Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area one of the best hiking spots in Edmonton area
With over 480 acres of woodland and lakes, Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area is home to wildlife such as moose, deer, beavers, birds and so much more. In Parkland County, near Stony Plain, it is a popular destination for family-friendly outdoor adventures.
Enjoy 11 km of trails used for walking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing. In winter months, trails are groomed and tracks set regularly for cross country skiing. There are washrooms, picnic areas, fire pits with firewood supplied, a gazebo, and playground. Dogs are welcome on leash.
The name Chickakoo first appeared on maps made by the original surveyors of the area, indicating potential origins in Indigenous languages. More information at https://adventurealberta.ca/chickakoo-lake-recreation-area/
Magpie creation story, the Greek version
Greek legend has it nine sisters once challenged the muses to a singing contest. Not wanting to appear threatened by lesser mortals, the goddesses of the arts agreed. What ensued was an epic battle of song and story from which the muses emerged victorious.
Enraged, the sisters rushed to attack the muses, as they stretched out their hands, they saw their nails turn to claws. Their shrieks became squawks and feathers sprouted from their arms. Their punishment for challenging the gods was transfiguration. And so, magpies were born.
Creation stories are staples in mythology. They explain the existence of pretty much anything you can think of: the sky, humans, magpies, even practices and values. More at https://www.ualberta.ca/newtrail/ideas/it-lies-in-the-making.html
Tips for living alongside urban wildlife
Towns and cities in Alberta were built on the home ranges of native wildlife. As human spaces continue to expand, wild animals are forced to deal with the consequences. While many species do their best to avoid development, and some take human presence in stride while continuing to go about their business, others have figured out how to thrive in these artificial environments.
According to University of Alberta professor Colleen Cassidy St. Clair, populations of wildlife that can exploit urban areas are increasing. It’s not just coyotes roaming our towns, either. “Bobcats, lynx, and even cougars are sometimes seen in Alberta’s towns and cities. Cougars pose the most significant risk of injury, but the probability of an encounter is extremely low.”
It's not only predators and scavengers sharing our spaces. Mule deer are a common sight in small-town parks and neighbourhoods as well as wooded urban areas like the Edmonton river valley. Even moose make themselves at home in these places, so it's something to keep in mind while on a hike along wooded urban trails
Access to food is a big factor in human-wildlife conflicts in towns and cities. Often this is unintentional, with unsecured garbage, compost, and fallen fruit making an easy meal for animals. “About ten per cent of coyote scats we've measured contain birdseed, making it a very significant supplement to coyote diets, even without all the rodents it attracts,” said St. Clair. Read more at https://www.albertaprimetimes.com/edmonton-news/tips-for-living-alongside-urban-wildlife-5735587
YEG schools prominent in 1918 influenza response
Epidemic influenza arrived in Edmonton in mid-October 1918 and raged through the city for weeks before slowing down (but not ending) in December 1918. During those two-and-a-half-months more than 10% of Edmonton’s population reported getting sick. The city’s Medical Health Officer estimated that there were hundreds more unreported cases.
Two weeks into the epidemic, Mayor Evans and the city’s clergy organized a community-care scheme which divided the city into 15 relief districts. Neighbourly help in each district was provided by volunteers, most of them women, and coordinated out of school buildings.
The city was divided into four nursing districts with headquarters in King Edward, Victoria High, Calder, and Oliver Schools. There were only a few trained nurses available in the city to help with district, rather than hospital, nursing care. They took charge and provided direction to countless volunteers.
Nursing headquarters were complex organizations: the centre at Victoria High boasted not only a linen room, supply store and dispensary which provided nurses with whatever they needed for visits, but also a laundry room run by high school girls, a disrobing room where outdoor clothes could be changed and disinfected, day and night dormitories for the nurses and volunteers, and a convalescent room for volunteers who were recovering from exhaustion or illness. Complete piece at https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2022/10/28/heritage-schools-edmontons-surprising-1918-influenza-epidemic-legacy-2/
Learn about labyrinths and walk the Turtle Rock Effigy
Jane emailed "Thank you so much for the article on the Turtle Rock Effigy! Leah Dorian is such an interesting artist—she did the mural that was part of the Indigenous Canada course at UofA and we have one of her wonderful paintings! Today several of us visited the labyrinth and really enjoyed it!"
Former railway bridge upstream of Hwy 15 bridge
Geoff writes “The photo of the former railway bridge upstream of Hwy 15 has me wondering if this is potential nesting habitat for Cliff and Barn Swallows. These species like to nest on vertical surfaces. The bridge abutments would need a cap; a horizontal cover to protect the vertical surfaces from rain. The covers would have to extend at least 30cm, 45 cm would be better to provide the cover for nests. Something as simple as sheets of plywood secured to the top of the abutments to keep them in place. Maybe a slope to let water run-off and not pool on top. I am not an engineer so there are likely better options. Swallow populations have declined dramatically in the past 50 years. A new nesting area over a productive wetland would be a positive step to help these species.” (Editor note – original headline erroneously said railway bridge was downstream of Hwy 15 bridge.)
The Capital Hill area along MacKinnon Ravine, 1913
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