Natural Area Reserve funded, River Valley Trail Strategy not
Council added $3.5 million to the Natural Area Reserve Fund in its capital budget. This modest increase is welcome, but our society recommended $10 million be added as the current $6.5 million in the fund, is in the process of being spent and was part of the original $18 million put in the Fund in 2009.
The Natural Area Reserve Fund was created by Council in 2009 with $18 million dollars to fund the purchase of tableland natural areas that cannot be acquired through either environmental reserve or municipal reserve dedication. The City has leveraged the money to acquire six sites containing 70 hectares of natural areas. The two properties in process of being purchased are in Riverview, in ward sipiwiyiniwak, and the other is in Decoteau, which is in ward Sspomitapi.
Unfortunately, the River Valley Trail Strategy was not funded in the operating budget. We had received significant community feedback regarding informal and unsanctioned trails in Edmonton’s Ribbon of Green. The lack of a trail master plan has become a contentious public issue, involving both river valley users and residents who live adjacent to our river valley and ravine system.
Increased human use of the river valley and ravine system during the pandemic highlighted deficiencies in the city’s trail planning capacity. The modest amount of money required to fund the River Valley Trail Strategy would have expedited a trail master plan to address the current contentious and unaddressed public concerns. Read our budget presentation at https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/projects
River valley cross-country ski trails open
The word ski comes from the Old Norse word skíð which means stick of wood. Skiing started as a technique for traveling cross-country over snow on skis, starting almost five millennia ago with beginnings in Scandinavia. It may have been practised as early as 600 BCE in what is now China.
Early historical evidence includes a 550 CE description of Sami people as skrithiphinoi translated as "ski running samis". A 950 CE saga describes King Haakon the Good’s practice of sending his tax collectors out on skis. The 1274 Gulating law stated that "No moose shall be disturbed by skiers on private land.”
Early skiers used one long pole or spear in addition to the skis. The first depiction of a skier with two ski poles dates to 1741. Traditional skis, used for snow travel in Norway and elsewhere into the 1800s, often comprised one short ski with a natural fur traction surface, the andor, and one long for gliding, the langski, one being up to 100 cm longer than the other, allowing skiers to propel themselves with a scooter motion.
Edmonton’s river valley is home to cross-country ski trails that are open to everyone, regularly groomed and varied to accommodate all different levels of skiers. Check trail options and conditions at
https://www.edmonton.ca/activities_parks_recreation/cross-country-skiing
Abraham Cristall bust honours historically prominent Edmontonian
(Girl Named Shirl Photography)
Located on the Heritage Trail along Victoria Promenade is a bronze bust of Abraham Cristall. He and his wife Rebecca, Edmonton’s first Jews, arrived in 1893. Abe became a successful businessperson and helped to bring more Jews over from his native Bessarabia in Eastern Europe. By 1901, there were 17 Jewish citizens in Edmonton.
In 1907, Cristall purchased land on the south side in the Forest Heights neighbourhood for a Jewish cemetery and the Chevra Kadisha, or burial society, was formed. In 1912, the foundations were laid for the community’s first synagogue, the Beth Israel, on the corner of 95th Street and Rowland Road (now St. Boniface Catholic Church). Abe served as the first president.
Cristall was a prominent businessperson, owner of the Grand Hotel and proprietor of The Cristall Palace, a men’s clothing store. He was a prominent booster of Edmonton’s economic potential, a popular entrepreneur, and a community leader. His outward vision maintained contact between the Jewish community and the community at large. Learn more at http://www.yegtales.ca/cristall.html
Toboggan existed before settlers came to Turtle Island
Harry writes “I was enjoying reading the article and was interested in the author's pronunciation of the indigenous word, which I had seen before with slightly different phonetics. However, then came the very mistaken concluding statements. Olympic sports are performed on European sleds which have runners and they never have had anything to do with North American flat toboggans.”
Resonant Progression
Melanie emailed “Great newsletter. I’ve never really looked at Terwillegar’s art from that angle. I know now why growing up in Europe I had never heard of a toboggan. I’m looking forward to possibly doing some bush beating on Sunday. And I hope to learn which of those 250 endangered wild species would do well in my food forest and soon to be designed wild backyard!
12 days of Noels in the Mill Creek Ravine Park
Schoen Duo is celebrating 12 old French Noels, at 12 spots in Mill Creek Ravine, over 12 days from December 25 to January 5. If you can’t get to the park, you can link to a new video with music each day from their web page. Information at https://www.schoen-duo.ca/soundscape-projects-2/12-days-of-noels-project/
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