River Valley News - Oct 31/24

Halloween costume an endorsement for magpie to be YEG’s official bird

SONIC radio personality Lauren Hunter is calling on Edmontonians to make the magpie our city’s official bird. Lauren says “We’re the magpie capital of Canada and making magpies YEG’s official bird would be a real feather in our cap.”

Putting action behind her words, Lauren has made a giant magpie Halloween costume. According to Hunter, “This costume might ruffle a few feathers, but this year I’m a magpie. This took over 100 hours to create and features 119 hand crafted foam feathers.” Apparently, she hatched this idea August 1 and even delayed wedding planning to make it.

Bird Friendly Edmonton has launched an online vote to designate YEG's city bird. The six birds on the election ballot are Black-billed Magpie, Blue Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Saw-whet Owl, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Everyone in the Edmonton area, of any age, is invited to vote to help choose YEG's city bird. The vote is anonymous and the first round of voting will end on December 31. The top 3 birds will then compete in a second round of voting until March 31, 2025. Information on each bird and how to vote at https://www.birdfriendlyedmonton.org/city-bird--vote.html

Hotel Macdonald home to eerie phantom galloping

During one of your outings in the North Saskatchewan River Valley, there is a good chance that you’ve seen the Hotel Macdonald. It is hard to miss the luxury hotel which mirrors the elegance and architecture of a castle from the Middle Ages.

What you may not be aware of is this hotel’s spooky reputation. Eerie Edmonton, a blog about the haunting history and ghostly tales of our city, gives us a glimpse into this supernatural history.

It is said that during the construction of the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald back in 1914, a horse died. Since then, guests have reported hearing phantom galloping in the hallways of the hotel and noises of a horse-drawn carriage outside their rooms. Accounts of these noises have been made for more than a century.

If this story wasn’t enough to put you in the Halloween mood, check out other ghost stories at https://why.edmonton.ca/stories/eerie-edmonton/ 

Have your say in Alberta's nature strategy survey

The province wants you to share your input and perspectives to help shape Alberta’s nature strategy. The Government of Alberta is developing this strategy to recognize and communicate the value of nature in our province and the positive impact it has on our economy, and to increase investment in activities to conserve, manage, and restore nature to support our health and wellness and the stability of our communities.

A local example of Alberta’s nature strategy is Big Island Provincial Park, located along the North Saskatchewan River in southwest Edmonton, which was officially established by the Government of Alberta on February 16, 2023.

Edmonton’s Ribbon of Green, our river valley and ravine system, is a municipal example of what can happen when government commits to conserve, manage and restore nature.

The survey takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete and the deadline to share your input is November 7, 2024. https://your.alberta.ca/nature-strategy/surveys/albertas-nature-strategy

Petition seeks support for last 25 km of Devon to Fort Saskatchewan trail

River Valley Alliance (RVA) is promoting a petition to support the completion of the final 25 km of the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw or Beaver Hill Road Trail. This remaining section will connect Devon, Parkland County, Edmonton, Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, and Sturgeon County and create a continuous 100 km trail along the North Saskatchewan River.

The last stretch of the trail lies within the City of Edmonton, and RVA believes the time to complete this trail is now. When finished, this transformative regional trail will offer more than just a recreational path. It will create opportunities for active transportation, allowing people to travel from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan or anywhere in between by foot, bicycle or e-bike without ever needing to get in a car.

The petition urges decision-makers to prioritize this project and confirm the necessary funding to finish the job. This is about more than just building a trail, it’s about leaving a legacy that connects people to nature, each other, and the incredible landscapes surrounding us. https://rivervalley.ab.ca/petition/

Helios by Max Streicher, Churchill Square

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/helios

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 24/24

Coyotes are resourceful animals that survive and thrive in cities

Gerald Romanchuk photo

The name coyote comes from Mexican Spanish, ultimately derived from the Aztec word cóyotl, meaning trickster. In the mythology of several indigenous North and Central American cultures, the coyote is regarded as a trickster figure. Its scientific name, Canis latrans, is Latin for barking dog.

Since the decline of the gray wolf, coyotes have played an important role as a top predator in Alberta, keeping in check the population of small mammals, such as jackrabbits. They are omnivores and will eat anything they can find, including hares, mice, squirrels, frogs, and carrion (dead meat). They also eat vegetation and wild berries when they are plentiful. A coyote can locate a prey hiding under the snow using its ears.

Coyotes communicate with each other through a variety of calls, including howls, yips, yelps, and barks. They call most often at dusk or at night but may call during the day. Coyotes will call most often in the spring and the fall, especially during mating season.

Coyotes live in packs, mated pairs, or alone. A coyote pack usually has up to six members and they may not stay together very long. A mated pair can stay together over several years, but not necessarily for life. Mated pairs raise litters in a den. https://www.ealt.ca/species-spotlight-list/coyote

Rocky Mountain Blazing Star a showy drought tolerant perennial wildflower

Liatris Ligulistylis or Rocky Mountain Blazing Star is a very showy plant that is a butterfly magnet and unsurpassed for attracting Monarch Butterflies. It is also attractive to bees and hummingbirds. 

This drought tolerant perennial wildflower is generally 1-3 feet tall. It makes great cut flowers or in dried arrangements. It tends to bloom later in the season when other wildflowers are petering out.

Rocky Mountain Blazing Star is an excellent choice for a naturalized planting as it has good presence in the landscape and makes a great specimen plant for a sunny garden as it not aggressive or very seedy. https://www.wildaboutflowers.ca/plant_detail.php?Meadow-Blazing-Star-59

University of Alberta farm a key part of Edmonton’s heritage

University of Alberta president and co-founder Henry Marshall Tory was nothing if not a visionary. While he understood the traditional academic role his school would come to play in Albertan society, he also recognized its potential to improve the lives of those outside its educational boundaries. One area in particular caught his eye and Tory organized a Department of Agriculture in 1915.

University growth meant the Department needed another site, and in 1930, the Province pledged money for its relocation. Administration settled on a site 2.5km to the southwest on land already owned by the University. These holdings, purchased in 1920, were expanded another 240 acres to create a 379-acre farm on Edmonton’s urban edge. The Department moved to their new home in time for the 1930-31 academic year.

Of the original buildings, only the 1920 Horse Barn and 1930 Livestock Pavilion still stand. In July 2022, the 1930 Dairy Barn was unceremoniously destroyed by the university. Ironically, of these aged survivors, it was the one in best condition as volunteers, running a museum dedicated to farming history, kept it in good nick. https://www.forgottenedmonton.com/blog/the-university-farm

Letter Cloud by Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster, Clareview Community Recreation Centre, Doyle C. Marko Photography https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/letter-cloud

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 17/24

Former Royal Alberta museum destined for demolition

James Dow photo

Discussions for a new provincial museum and archives building began in 1958. In 1962, the Social Credit government appointed a museum consultant. The province’s foresight proved fortuitous, as the federal government’s Centennial Commission was looking for projects to celebrate the country’s upcoming one hundredth anniversary and the provincial government seized the opportunity to forward its museum plans.

After some deliberation, the province settled on the storied site of Alberta’s Government House with its impressive view of the North Saskatchewan river. British Columbian slate, Quebec granite, Manitoban Tyndall, Ontario marble, and larger-than-life reproductions of petroglyphs from Alberta’s Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park provided an overarching confederation motif.

Construction commenced in October 1965 under the supervision of Poole Construction. After a year-and-a-half of steady work the museum neared completion, and in May 1967 employees began transferring archival materials and creating displays. On December 6th of that year, the building opened.

On December 6th, 2015, as work progressed on a new Royal Alberta Museum building in downtown Edmonton, a final farewell was given to the storied museum. Shuttered, it sat quietly for years, perhaps waiting for a day it could be reinvented as something else to service the public good, at least that’s what heritage advocates wanted to believe.

Instead, the current provincial government unilaterally announced the building’s demolition in 2024 amid no public consultation. https://www.forgottenedmonton.com/blog/the-provincial-museum-and-archives-of-alberta-1967

This prairie perennial a fine choice for native gardens

Heterotheca villosa, commonly known as Hairy Golden Aster, is found in Canada from British Columbia to Ontario. It prefers full sun and dry to moderate moisture conditions. It flowers in summer and fall, from July through October.

The yellow, daisy-like flowers of this common prairie perennial are non-fragrant, and attract butterflies, bees, and flies in late summer. They are often visible as showy displays in dry places, where plants tend to be plentiful. They may be invasive and reproduce by self-seeding when grown in cultivation.

It is a fine choice for borders, native gardens, and rock gardens. https://prairiepollination.ca/plante-plant/chrysopside_velue-hairy_golden_aster/

Coates conservation land home to dinosaurs

Coates conservation land is in Leduc County, north of Calmar. The 80-acre natural area consists almost entirely of parkland forest, a habitat that is disappearing rapidly. Thank you to Ethel Coates for leaving her legacy as this special piece of nature, for all to enjoy in perpetuity.

The site is located in an Environmentally Significant Area of Regional Importance and High Sensitivity. Willow Creek runs into the North Saskatchewan River, approximately 2 km away, therefore conserving this land protects a crucial link of a network of wildlife corridors and an integral part of the watershed.

This section of creek has historical significance too: Hadrosaur footprints were extracted by helicopter in the early 1990’s, as well as Albertosaurus skin impression and dinosaur bones. The area was rated as having high potential for historic resources, by Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Whether at Coates conservation land, or at your home, take a guided nature using the tour booklet at https://www.ealt.ca/coates

Whitemud Creek home reflects a love of nature

Ken and Janice Lypkie’s home and yard in Whitemud Creek is a beacon for climate-friendly living. Motivated by a deep desire to leave a better world for their children, grandchildren and future generations, they work together to sustainably grow food, beautify their space with native species, care for multiple beehives and reduce their carbon contributions.

The Lypkie’s passion for growing their own food is complemented by their commitment to using native plants as much as possible to beautify their space and attract native pollinators. Over time they have replaced much of the grass on their property with garden beds bursting with buds and have introduced beehives. “We’re losing our pollinators; let’s do something,” says Ken.

They have prioritized native perennials like Bergenia, Saskatoon Serviceberry and Columbine wherever possible, selected specifically to thrive in the conditions within their yard. Their yard is lined with various cold hardy fruit trees and bushes, including apples, cherries, plums, pears, raspberries and more. “If you can’t eat them, don’t grow them” is Ken’s philosophy.

Throughout the couple’s stunning yard are 14 rain barrels that can hold almost 3,000 litres of rainwater. Between the water barrel system and their extensive gardening, they have developed an impressively water-efficient property. Learn more about their dedication to eco-friendly living at https://transforming.edmonton.ca/edmonton-family-grows-a-love-for-nature-and-climate-action/

Neon Sky by Victoria Wiercinski, Jasper Place Leisure Centre

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/neon-sky

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