animals. Pocket gophers burrow underneath it. The pink flowers attract hummingbirds but are mostly pollinated by bees. Learn more at http://nativeplantspnw.com/common-snowberry-symphoricarpos-albus/

Water spaces at Rundle Park

Sandra writes “Thought I would reach out to you regarding the filling of the ponds in Rundle Park. With one major park closing in Edmonton for two years, I would think the surrounding parks should receive extra attention for the population that needs more green space now. Rundle is a little-known gem. Green space is so important for kids who have had so much home time!”

Comment or contribution

Please note that articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the wide variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley. Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

Sincerely yours,

Harvey Voogd

North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society

780.691.1712

Guest User

May 12, 2022

River Valley News - May 12, 2022

Guest User

May 12, 2022

Edmonton earns bird friendly city designation
Edmonton has become the eighth city in Canada to earn the designation of certified Bird Friendly City. NSRVCS has worked in collaboration with Nature Canada and other community organizations to make our city a haven for wild birds.

The city’s bird friendly actions include: Protecting natural habitat to conserve, restore, grow and connect natural spaces to support biodiversity; A strong commitment to climate change mitigation and adaptation; Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day; and Providing opportunities for residents, including youth, to learn about and appreciate wild birds around the city.

Birds play an essential role in maintaining healthy and resilient ecosystems in our communities. But there are three billion fewer birds in North America today than 50 years ago. Much of these losses are caused by human activities. As urban expansion continues, cities must act quickly to ensure that bird populations are protected and supported. Learn more about the bird friendly city certification program https://naturecanada.ca/defend-nature/how-you-help-us-take-action/bfc/?

Lu Carbyn Nature Sanctuary promotes avian conservation
This beautiful 155-acre property, a haven for birds and other wildlife, opened to the public in July 2021. It was donated to the Edmonton & Area Land Trust by Lu Carbyn, a renowned wildlife biologist and Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta.

The sanctuary is located close to the Lily Lake Natural Area, as well as several other Crown Lands, significant lakes, natural areas, and other types of protected lands. Collectively, they provide extraordinarily significant habitat for wildlife, and conserving this quarter section assures landscape connectivity for wildlife as they live and move in the area.

Several small lakes and wetlands provide breeding areas for many types of waterfowl, including loons and trumpeter swans. A wide array of other wildlife, both large and small, are frequently spotted here or on the wildlife cameras here, including toads, fishers, beavers, deer, moose, and even bears and cougars.

Dogs are not allowed, and trails are prone to flooding in some spots. The sanctuary is an hour drive west from Edmonton and recommended for intermediate or experienced hikers due to the remote location. Directions, parking, trails and visiting guidelines at https://www.ealt.ca/lu-carbyn-nature-sanctuary

Cleaning up the river and using it for recreation are modern notions
In the early days, recreation in the Edmonton Area took place on land. The river was a stinky stream, carrying away waster from homes, businesses, sawmills, coal mines, brick yards, tanneries, breweries, meat packing plants, dairies, and hog, chicken, turkey, and mink farms.

In 1882, the first European sporting organization in Edmonton, the Edmonton Cricket Club, was formed. Edmonton had a population of 350 at the that time and was not yet a town. When Edmonton became a city in 1905, part of the celebration was a cricket play down.

A Rugby Football Club was organized next, followed by lacrosse in 1883. Organized baseball emerged in 1884, the Edmonton Rifle Association in 1886, Edmonton Tennis Club in 1891, and finally hockey clubs in 1894, in both Edmonton and Strathcona.

Edmonton’s first golf club came into being in 1896. By 1899, there were women hocky clubs in Edmonton. Text from Living in the Shed by Billie Milholland, published by the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance https://archive.org/details/livinginshedalbe00milh/

Edmonton Paddlers Boat & Gear Swap – Location change
After much work & marketing, the City of Edmonton has asked that we move the location to the Kinsmen Centre overflow grass parking lot, which is just beyond the main parking lots. Details at https://ceyanacanoeclub.wildapricot.org/event-4768929