Silver Skate Festival
This festival, which runs February 7-17 in the heart of Hawrelak Park is known for its fire sculpture installation. The fire represents renewal and the release of thoughts that make us sad or any fear or regret that chases love from our hearts. Each Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the event, a team of fire artists will be building a sculpture that will be burned at 7:45pm.
In the Storytelling tent, everyone is invited to write down any thoughts to be offered to the fire sculpture. People are also invited to make a lantern at the workshop tent adjacent to the Storytelling tent from 4-7pm and join the 7:30pm lantern parade to the fire circle for the burn.
But this festival has more than fire and whether you’re carving a snow sculpture or riding in a horse-drawn sleigh, one thing is for sure, you will have fun! Festival information at https://www.silverskatefestival.org/go/
River valley gondola would come at great cost
Here we go again. The city is considering a private gondola proposal. Discussion of this project has centred on concerns that Edmontonians will be left paying for an expensive chunk of concrete and rusting cable if the project is not viable. Prairie Sky assures this will not be the case, but the hyperbole and holes in their report raise red flags — at least, for some councillors.
Coun. Aaron Paquette asked how Prairie Sky determined that their gondola would see 637,000 unique customers per year when Spokane’s sees 70,000. (Prairie Sky couldn’t say how they arrived at that number.) He also wondered what metric they used to determine that their Indigenous consultation was “unprecedented.” (Prairie Sky whispered amongst themselves then replied that this was perhaps “poor word choice.”)
Read the complete opinion piece by Kristine Kowalchuk, Chair of the Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition, at http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-river-valley-gondola-would-come-at-great-cost
Fulton Creek an example of creek loss
Fulton Creek in eastern Edmonton is an interesting study for showing the gradual process of creek loss. Extensive sections of this creek have been culverted while others remain flowing at the surface. Lower sections of the creek were culverted and filled to build the Capilano Freeway and Capilano Bridge; upper reaches are disappearing to industrial areas. A western tributary has disappeared entirely.
Fulton Creek originates in the southeastern section of Edmonton, from the Fulton Marsh in the Maple neighbourhood. It becomes culverted as it enters Weir Industrial Park at 69 Ave near 50 St. After a culverted distance of more than 3 kms, the creek emerges at 98 Ave and Terrace Rd in the Fulton Place neighbourhood and then flows through Fulton Creek Ravine for ¾ of a kilometre before going underground again at the Capilano Freeway and discharges into the North Saskatchewan River.
Due to being culverted, the creek's discharge into the river is very minimal and tends to dry up in the summer. Spring melt can cause the creek to overflow, allowing melt water to access the river. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_Creek_(Alberta) Share river valley event, job posting, or news
If you have a river valley event, job posting, or news that you would like to see published in this newsletter, please send the info to nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712
nsrivervalley@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/NSRVCS/
http://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/