River Valley News - Sept 11/25

Bridging the Gap: Edmonton's Next Major River Valley Project

The Wellington Bridge was originally constructed in 1932 and serves as an arterial roadway with four lanes of traffic (2 lanes in each direction), and a sidewalk on each side of the bridge. It is a major link between Edmonton’s city centre and communities to the west. The bridge crosses Ramsey Ravine which features a shared pathway connecting the community of Glenora to the river valley. The bridge is also part of West Central Bike Routes’ 102 Avenue shared-use pathway (SUP).

Replacement of the aging Wellington Bridge is yet another major infrastructure project that is getting underway in Edmonton. Construction is anticipated to begin in mid-September 2025 and will include a new clear-span girder structure with dedicated pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. The project is strategically timed to align with the Valley Line West LRT construction to minimize disruption and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Some trees in the project area will be removed to enable construction. A comprehensive vegetation restoration plan is being developed to restore the area post-construction. To protect the local bat population, bat boxes have been installed at two locations south of the bridge, offering alternative roosting sites for bats currently residing in the bridge structure.

Bat and Garter Snake Advisories Hit Edmonton as Seasons Change

For Edmontonians, the end of summer has brought two unique wildlife news stories, focusing on two very different species: bats and garter snakes. Experts say these events are a normal part of the seasonal cycle, and could have to do with how each is migrating to their winter hibernation habitats. 

In Alberta, there are at least nine bat species, two of which are endangered due to white-nose syndrome. These bats are a crucial part of our ecosystem, acting as natural pest control by eating insects like mosquitoes, flies, and agricultural pests. In fact, a single little brown bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes in one hour! 

Over the past few weeks, there has been a significant increase in bat sightings across the city. This is primarily due to young bat pups, born in the spring, leaving their roosts to find new territories. These inexperienced fliers are often spotted in unusual places, such as on patios, in garages, or near doorways. 

If you encounter a bat, never attempt to handle bats without heavy leather gloves. Like any animal, bats will bite to defend themselves. If a person is bitten by a bat, contact Alberta Health Link at 811 as soon as possible. For additional information on what to do when you see a bat, see Bats in Alberta: What to do if you find a bat.

Alberta Parks has issued a warning to outdoor enthusiasts to watch for migrating garter snakes near the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area and Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. As the snakes make their way to communal hibernation sites, or hibernacula, drivers should be aware of the increased presence of these common Alberta reptiles. 

The province is home to three species of garter snake—red-sided, wandering, and Plains—all of which are now journeying to traditional dens to survive the winter. These hibernacula are often used for many years by hundreds or even thousands of snakes.

The Alberta Capital Airshed, Helping Us Understand Our Air 

An airshed is a geographical area where local topography and meteorology limit the dispersion of pollutants away from the area. Alberta Capital Airshed is responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting the outdoor air quality, including the Air Quality Health Index. They also actively engage with communities to raise awareness, share data through knowledge translation, and provide education to individuals and organizations about outdoor air quality, empowering informed decision-making. ACA welcomes members from industry, municipalities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), educational institutions, and the public to join them in working together for cleaner air.

The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a scale that shows the health risks associated with outdoor air quality. It provides a number and related health risk categories to help you understand the potential impacts of air pollution on your health. The AQHI health risk categories range from low (1-3) to very high (10+). Each category represents the level of health risk associated with the current air quality. To see the live air data map for Edmonton and surrounding areas visit Live Air Data Map - Alberta Capital Airshed (ACA).

Additionally, the ACA "Teacher's Corner" provides free, Alberta curriculum-aligned air quality educational resources for educators. The materials are categorized by grade level, offering full resource sets for Grade 5, Grade 9, and Science 30, which include presentations, teacher's guides, and classroom activities. The site offers a variety of printable resources like posters and activity cards, as well as classroom videos.

A Tale of Two Caterpillars

Mark writes:

“I'm sure you'll hear from Botanists saying that Fall Webworm and Forest Tent Caterpillar only do cosmetic damage and the tree will recover, from Entomologists saying that insects are misunderstood, and from Ecologists listing the many species that consider these "pests" to be an important part of the food web, but as a Soil Specialist I'd like to offer another point of view.

A growing number of researchers (AB Andersen, H Atthowe, T Dykstra, H Mella) are demonstrating that only stressed plants succumb to insect invasion. Plants that lack specific nutrients are unable to make corresponding defenses and insects take advantage of that deficiency. The sickest plants are the most vulnerable, but the solution is never to just address the insect, it is also to provide the missing nutrient (V Fernandez, J Kempf), or improve soil with compost and mulch (E Ingham, J White).

When we recognize insects as symptoms of poor plant health our landscapes become much easier and less expensive to maintain. Better advice for people noticing these caterpillar species is to ensure the soil is mostly covered with high-carbon mulch, provide compost in spring and summer, and only use products with the Certified Organic logo.”

Biota - Glass artwork by Keith Walker

Muttart Conservatory main centre court area

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 - Sept 4/25

Late Summer Serenity: Community Minded Events Around the River Valley

Here are a few upcoming events that highlight the beauty of our surroundings and help support our fellow friends and river valley appreciators:

Kaleido Family Arts Festival / September 5–7, 2025 various times

The Kaleido Family Arts Festival, presented by Arts on the Ave, will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a vibrant showcase of music, theatre, and art throughout Edmonton's Alberta Avenue Arts District. Kaleido is a wildly joyful, wonderfully wacky, radically open celebration of the arts in the heart of the Alberta Avenue Arts District. The streets will be lit up with music, theatre, dance, zany street performances, mouthwatering eats, vibrant artisans, pop-up galleries, and magical moments.

Strathearn Art Walk & Music Festival / September 5–7, 2025 various times

Strathearn Art Walk is a free, family-friendly art market and music festival in Edmonton. This celebration of the arts strives to bring the community together and celebrate emerging and professional artists and musicians. Join them this September as they feature local creativity along the beautiful river valley and scenic city skyline, bringing together a breathtaking view of all our city has to offer.

Alberta Bike Swap Edmonton / September 7th various times

Would you be interested in buying a quality used bike in Edmonton, without the guesswork or marketplace stress? Alberta Bike Swap Edmonton returns on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at the Alberta Aviation Museum, providing a safe and streamlined way to buy, sell, or donate bikes in your community. For full details visit https://albertabikeswap.ca/events/edmonton/

Beaverhill Bird Observatory Casino Fundraiser / September 8th - 9th various times

The Beaverhills Bird Observatory, established in 1984, is the second oldest migration monitoring observatory in Canada. Their extensive long-term datasets enable the BBO to track changes in bird populations, migratory routes, breeding success, and survivorship. The BBO will also be holding a Casino event, which is a crucial source of funding for the organization. So if you'd like to help support their fantastic work, this is a great way to do so! As with other AGLC Casinos, training is provided. Sign up for shifts at https://volunteersignup.org/DEEYB

Lady Flower Gardens Music Festival / September 14 from 1-7 pm

Lady Flower Gardens is a non-profit organization that empowers disadvantaged citizens struggling with mental health and addictions by providing hands-on agricultural training and fresh produce for both participants and Edmonton's Food Bank. Every year they host a Fall Festival where all festival proceeds go directly back to LFG operations. The festival features live performances from talented local artists, a silent auction, food and drink freshly prepared with ingredients from our garden, bouquets for purchase, a wide variety of kids activities with Edmonton Forest School, guided forest tours, and more!

Kids Learn to Protect Watershed  Health with Education Kits

The NSWA Youth Water Council created the Watershed Keepers Education kits to help introduce young people to the importance of protecting watershed health. It is a hands-on watershed kit for young explorers (Grades 4-6) that shows different factors that can impact the well-being of our watershed and what they can do to help.

These kits are a great way to explore the rivers and lakes in your community and become a steward of your local environment. They also offer a hands-on approach to watershed science, allowing you to observe and record real environmental data. Each kit includes tools like a rain gauge and water quality testing kit so you can learn about pollution and understand how everyday actions impact your watershed. You can also explore the local flora by identifying plant species and bringing them to life with an origami kit.

By taking the Watershed Keeper pledge, you commit to protecting the health of your local watershed for future generations. It's a fun and engaging way to learn about the environment and make a real difference. Contact youthwatercouncil@nswa.ab.ca if you are an educator interested in getting a kit for your students.

A Tale of Two Caterpillars

The fall webworm and Forest tent caterpillar are often confused with one another because both create prominent webs on fruit, shade, and woodland trees. Forest tent caterpillars occur in spring and early summer whereas the fall webworm appears in mid-August. Forest tent caterpillars are also much larger in size compared to the fall webworm, and seem to prefer trembling aspen and poplar trees whereas fall webworms prefer apple, poplar, ash, choke cherry, pin cherry, elm, maple, willow and white birch trees. However both the fall webworm and the forest tent caterpillar can be found on a variety of deciduous trees.

The fall webworm is native to North America. Infestations were more prevalent in eastern Canada in the past but with warmer temperatures, infestations on the Prairies have become more common. Initial signs of fall webworm include numerous webs on the outer branches of a tree. As the larvae develop, more and more webs will be spun to protect and hide the larvae. As the larvae grow, they feed on the leaves of the tree: first skeletonizing the leaf and then consuming the entire leaf.

The larvae appear in August-September and are approximately 25mm and have pale yellowish-brown bodies with broad, dark bands down their backs. Long whitish hairs protrude from black and orange impressions along their body. In September, the larvae drop to the ground and burrow into the tree litter and soil, where they form cocoons in which they pupate. Fall webworms will not kill a healthy tree however, their damage can be unsightly.  Reduce damage by removing the nests and webbing, or the entire infected branch can be pruned off and burned if the infestation is large enough.

For a useful website to aid in the identification of tree damaging insects, animals, and other diseases head to Tree Damage Identification | Wetaskiwin County, AB - Official Website

A Simple DIY Solution for Better Air

With the return of air quality advisors and thick wildfire smoke, building your own air purifier is a great way to take control of your indoor air quality and get a breath of fresh air during smoky days. The Corsi-Rosenthal Cube is an affordable, do-it-yourself air purifier that can significantly improve indoor air quality. Constructed from just a box fan and four MERV-13 furnace filters, this simple device provides whole-room air cleaning comparable to much more expensive commercial HEPA filters. It's a highly effective way to protect your health by clearing the air of airborne virus particles, pollen, dust, and especially the hazardous microscopic particles found in wildfire smoke.

Wildfire smoke is composed of tiny particulate matter, a dangerous mix of acids, chemicals, and metals that are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs and bloodstream. Research shows this type of pollution is significantly more hazardous than other forms of air pollution. By using a Corsi-Rosenthal Cube, you can help mitigate these risks, reducing the immediate health effects of smoke such as coughing, shortness of breath, and an increased heart rate.

Building a Corsi-Rosenthal Cube is a straightforward project that requires just a few items: a 20-inch box fan, four 20-inch MERV-13 filters, duct tape, and a piece of cardboard. First, tape the four filters together to form an incomplete cube, making sure the airflow arrows on each filter point inward. Next, seal the bottom of the cube with the cardboard and duct tape. Finally, place the box fan on the top of the cube, ensuring it is positioned to blow air out of the cube. This simple setup creates a powerful and efficient air filter.

For complete instructions, including pictures and diagrams, visit DIY box fan filters – Corsi-Rosenthal box - Clean Air Crew

WISH 24’ x 56’ Vignettes Flower Mural by Leigh Wright and Vinny Le

Location: Triovest ATB Place, downtown Edmonton

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 - Aug 28/25

Photo credit: Postmedia 2004

The Rise and Fall of Edmonton's Great Divide Waterfall

On September 1st, 1980 the Great Divide Waterfall on Edmonton’s High Level Bridge, created by artist Peter Lewis, flowed for the first time to mark Alberta’s 75th anniversary. The waterfall — funded to the tune of $100,000 in provincial anniversary money and $500,000 more in donations of time and equipment — created a carnival atmosphere amid the throng of spectators and officials gathered for the event.

“This is Edmonton Water’s finest hour,” said a jubilant Mayor Cec Purves who, with other civic officials, fired off flare guns as the waterfall began to flow. Thousands of people gathered in the river valley, whooping and cheering as they waited for the water to flow. Campfires dotted the bank of the North Saskatchewan River. Small boats and kayaks hovered under the bridge. One skeptical constable on duty said: “Isn’t this something. We don’t have a hospital east of 97th Street, but we’ve got a waterfall over the High Level Bridge.” It started with a trickle but within minutes, as the pressure in the pipes began to build, the waterfall streamed forth. 

The falls lasted in the city until 2009, when the city stopped running the waterfall over concerns the chlorinated water could be affecting the river below. In 2012, Edmonton city councillors considered upgrading the falls to meet environmental standards, but the equipment needed to de-chlorinate the water was deemed too expensive. The debate about restoring the waterfall was again raised in 2014; however, the city council voted to shut it down for good. Today, we are all very familiar with the High Level Bridge art installation added to the bridge in 2013. Called “Light the Bridge,” the piece contains 60,000 LED lights installed along the bridge, lit up in different colours each evening.

Photo credit: Macleans.ca

"Icy": A New Citizen Science Program for Glaciers

Science is all around us. It plays a part in getting us to work, powering our buildings, and making sure the food and water we consume is safe. Every day, researchers are working to improve our society and discover new things about the world in which we live. There are science projects and science experiments happening in your community that you can get involved in. Some may only be available at certain times of year or in certain areas, but with a little exploring you can find exciting ways to take part in science.

Parks Canada, British Columbia Parks, and the University of Waterloo’s GeoReach are launching “Icy”, a citizen science program that invites you to help monitor glacier changes! The program is rolling out in British Columbia and Alberta in two national parks and four provincial parks. More Parks Canada sites might participate in the future. Your photos will support vital scientific research, tracking glacial changes like retreat, thinning, and even disappearance.

Joining this initiative is a great way to support glacier and mountain ecosystem research while learning about the natural world. By taking regular photos of glaciers and surrounding areas, you’ll help track changes over time and uncover patterns like glacier recession. Your data will inform conservation efforts and help make decisions. By taking part in this initiative, you’ll also get access to the collected data, offering a chance to learn more about glaciers in your area!

Photo credit: Internet Archives

From Depression to Destination: Building the Miette Road

The Great Depression broke Canada. In the years following the stock market crash, its gross national product dropped twenty-five percent. Personal income in Alberta fell by forty-eight, farm wages by fifty. The value of farmland itself plummeted by forty percent, while nationwide unemployment rose to thirty. Everywhere dust hounded crops and fires plagued town. And yet, nothing was done. Cities, provinces, the Dominion, each squabbled, passing the buck from one party to the other. No-one wanted the responsibility — and price-tag — associated with Depression-relief.

Fortunately, J.B. Harkin’s Dominion Park Branch took a more proactive approach. Where all other levels of government saw the country’s increasingly radicalized unemployed as an unwanted problem, the Park Commissioner saw opportunity. If a series of work camps were erected across Canada’s national parks, he argued, these men’s unused labour could transform them into revenue-generating tourist attractions. “In return,” Eric Strikwerda writes, “the men would get three square meals a day, a warm bed, and a healthy, natural setting in which to wait out the hard times.”

One of the most ambitious projects was building a road to the secluded Miette Hot Springs in Jasper National Park. For years, the springs were only accessible by a pony trail, but the Parks Branch aimed to transform it into a proper road for vehicles. Beginning in May 1930, workers toiled seasonally through difficult conditions, including heavy rains and harsh winters, to carve a 17-kilometer path. Despite a halt in funding in 1931 due to a new federal act, the project received renewed appropriations in 1932. By November 1933, the road was usable by vehicles, and its formal opening on June 1, 1934, was a success, attracting tourists and locals who had never been able to visit the springs before. Workers completed the final stages of the project by November 1934, after four summers of labor. The Miette Road not only became a popular scenic route but also provided over a million days of work for thousands of men during the darkest days of the Depression.

For the full story by Dane Ryksen go to https://www.forgottenedmonton.com/blog/miette-road.

Bear with Salmon 2014 by Dean Drever 

Location: Epcor Tower, Edmonton, Alberta

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