Silver Skate Festival in Hawrelak Park
This festival at Edmonton’s Hawrelak Park, February 12-21, is looking a little different, but there is still much to do and to see. There are snow sculptures, two cross country ski trails and lots of room for snowshoeing.
Thanks to the creative mind of local artist, Steven Teeuwsen, you can take a magical walk through Hawrelak’s paths, dotted with his crystal lanterns. These metal and wood art displays are inspired by the pop-up look of paper lanterns and are lit in a way which creates beautiful shapes and patterns of light on the snow.
It would not be Silver Skate without a little pond skating. Hawrelak has the biggest pond rink in the city and offers tons of room for learning or zipping by at your fastest speeds. You are guaranteed space for social distancing, plenty of room for lacing up, and ample parking. Festival information https://www.todocanada.ca/14-things-to-do-during-2021-silver-skate-festival-in-edmonton/
Coltsfoot harbinger of spring
This wild edible plant is unusual in that the flowers bloom and die before the appearance of any leaves, which earned Coltsfoot the name "son before the father" in earlier times. Before the introduction of matches, the felt-like covering of the plant, wrapped in a rag, and dipped in a solution of saltpetre, was excellent tinder after being dried in the sun.
Coltsfoot is a low growing perennial plant. It has large, deep green leaves but the plant has no main stem. The leaf petiole holds the leaves 10 to 20 cm above the soil, often forming a complete canopy covering the soil. Coltsfoot flowers often before the last of the snow melts. Flower heads have even been known to push through snow.
Coltsfoot flowers can be eaten tossed into salads to add a wonderful aromatic flavour or fill a jar with the flowers and add honey to make a remedy to help calm a cough or to sweeten a bitter herbal tea. Coltsfoot sorbet recipe https://www.ediblewildfood.com/coltsfoot.aspx
Forest Heights known for trees and view
Forest Heights, a neighbourhood in southeast Edmonton, overlooking the North Saskatchewan River was officially made part of Edmonton in 1913. The neighbourhood was used as agricultural land until the 1940s when housing demands after the Second World War pushed for the area to be developed into a residential sector.
True to the name, the neighbourhood has massive elm trees that canopy the streets which make walking around feel like you are entirely cut off from the rest of the city. It is also home of the Edmonton Jewish Cemetery. Abraham Cristall, known as Edmonton’s first Jewish citizen, purchased the land located at 7622-101 Ave on May 26, 1907, to develop the cemetery.
Although technically not part of Forest Heights, Capilano Ravine cuts into the residential area, and consists of a park area which many residents traverse for walks. The City of Edmonton Archives contains pictures of a 1935 ski jump located in Capilano Ravine. Forest Heights during this time was mostly farmland, which means this ski jump was likely in the middle of natural and undeveloped land. Learn more at https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2021/01/27/forest-heights-a-hidden-pocket-of-history/
River valley contributions or question
If you have a river valley concern or question, contact us at nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Your friends and neighbours can sign up for this newsletter at https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/
If you have a photo, information, news or event about Edmonton’s river valley and think it should be in this newsletter, email it to nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
nsrivervalley@gmail.com
https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/
Facebook @NSRVCS
Instagram @nsrvcs