River Valley News - Oct 23/25

October Events Edmonton: Halloween Fun, Skill Building, & Local History

This year's Halloween lineup in Edmonton offers events catering to all ages and scare levels. For family fun, you can choose from free daytime events like the Scare on the Square costume party or ticketed options like Boo at the Zoo! and the Haunted HallowFest at the Muttart, which features a workshop on juggling and other circus tricks hosted by Hula Hoop Circus. For those seeking a thrilling nighttime experience, the city features large-scale ticketed attractions, including the immersive carved pumpkin spectacle of Pumpkins After Dark and the intense haunted house experience, DARK at Fort Edmonton Park. For more information, please see the City of Edmonton PSA - Halloween fun in Edmonton https://ow.ly/5K7c50XcJoT 

The How To Festival, hosted by the Edmonton Public Library (EPL), is an opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge directly from various community and staff experts. Taking place both in-person and online on Saturday, October 25th, the festival offers a diverse range of sessions, from hands-on activities like canning and pagoda building to informative discussions on topics such as AI ethics, solar energy, and winter cycling. The event aims to leverage the talents of the Edmonton community by providing a platform for sharing practical knowledge and new perspectives. Check out Learn a New Skill at the How To Festival | Edmonton Public Library for more details.

For those curious about the evolution of urban life, join the Edmonton & District Historical Society for a presentation on "The History of Streetcars in Edmonton." This free in-person seminar, presented by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society (ERRS), will explore the full narrative of the streetcar—from its role as a foundation of Edmonton's public transit system to its present-day status as a cherished heritage operation. Transportation enthusiasts can attend this deep dive into the city's past on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the Bison Lodge. Head to Eventbrite for tickets and more information about the event.

Photo credit: The Valentine & Sons Publishing Co., postcard c. after 1907

Fort Edmonton: Trade, Turmoil, and Transformation on the NSR

Fort Edmonton (also named Edmonton House) was the name of a series of trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) from 1795 to 1914, all of which were located on the north banks of the North Saskatchewan River in what is now central Alberta, Canada. The fifth and final Fort Edmonton, from 1830 to 1914, was the one that evolved into present-day Edmonton.

Due to floods in the late 1820s, the Fort on the Rossdale flats had to be moved to higher ground and a new fort was built on the terrace above the river flats in 1830. This fort stood for 85 years, though its use as a fur trading post was phased out starting in 1891. During its final years, the Fort co-existed with the Alberta Legislature Building. The Legislative Building opened in 1913 just north of the fort on the site of "Rowand's Folly", the large house built for Chief Factor John Rowand.

March 19, 1885, during the North West Rebellion, the telegraph wire connecting Edmonton to the rest of the world was cut. Fearing imminent attack, many local settlers and their families took shelter within the fort's old wooden palisade walls. No attack happened. Within a few weeks, marching and mounted troops arrived from southern Alberta and from eastern Canada by way of the CPR station at Calgary, to ensure that no local outbreak would occur.

Photo credit: Paul Kane, Fort Edmonton, c. 1849-56

Paul Kane's Complicated Canvas

Paul Kane (1810–1871) has a complex legacy, which is examined by Arlene Gehmacher in her essay "Controversial Contemplation" found on the Art Canada Institute website. He was the only nineteenth-century artist in Canada to embark on a comprehensive pictorial and literary project focusing on the country's Indigenous peoples. Kane's goal, detailed in his book Wanderings of an Artist among the Indians of North America (1859), was to create a visual and written record of principal chiefs, their costumes, customs, and the scenery of the Canadian Northwest.

A major controversy surrounding Kane's work is whether he provided a valuable visual record or was an appropriator who profited from depicting disempowered Indigenous cultures. Critics argue that his oil paintings, in particular, reflect the "salvage paradigm"—the attempt by a dominant society to preserve a culture it views as vanishing—and reinforced the prevailing "noble savage" stereotype rooted in Western Romanticism. 

Despite these ethical concerns, Kane's legacy is also considered an enduring and valuable primary visual record of a time and culture that might otherwise be lost. His hundreds of detailed, immediate sketches are highly valued by today's sensibilities and are regarded as more authentic than the polished studio oils. Created before photography dominated the prairies, these sketches document the vibrant cultural traditions of Indigenous individuals and communities, making Kane's extensive body of work an unparalleled historical document of Canadian history.

Favourite Fall River Photo
Reader submitted photo / Jill G. / Taken from Ada Rd near Rundle Park

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.

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River Valley News - Oct 16/25

Photo credit: City of Edmonton Archives

A Look Back at the Beginnings of Borden Park 

The city established East End Park in 1906, carving out 140 acres of swampy land on the edge of the city’s limits. The park got its current name in 1914 after a visit to the city from then Prime Minister Robert Borden. Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, New Yorker Lynn Welcher, a builder of roller coasters in Canada and the United States, arrived in Edmonton to construct the big wooden roller coaster The Green Rattler. The Old Mill, another popular attraction built by the Lynn Welcher Construction Co., was a wet dark ride. Six-passenger boats were drawn through various tunnels by magnets, earning it the nickname "the Tunnel of Love."

By the 1920s, Borden Park had become a popular recreation spot for Edmontonians, boasting a midway with rides and games. On May 15, 1920, 5 days before the exhibition was opened for the season, the admission charge for children was proposed to be increased from 10 cents to 15 cents, matching the existing 15 cent charge for adults. Borden Park was the site of one of Edmonton’s first outdoor pools and, eventually, the city’s first zoo. On a sunny Sunday in the summer, the park could draw up to 7,000 people. 

By the 1930s, visits to Borden Park started to decline. The Old Mill had burnt down years before, and the Great Depression meant families had less money for outings. The Green Rattler closed down in 1935. The Edmonton Zoo fared better, surviving for a couple more decades before being torn down in the late 1950s to make way for an expansion of Northlands, with the current Valley Zoo built as a replacement.

Photo credit: takemeoutside.ca

Take Me Outside Day: A Celebration of Outdoor Learning

Take Me Outside is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to raising awareness and facilitating action on nature connection and outdoor learning in schools across Turtle Island / North America. They believe in a future in which spending time outside playing, exploring and learning is a regular and significant part of every learner’s day.

Take Me Outside Day helps to raise awareness about outdoor learning by encouraging educators to take their learners outside. This free virtual event, running from October 20th to 24th, is an entire week full of activities, speakers, and prizes to encourage folks to head beyond the four walls of a classroom!

With the help of the 100+ outdoor learning partners, there is something for all ages, grades, and subjects under the three central themes of Indigenous Perspectives & Knowledge, Environmental Education & Climate Change, and Health & Wellbeing. For more information, go to Take Me Outside Day: A Celebration of Outdoor Learning.

Photo credit: Global News

The Climate Imperative for Edmonton's Mayor and Council

A recent CBC news article reports that climate change is a top priority for many Edmontonians ahead of the municipal election. Experts stress that it is a "clear and present danger," not just a future threat, citing rising temperatures and worsening air quality. Professors Neal LaMontagne and Sandeep Agrawal identify two key responses for the city council: mitigation (reducing energy impact) and adaptation (managing climate shocks).

City councils can address mitigation primarily through transportation and building design. LaMontagne suggests reducing driving distances via active mobility and better transit, and utilizing large public facilities (like libraries and rec centers) as catalysts to push the local design community toward energy efficiency and green building solutions. Agrawal suggests exploring green options like green roofs and swapping out concrete and asphalt for greener materials.

While the city's existing climate policy is considered fairly robust, experts argue there are still improvements to be made, such as making sure new buildings are "solar ready." Although a city's power is limited by provincial building codes and the private sector, experts encourage the city to use its projects as "catalysts" for more sustainable development to create compelling, positive, and ecologically designed spaces for the community.

Photo credit: Emmanuel Pocsidio

The Herald of Winter (The Dark-eyed Junco)

Dark-eyed Juncos are often called “Snowbirds,” possibly due to the fact that many people believe their return from their northern breeding grounds foretells the return of cold and snowy weather. Another possible source of the nickname may be the white belly plumage and slate-colored back of the junco, which has been described as “leaden skies above, snow below.”

The Dark-eyed Junco is one of North America's most common birds, with an estimated population of over 260 million, and is sighted at more bird feeders than any other species. This small bird is divided into six distinct populations (including Oregon, Slate-colored, and Gray-headed) with 12 additional subspecies. Juncos overwinter in flocks of 6 to 30+ birds, often returning to the same 10-acre area annually. Within the flock, a strict dominance hierarchy exists, with adult males at the top, and females tending to migrate earlier and farther south than males to avoid competition.

Juncos migrate at night at low altitudes and can burrow through snow to find seeds, which make up about three-quarters of their annual diet (including weed seeds like ragweed and chickweed), supplementing heavily with insects during the nesting period. Males return annually to reclaim the same breeding territory, where females build ground nests for 3 to 5 eggs, typically producing two broods per year. Juncos roost repeatedly in evergreens or brush piles but do not huddle, and the longevity record for the species reaches over 11 years.

St Albert Public Art Bus / Linda M. Wright

Travelling on a road near you!

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 - Oct 9/25

Photo credit: Dick Dekker at Cooking Lake
Drying Shores, Concerned Communities: Alberta's Vanishing Lakes

If you have frequented some of your go-to nature spots this summer and fall, you may have noticed some stark changes in your favourite shorelines. Recently, the alarm has been raised about popular lakes drying up around Edmonton. While some water loss is natural and to be expected, it can’t be denied that climate change is significantly affecting lake water levels, particularly through rising temperatures that increase evaporation rates.

The lakeside community of Pelican Point, Alberta, experienced an unusual summer due to historically low water levels in Buffalo Lake, forcing the closure of the community marina. This severe drop caused a decrease in summer tourist traffic for Pelican Point and nearby communities like Bashaw. Neighbouring Gull Lake, approximately 90 km west of Pelican Point, faced similar low water level concerns. Pumping from the Blindman River was suspended in 2018 due to the threat of introducing Prussian carp.

Miquelon Lake's decline has been steady as well, with huge sections turning into dry land. The Ministry of Environment notes that water levels have dropped 2.5 meters over the last 20 years. University of Alberta wetland science professor David Olefeldt states that many lakes, like Miquelon, are "prairie potholes" in a "poorly connected landscape," making them vulnerable to drought because they rely solely on small local watersheds. He concludes this is a natural cycle, suggesting there is little to be done but wait for years of wet conditions for the lakes to bounce back.

Once a favourite recreational spot and home to Canada's oldest public airport, Cooking Lake has nearly vanished, shrinking to less than 5% of its former surface area by 2024 due primarily to low precipitation. To restore the lake and the entire watershed, the idea of running a pipeline from the North Saskatchewan River has been floated more than a few times.

In a recent article by Dick Dekker, he writes, “Because of their shallowness, practically all water bodies in south and central Alberta are vulnerable to our cyclic climate during periods of low water. Even if the mean annual precipitation is little more than half a metre below average, the diminishing effect on these lakes can be major, leaving mud flats several hundred metres wide along former shorelines. No more sandy shores and inviting shallows for recreation!

To restore this drying watershed, is it time to reconsider an old idea of bringing in water from the North Saskatchewan River?”

Photo credit: Ian Kucerak /Postmedia
Why "Leaving the Leaves" Matters

Instead of viewing fallen foliage as a nuisance, recognize that leaves, brush piles, logs, and plant stems are vital natural habitats and insulation for wildlife. Particularly, pollinators and invertebrates, which need shelter to survive the winter. Many butterflies, moths, and native bees overwinter within or beneath leaf litter, stems, or wood, meaning that removing all debris likely results in tossing out the very animals you worked hard to attract during the summer.

You can support biodiversity without sacrificing your yard's appearance through simple, thoughtful cleanup practices. Leave the leaves scattered on the lawn (where a thin layer is healthy) or rake them into garden beds, where they suppress weeds, retain moisture, and insulate perennials. Avoid shredding leaves, which destroys hidden eggs and cocoons, and instead let insects break them down naturally. Furthermore, turn fallen branches into brush piles to provide hibernation spots, and limit disturbing the soil to protect the nests of ground-dwelling bees until spring.

Additionally, avoid piling leaves around trees; give trees some space at the base. Leaves can be a great addition to the soil, but it should be done in a way that is healthy for the trees. Piling leaves around tree trunks may harm them as it can suffocate roots, depriving the tree of essential oxygen, which can lead to root/basal rot.

Photo credit: Jesse Rorabaugh/inaturalist.ca
Understanding the Box Elder Bug's Harmless Hibernation Habits

With the return of cooler temperatures, most creatures, big and small, are looking for a warm, safe place to shelter from the bitter Alberta winters. Among those creatures trying to sneak inside your home is the persistent Boxelder bug. They tend to congregate on sunny, south- or west-facing surfaces, such as fences and exterior walls. As temperatures drop, the adults seek shelter and warmth to survive the winter. They do not cause damage to homes, but when crushed, they may release an unpleasant odour.

Adult boxelder bugs are approximately 12mm long, with black bodies and red eyes. Their wings have reddish-orange outlines and veins. Nymphs (juveniles) have bright red abdomens and are wingless. Nymphs and adults feed primarily on sap from leaves, flowers and the seed pods of female Manitoba maples (aka boxelders). Damage from feeding is usually insignificant and has no impact on tree health.

To manage boxelder bugs, focus on prevention and physical removal. Seal up entry points, such as cracks and screens, to keep them out of your home. Also, remove nearby hiding spots, including piles of rocks, boards, and leaves, that are close to houses. You can reduce their numbers by vacuuming them up or dislodging them with a strong stream of water. Note that insecticides are rarely effective and can harm other species.

Feedback on Linden & Rabbits General Inquiry (continued)

I'd like to reply to Mark's question first: is the NSRVCS or indeed anybody controlling the non-native, invasive grass, smooth brome?The answer is no, nobody is. It is a recognized forage grass and no control measures are regulated for it, even though it is an ubiquitous weed which, as Mark says, does huge ecological harm by replacing native species which also have more value for wildlife. Most people do not identify it or recognize it as non-native species, and the consensus among biologists seems to be that it is so pervasive it is now impossible to control, except perhaps in certain restricted areas. 

However, I am not at all certain that brome is chiefly responsible for the hunger of hares. I assume the hares that are eating the lindens are white-tailed jackrabbits as these are the hares in our city. All hares tend to eat tree bark in the winter when grasses of any kind or other food are unavailable or inaccessible. If you go into the bush in winter you will see many prostrated branches which look white because the bark has been completely stripped off, the snowshoe hares of the woodlands using the nutrient-rich cambium below the bark as a source of food. 

If your objective is to protect lindens and other planted trees rather than feed an urban fauna then you should protect the trees to a suitable height with mesh. By restricting their food supply you will restrict the population of hares. On the other hand, you could plant more unprotected saplings, resign yourself to losing some, and enjoy our urban hares!

Patsy

Giant Baseball Bat / Aluminum / GT Metal Products / 2003
Located at the intersection of 97 Street and 118 Avenue

Special note: The Alberta Avenue Business Association is considering removing the iconic 50-foot, 2,500lb aluminum baseball bat and other "Avenue of Champions" fixtures from 97 Street and 118 Avenue as part of a neighbourhood rebrand, believing the old slogan is no longer relevant. While the plan is still under review pending community feedback and clarity on the bat's ownership, the Edmonton Riverhawks baseball team is expressing interest in relocating the massive sculpture to RE/MAX Field.
 

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