Remembrance Day and Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Mount Pleasant Cemetery sits on one of the highest land points in Edmonton. Originally a look-out for indigenous people, this hill-top graveyard commands a view of both the south-side and downtown. Burials at the cemetery began well before the 20th century making Mount Pleasant a truly historical cemetery.
It contains 39 Commonwealth war graves from World War I and 3 from World War II, one of which is George Alfred MacDonald, Flight Lieutenant, Royal Canadian Air Force. He was a chaplain in the first Great War, going overseas to France. He survived the war and died at the age of 53 on November 15, 1940.
Rev. Dr. MacDonald came to Edmonton in 1934 and was the minister of Knox United Church in Strathcona, now known as Knox Evangelical Free Church. The day before his death, MacDonald was appointed as chaplain in the Royal Canadian Air Force for Western Canada.
MacDonald’s gravestone includes an inscription for Charles George MacDonald, 1920-1942, buried at Haddenham, England. His son, a RCAF Flight Sergeant serving in England, was one of five airmen killed on 24 June 1942 in the crash of a bomber aircraft. More at https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2850042
Construction set to begin on kihciy askiy
Construction is set to begin on kihciy askiy, Edmonton's urban Indigenous cultural site. Meaning "sacred land" in Cree, it will be located on a 4.5-hectare site in Whitemud Park, just south of Fox Drive.
The city says it will be a place for members of the Indigenous community to host ceremonies and sweat lodges and to grow medicinal herbs. It will also be a place for non-Indigenous people to learn about Indigenous culture.
The site will include a circular area for four sweat lodges and a permanent ceremonial stone heating device with a water source. Another area for teepees will have a permanent feast firepit for ceremonies and small group workshops.
There will also be a large tent gathering area for ceremonial feasts and cultural teachings. Future plans include a pavilion with washrooms, locker rooms, a gathering room and storage for ceremonial items. Learn more at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kihciy-askiy-edmonton-urban-indigenous-cultural-site-1.6237631
Peddling toward a mountain bike park in the river valley
Edmonton may get its own mountain bike park, which will be a dedicated space to learn and practice mountain biking. It is slated to be built in Queen Elizabeth Park and will sit at the heart of more than 150 km of single-track trails in the city.
The Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance (EMBA) is working to design and build the park through the City’s Community Group Led Construction Projects process. “We are hoping that the park serves as a steppingstone to improving mountain biking in the city as a whole,” said Josh Nowochin, a director for EMBA and chair of its bike park committee.
EMBA invites Edmontonians to fill out a survey on the design until Nov. 17. It will be used to determine which skill-building features and new single-track trails will be built. Once that is decided, the association will embark on fundraising for the park, seeking donations, grants, and other forms of financial support from various levels of government, businesses, and the community.
The bike park was announced at the end of October, but it has been in the works for years. Community interest in a bike park, as well as its location and size, were confirmed through a master planning process for Queen Elizabeth Park. City council approved that plan in 2013, but the bike park was never completed due to budget constraints. Read more at
https://edmonton.taproot.news/news/2021/11/03/edmontons-first-bike-park-to-be-built-in-the-heart-of-the-city?utm_source=Taproot+Edmonton&utm_campaign=2f88249ab0-
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Flood of 1915, the worst in Edmonton history.
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Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
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