Presbyterian minister earned the military’s highest honour
Lieutenant George Burdon McKean earned the Victoria Cross, the military’s highest honour, while serving with the 14th Infantry Battalion near Gavrelle, France on April 27-28, 1918. The medal is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour, or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.
McKean lived in Canada for only 12 years before WWI, having emigrated as an orphan in 1902 from England. He worked on a cattle ranch before studying at Robertson College in Strathcona, then part of the University of Alberta, to enter the Presbyterian ministry. He became a pastor’s assistant at Robertson Presbyterian Church, now Robertson-Wesley United Church in Oliver.
When the war hit, the 27-year-old enlisted in Edmonton as a private. The Victoria Cross was not his only military honour. In 1917, McKean was awarded the Military Medal. And for outflanking 100 German soldiers in September 1918 and forcing them to surrender, all while severely wounded by shrapnel in his right leg, he was awarded the Military Cross.
McKean did not return to Canada after the peace armistice in November 1918. He married a local woman while still in England. Eight years after the war ended, McKean was killed in a freak sawmill accident in 1926 at the age of 38. He was struck in the head when a circular saw he was operating malfunctioned and flew apart. Read more at https://edmontonjournal.com/news/insight/hometown-hero-victoria-cross-winner-from-edmonton-honoured-a-century-later
Smith Crossing pedestrian bridge replacement work begins
The Smith Crossing pedestrian bridge, located along 23 Avenue, provides access to the MacTaggart and Larch Sanctuaries in Edmonton’s river valley system. The existing bridge was built in the early 1900s and has reached the end of its service life. The City of Edmonton is replacing the bridge, with construction anticipated to begin this month. The new bridge is expected to open in fall 2023.
The work zone will be closed to the public during construction, including the parking lot on the south side of 23 Avenue. Walking trails outside the construction zone will remain open. Access restrictions will be in place during construction. More information can be found in the project’s construction bulletin at https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/Construction-Bulletin-Smith-Crossing-Pedestrian-Bridge-Oct2022.pdf?cb=1666639002
Buildings that reflect YEG’s early years designated as historic resources
The Stone House and Summer Kitchen built around 1929 on the Keillor Farmstead, in an area now partially occupied by the Whitemud Equine Centre, have been granted designation as Municipal Historic Resources by Edmonton City Council. Dr. Fred Keillor, a city coroner and two-term Alderman, believed in the benefits of outdoor recreation and opened his property to the public for recreational uses as well as access to the river.
The Stone House and Summer Kitchen are unique in that they are built of stone rather than log, unlike the original 1918 Keillor Cabin, which sits immediately to the north of the buildings. This sort of construction is known as “parkitecture” and is common in National Parks in both Canada and the United States. The buildings are owned by the City of Edmonton and are leased by the Whitemud Equine Centre Association.
The other two buildings designated are the Figg Residence, a one-and-a-half storey house located in Bonnie Doon, and the Stein Residence built in 1912 in the Westmount neighbourhood. More about these buildings at
Former railway bridge upstream of Hwy 15 bridge
Rod writes “Thanks to Geoff for his comments and suggestions about how to provide habitat for endangered Barn and Bank Swallows in the River Valley. In addition to a physical place to live, these birds need sustenance, which is mosquitoes, lots of mosquitoes! To support dwindling populations of these birds, concerned Edmontonians need to lobby their City Councillors to support efforts to reduce the use of Bti to control mosquito populations, especially where Bank and Barn Swallows may congregate. With plans to declare Edmonton's River Valley a new National Park all mosquito spraying should be prohibited within planned National Park Boundaries. Edmonton should look to Germany as an example, where the control of mosquitoes with Bti is banned in all Conservation Areas.”
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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