River Valley News - Feb 27/25

Forced labour used as a moral good in Alberta penitentiary

McDermid Studio photo

The Alberta Penitentiary operated on Edmonton’s River Lot 20 from 1906 to 1920, where Clarke Stadium is today. It was the first federal prison in Alberta.

Theft was the most common crime prisoners were charged with, followed by manslaughter and murder. Prisoners were not allowed to speak while in their cells. They were called by number instead of their name and were often punished during their prison sentence. A bread and water diet was one common punishment. A constant in prisoners’ lives was hard labour.

Forced labour was built into the Canadian prison system. Newspaper stories and government reports framed prisoners as unproductive and immoral people. Forced labour was a way that prison officials wanted to “correct” them. This labour was used to make many products which were sold to farmers, industry, or back to the government. Indeed, penitentiary buildings across Canada were built by prisoners themselves.

Farming was another form of forced labour. Many prisoners also worked in the prison’s coal mine. While not all prisoners were put to work in the farm or coal mine, they all had some type of job. Brick making, carpentry, blacksmithing, and stone-breaking were all common tasks.

The injustices of prison labour in Edmonton did not end when the Alberta Penitentiary closed in 1920. In 2025, Edmonton has one of the highest concentrations of prisons among major cities in Canada. In their great book, Solidarity beyond bars: Unionizing prison labour, Jordan House and Asaf Rashid argue that work as a moral good, and a way to produce profit, are still key ideologies behind the Canadian prison system. https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2025/02/25/hard-times-in-the-alberta-penitentiary-1906-1920/

City moves forward with building first nordic spa near river valley

After weighing the pros and cons of allowing a nordic spa to be built in southwest Edmonton, city councillors voted unanimously to pass a rezoning application for the project on Monday, allowing it to go forward. Scandinave Group Inc. has proposed building Edmonton’s first nordic spa in Brander Gardens, right beside the river valley, on land owned by the University of Alberta Properties Trust. 

Steve Arsenault, the company's president and CEO, said the project will include saunas, steam baths, cold plunges and outdoor relaxation areas, among other features. He said the spa will enhance Edmonton's reputation as a wellness destination and bring investment dollars, jobs and tourism revenue to the city.

Also speaking in support of the project, Melissa Radu, the executive director of destination stewardship with the marketing organization Explore Edmonton, said the spa would help businesses attract visitors during the slower winter and shoulder seasons. She said wellness tourists spend more than other visitors, directly benefiting local businesses.

Some critics told councillors the project would harm the environment and questioned how a private facility would benefit the public. "This will destroy, despite the rhetoric, the rich biodiversity on the property," said Ramsay Heights resident Gloria Michalchuk. Opposing speakers also brought up concerns about consultation with First Nations and the desire for a public walkway on the top of the bank, overlooking the river. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/nordic-spa-rezoning-passed-1.7467512

This debate for the official city bird will be one for the ages, don’t miss it!

On Saturday March 8, join Bird Friendly Edmonton and the Edmonton Valley Zoo for a battle of laughs and likely very many bird puns. The ‘City Bird Debate for the Skies’ will take place at the Otter Room, Edmonton Valley Zoo Plaza. The event goes from 6:00pm to 7:00pm, and doors open at 5:45pm.

Moderated by Belinda Cornish, an Edmonton based award-winning playwright, this event is bound to be a lively debate of sharply crafted comedic arguments and humorous avian related ad libs. Three passionate bird enthusiasts will be debating for who they think should be the top bird in the Edmonton City Bird Vote. 

The format will be part debate and part comedy competition, with the audience picking the winner of the evening. Who will the audience choose as the night's winner? The clever and bold Black-billed magpie? The gentle and shy Boreal Chickadee? Or will it be the regal Blue Jay?  

Audience members are encouraged to come ready for fun and dress up as one of the final three city birds with a costume. Or if not a full-blown costume, "Disney bounding" but for birds is strongly encouraged. https://buildingourzoo.ticketspice.com/city-bird-debate-at-the-edmonton-valley-zoo

Heart Beat of a Nation by Brad Crowfoot, City Hall https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/heart-beat-of-a-nation

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

River Valley News - Feb 20/25

Brennan residence the 190th historic resource property in Edmonton

The Brennan Residence was constructed in 1921 and purchased by James Edmond Brennan, then a clerk at Devereaux Hardware, and his wife Ina. The couple lived in the home for 64 years. The house is one of the few homes in Glenora which faces Stony Plain Road and is now the 190th property to be designated as a Municipal Historic Resource in Edmonton since 1985.

The residence is an early and modest example of the Arts and Crafts style of architecture that became popular in the 1910s and 1920s. The home features this style through its brick and shingle exterior, front-gabled projection and single and double assembly multi-light windows, which permit light to flood the interior.

While continuing to work on heritage designations, the City’s heritage planning team is working on a new city-wide heritage initiative called the Heritage Places Strategy. The strategy, which will replace the existing Historic Resource Management Plan, will reflect a wider lens of Edmonton’s history and address important issues like climate adaptation and how best to preserve heritage in a densifying city. https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/edmonton_archives/historic-resources

Four nêhiyawêwin words to carry with you during the winter season

Tracey Roland photo

Below, Jacquelyn Cardinal shares with us some nêhiyawêwin (Cree) words that relate to winter and the deep connections that Indigenous peoples have with the land.

A different language is much more than just a different way of saying something. It carries different perspectives and hints at the values of the culture it comes from. Winter is traditionally a time for storytelling for our people. As we leave the last days of this season behind, we wanted to draw on that tradition and share nêwo or “four” nêhiyawêwin words and their stories with you.

The nêhiyawêwin word for “the last winter storm” is kewetin (ᑫᐁᐧᑎᐣ, keh-weh-tin) which has the root words of kiwe, meaning “go home”, and yôtin, meaning “wind”. This last snowstorm marked the transition between winter and spring, and signalled the start of the time for nehiyaw (Cree) people to travel home from winter encampments. When the final snowfall in Edmonton this spring descends, remember to practice your new word: kewetin.

kôna (ᑰᓇ, Koo-nah) means “snow”. It shares the root of the words kunatun and kunata’tisewin which are all words that mean, “clean, sacred, and pure.” kôna is also closely related to the word kânata which is the inspiration for the name of our country – a clean, sacred, and sometimes a very snowy place.

If you need to warm up, it’s always nice to have some iskotew (ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ, Is-koh-teh-yoh) or “fire” nearby. iskotew has the root words otêh, which means “heart”, and iskwêw, which means “givers of life”. These root words share that for the nehiyaw people, the traditional keepers of that fire at the heart of our lodges were our mothers and grandmothers.

The nêhiyawêwin word for “city” is ôtênaw ( ᐆᑌᓇᐤ, oo-tee-now) which has the root words of otêh, which means “heart”, and ôta, which means “here”. These hidden teachings share the true definition of ôtênaw to be the “heart of the people” or “where the people are”. https://www.wintercityedmonton.ca/nehiyawewin-a-song-from-the-land/

How to spot the difference between poison ivy and wild sarsaparilla

M. Parseyan photo

Western poison ivy (toxicodendron radicans) and wild sarsaparilla (aralia nudicaulis) are both native to the Edmonton area. These two plants have obvious similarities but should be carefully distinguished because poison ivy can cause a nasty case of dermatitis if cut surfaces of the plant come in contact with skin. Fortunately, there are plenty of differences between these two species, allowing for correct identification. 

Wild sarsaparilla is an extremely common plant throughout the wooded areas of Alberta. Its leaves are twice compound, consisting of three stalked divisions which are then further divided into five (occasionally three) leaflets. The leaflets are somewhat narrower than those of poison ivy, pointed and toothed. The flowers are characteristic “balls” of greenish-white flowers on separate stalks from the leaves, and the fruits are loose clusters of blackish “berries.” 

Western poison ivy is much less common, with a scattered distribution in Alberta which may have something to do with accidental human introduction. It occurs in more open areas than wild sarsaparilla and is often associated with water (on well-drained soils), although it can also occur in open woods. Several populations are established in Edmonton’s river valley system.

The plant forms dense patches by means of runners (stolons). The leaves are singly compound, divided into just three leaflets which are ovate or rhombic-ovate, and irregularly toothed or not toothed. The dense clusters of white flowers forming similar clusters of white, smooth fruits, do not seem to occur commonly among local populations. https://www.enps.ca/post/poison-ivy-vs-wild-sarsaparilla

Dark Days At Noon: The Future of Fire

NSRVCS invites you to a special online presentation by Edward Struzik, titled Dark Days At Noon: The Future of Fire, on Monday, March 10, 2025, from 5:30 to 6:30pm. 

In the summer of 2024, the town of Jasper was ravaged by a wildfire of unprecedented scale. Crews report witnessing 300-to-400-foot flames that forced them to flee from harm’s way. One-third of Jasper’s buildings were destroyed.

If a fire can burn the town of Jasper in a national park that has diligently prepared for fire, what does the future hold for hundreds of small boreal forest towns across the country that do not have the means, know-how or resolve to accept that fire will come someday. And what does it mean for large cities like Edmonton, which has the largest urban forest in North America?

Edward Struzik is a fellow at Queens Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy in the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University and a regular contributing writer to Yale Environment 360, an international on-line magazine published by the Yale School of the Environment. He is the author of two books on wildfire. Firestorm: How Wildfire Will Shape Our Future (2018) and Dark Days At Noon: The Future of Fire (2023).

Registrants will be sent the Zoom link on Friday, March 7. Please RSVP to nsrivervalley@gmail.com 

North Saskatchewan river finally busts the myth that lakes are superior

Norma wrote “I am surprised to read anyone considers lakes are superior to rivers. Having been raised on the Pembina River and having visited some Alberta lakes, it is obvious the rivers are cleaner. There may be some lakes in some countries that are superior but not here.”

Northern Saw-whet Owl submitted by Maureen Elhatton

“On this frosty Family Day, I noticed this Northern saw-whet owl sheltering in my front yard.”

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

River Valley News - Feb 13/25

North Saskatchewan river finally busts the myth that lakes are superior

If you ask any Edmontonian what's the best thing about living in Edmonton, most will say the river valley. The river valley park is a source of pride and natural beauty held close to the hearts of Edmontonians. However, we don't seem to hold the same affection for the river itself.

This sentiment was made clear in a poll put out by EPCOR to determine the top myths about the North Saskatchewan River (NSR) among Edmontonians. One of the top five myths was that lakes are better than rivers. After chatting with experts to get the true facts about the NSR, EPCOR was able to respond with the following information.

To start, the water quality in the NSR at Edmonton is rated as ‘good to excellent’ and has low nutrients, pathogens (i.e. bacteria) and other contaminants. Being a moving water source, the river doesn't have some of the same issues you might see at a lake or standing water source.

To add, most of the river bottom is rock, gravel, sand or silt and the sediment has little to no odour. In contrast, many recreational lakes in Alberta typically have muddy bottoms which often have an odour due to decomposition of plants and other organic materials. As well, lake algal blooms can contribute to odour and aesthetic issues and lakes can house snail species which are the intermediate host for the dreaded swimmer's itch.

The final reason why rivers are better than lakes is because dissolved oxygen concentrations remain high in the former throughout the entire year providing habitat for a wide variety of fish species. In contrast, several recreational lakes in Alberta can experience low dissolved oxygen concentrations caused by large amounts of algae or aquatic plants which can cause large mortalities of fish during 'winter kill' or 'summer kill' events. https://www.epcor.com/ca/en/ab/edmonton/operations/water-wastewater/north-saskatchewan-river/river-myths.html

Black bears not considered true hibernators by scientists

Rick Price photo

The relationship between humans and black bears has been a tense one since the early days of European settlement. Although agricultural development has made the black bear somewhat scarce, the species often uses wooded river valleys as natural highways to move from one suitable location to the next. Occasionally, this includes the bustling North Saskatchewan River valley of Edmonton. 

In winter, black bears go into a dormancy period during which they do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. A dormant black bear can slow its metabolism to 25% of normal levels and its heart rate may be reduced to as few as nine beats per minute. But unlike many hibernating species, which can drop their body temperature to near freezing, bears only experience a small drop in body temperature while dormant. For this reason, some scientists do not consider them to be true hibernators, though this remains a point of contention. 

The den used for hibernation is a simple dirt hole that the bear digs out, often under a fallen tree, large rock, or overhanging bank. A spot likely to get covered by snow is optimal, as snow helps to insulate the den from the frigid air outside. To prepare for its time of dormancy, the black bear eats ravenously in late summer and early fall, consuming about 20,000 calories per day. The fat reserves that are built up keep the bear alive through winter. https://naturealberta.ca/black-bear/

EHS presents ‘Call of the Forest’ film on Sunday March 2 at 1:30pm

Edmonton Horticultural Society (EHS) will be screening ‘Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees’ on Sunday March 2 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. The screening will be taking place at Garneau Theatre located on 8712 109 Street NW.

The documentary follows visionary scientist Diana Beresford-Kroeger as she takes us on a journey to the ancient forests of the northern hemisphere. Throughout the film, Diana reveals the profound connection that exists between trees and human life and the vital ways that trees sustain all life on the planet.

Tickets are free for EHS members and $10 for non-members. You can purchase tickets and memberships at the door. https://mailchi.mp/024bb9c0cdc1/what-you-need-to-know-for-february-16574665?e=58e3cc8bf0

February 6 Issue

Raquel wrote “Great edition”

City pools responsible for excluding Black Edmontonians in the 20s

Ron says “Thank you for including the history of anti-Black sentiment in Edmonton. I will pass that on to my grandchildren who, I am happy to say, are in school learning much more about Canada's social history than I ever did.”

City designates 100+ year old south side market a historic resource

Teresa shares “Our ‘gem’ is being sold by the city of Edmonton.”

Boy and Dog by John Robinson, Paul Kane Park https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/boy-and-dog  

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