River Valley News - February 15, 2024

Riverside Trail has stunning view of North Saskatchewan river and valley

Riverside trail in Parkland County, across from Devon, is a 5.5-6.5 km round trip walk, depending on where you park. It is rated moderate difficulty, has two large staircases, wide gravel trails, and small to medium hills. Dogs are allowed on leash.

My recommendation is to begin from Prospector’s Point parking lot. The trail starts on a gravel path and after a brief period of flat grade begins to ascend above the river. Look out beyond the trees for stunning views of the valley and river below. There are a few benches along the trail to stop and rest, as well as garbage cans.

The trail goes through a beautiful forest full of birds. This trail is not maintained in the winter and may be more challenging through the snow. At the end of the trail there is a second staircase. Information and parking maps at https://rivervalley.ab.ca/news/trailtrek-how-to-riverside-trail/

Cariwest is Caribbean community’s gift to Edmonton

Immigrants from the Caribbean came to Canada with their cultural practices and created carnival festivals wherever they established their communities. These festivals have enhanced the vibrancy of cities like Edmonton, where the Cariwest Festival has had an unbroken run since 1984.

Embedded in the psyche of African-Caribbean immigrants, especially those from Trinidad, is the traditional celebration called Carnival. It dates back centuries to their ancestors’ enslavement in the Caribbean region when the enslaved peoples would be given time off to celebrate a successful and profitable sugarcane harvest. They would parade in the streets in their plantation owner’s discarded dresswear.

Organisers made a conscious decision to shift the timetable for carnival celebrations in Canada to the warmer summer months, instead of the traditional period proceeding Easter. Edmonton’s Cariwest Festival is staged in early August.

A fundamental part of the festival is Caribbean rhythms during the parade, rhythms that underscore the intent to have a good time. The music engages the observer, enticing one to move, to dance, to respond, and includes reggae, zouk, soca, and music played on steel drums. From Trinidad & Tobago, the steel drum is reputedly the only acoustic musical instrument invented during the 20th century and is made from discarded oil drums. https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2021/10/05/cariwest-the-caribbean-communitys-gift-to-edmonton/

How birds keep warm in a cold snap

Betty Fisher photo

A bird’s first method of defense against freezing weather are its feathers. Feathers trap pockets of air around the body and the bird’s internal body temperature will then warm up the trapped air. Birds fluff their feathers in the cold so that they can trap as much air as possible, maximizing this insulating effect. To maintain the pockets of air, a bird’s feathers must be flexible, clean, and dry.

Birds produce a special oil called preen oil, which some cold-adapted birds use to waterproof their feathers. Anybody who takes part in outdoor winter activities knows that the key to staying warm is staying dry, and preen oil helps ensure no moisture gets in. It allows the bird to have a water-resistant top layer and a heated inner layer, just like the ideal winter coat!

Torpor is a state of reduced metabolism that is induced when a bird’s body temperature is lowered so that it will require fewer calories to maintain an appropriate heat levels. Many birds will enter torpor to save energy during chilly winter nights. Entering torpor can be dangerous, as the reduced temperature can lead to slower reaction times, which increases the bird’s vulnerability to predators.

Torpor is not common in winter birds like Black-capped Chickadee, because warming back up in the morning would take up too much extra energy. Instead, they experience a more moderate version of torpor called regulated hypothermia. https://www.ealt.ca/blog/how-birds-keep-warm-ylgtf

Passengers by Ray McAdam, South Campus LRT Station

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/passengers

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

River Valley News - February 8, 2024

Silver Skate Festival at new location in Laurier Park

Edmonton’s longest running winter festival, is back Feb 9-19, at Sir Wilfred Laurier Park. The new location is across the river from the festival’s historic location of Hawrelak Park, which is closed due to renovations. The free 10-day, family-oriented festival celebrates prairie winter life and creates winter experiences for Edmontonians of all ages.

What began as a small annual skating event rooted in Dutch winter traditions has blossomed into an all-embracing celebration of winter sport, art, music, and recreation. You will be able to glide along the river valley’s newest outdoor public skating surface, marvel at the artistic talent on display in the Snow Sculpture garden and be dazzled by roving performers on the Folk Trail.

 Experience renewal by writing out a fear or a wish to be added to the nightly Fire Sculpture burn, visit the Indigenous pavilion in the Heritage Village, and push yourself, or a team comprised of family and friends, to frosty victory in the Duathlon or Triathlon. All types of skate blades and skill levels are welcome. Festival info at https://silverskate.ca/

Eda Owen - weather woman of Highlands and Alberta

In an era where women were not considered persons under the law, let alone considered qualified to be working as scientific professionals, Eda Owen was officially appointed in 1921 by the Department of Marine and Fisheries as the Provincial Agent and Weather Observer for Alberta. Eda became the only woman in Canada to hold such a position.

“Her work was incredibly demanding,” notes the Alberta Register of Historic Places, which designated Eda Owen’s home office-meteorological station as a historic resource in 1994. “The Highlands station was arguably the most significant meteorological post outside of Toronto. Eda was required to take hourly readings from 36 different instruments throughout the day and compile reports from over 140 stations in the region.”

For 22 years, Eda continued the daily grind of her labour-intensive and time-consuming work. Eda woke up at 5:30AM every morning, read her instruments before getting dressed, and phoned in the information to the telegraph office to pass along to Toronto.

Eda Owen’s house at 11227-63 Street looks much the same as any of the other historic homes in the Highlands. But when Eda lived there, the house stood out. A 60-foot-tall wooden tower, painted bright red, was perched atop the roof, holding a rotating anemometer to gauge wind speed.

https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2016/07/26/the-weather-woman-of-the-west-eda-owen-and-the-highlands-dominion-meteorological-station/

Lynx, cougar or bobcat

Gerald Romanchuk photo

Canada Lynx have a very helpful identifying feature. They have very long black tufts of fur on the ends of their ears, which neither of Alberta’s other wild cats have. Lynx are smaller than cougars, but larger than bobcats. Canada Lynx also have a black-tipped tail, which is useful in trying to identify what species of cat you are seeing, especially if the animal is running away.

Cougars are the largest of the three species of wild cats in Alberta. They are usually between 100 and 150 pounds or about the size of an average teenager. Cougars are easy to identify because they have very long tails, ranging between two and three feet in length, whereas Lynx and Bobcats have short, stubby tails.

Bobcats are the smallest wild cat in Alberta. Despite being the smallest wild cat, bobcats are still larger than domestic cats, sometimes getting up to two feet tall. Bobcats are usually found in the very south end of the province and are very unlikely to be spotted in the Edmonton region. They are distinguishable from Cougars because they are much smaller and have a very short tail. Lynx and Bobcats are harder to tell apart, but size and pattern are usually good indicators. https://www.ealt.ca/blog/fun-facts-lynx-cougar-or-bobcat

War on Cars live podcast part of Winter Cycling Congress

As part of the Winter Cycling Congress being held in Edmonton, Feb 22-24, the ironically named, War on Cars podcast, is doing a public live show on the evening of Friday, Feb 23. Their special local guest will be former Mayor Don Iveson.

The cycling congress will explore the ingredients of winter cycling and being a healthy city, and feature international and local experts and enthusiasts, discussing policies, best practices and research that supports year-round well-being in cities and communities.
With episodes like “Making the Bus Sexy Again,” “Infiltrating the Auto Show” and “The Problem With Public Meetings,” the War on Cars podcast takes a decidedly different view on the future of urban transportation. Tickets for the Edmonton live podcast at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/live-podcast-recording-the-war-on-cars-tickets-809663173347

All Out by Maggie Ray Morris, 10351-96 Street, Edmonton

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/all-out

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

River Valley News - February 1, 2024

Celebrate your inner voyageur at Flying Canoë Volant

Enjoy light, music, legends and dance at this festival which runs January 31 through February 3. Begun in 2013, the Flying Canoë Volant is a creative and interactive cultural celebration designed to engage local history and everything that is great about a long winter’s night.

Inspired by the legend of The Flying Canoe and French Canadian, First Nations and Métis traditions, Flying Canoë Volant embraces Edmonton's French Quarter and our beautiful river valley. Festival activities occur at La Cite Francophone, Mill Creek Ravine and Rutherford school. https://www.flyingcanoevolant.ca/

Wîhkwêntôwin new name for Edmonton’s Oliver neighbourhood

Dennis Kovtun photo

Wîhkwêntôwin, a Cree word that is pronounced we-kwen-to-win, means circle of friends. Efforts to remove the area of namesake Frank Oliver have been ongoing since 2020, when the community league voted to rename the neighbourhood. It has been called Oliver since 1937. 

Committee members thanked Elder Jerry Saddleback for gifting the community with its new name, one they believe will better reflect the area's diversity and commitment to inclusion. The name is meant to honour the area's long history as an important gathering place for Indigenous communities.

Oliver, a member of Parliament and federal minister first elected to office in 1883, is known for discriminatory legislation, including policies that pushed Indigenous people off their traditional lands. He was instrumental in shaping Canada's Immigration Act of 1906 which restricted immigration based on ethnic origin and wrote an order-in-council to bar Black immigrants fleeing persecution in the American South from entering Canada.

The new name will be presented to executive committee and then to city council for final approval.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/oliver-neighbourhood-edmonton-renamed-1.7092029

Muskrats look similar to beavers except for their tail

Gerald Romanchuk photo

Muskrats and beavers look similar. They are both large, furry rodents that swim in water and live in the same sorts of areas, including marshes and slow-moving streams. The main difference between these two species is their tails. Muskrats have a long, thin tail like a mouse, whereas beavers have a wide, flattened tail like a paddle.

Muskrats get their name because they have musk glands that release a pungent substance. This musky fluid is thought to be used to mark territory and communicate with other muskrats during breeding season. They normally eat cattails and other aquatic plants, but they are omnivorous and will eat fish or small mammals when plants are in low supply.

Unlike beavers, muskrats do not have webbed feet. They do have adaptations to live in the water, though. They have waterproof fur and can close their lips behind their teeth to chew without swallowing water. They create lodges for themselves using decayed plant matter but have also been known to sometimes take shelter in beaver lodges. https://www.ealt.ca/blog/fun-facts-beavers-vs-muskrats

What wildlife can you expect to see in winter

Wayne Oakes photo

Wayne wrote “Thank you for another informative and educating issue. It is necessary to offer one correction. The Red Squirrel does not hibernate, not even a light-sleep hibernator. They are active at all times of the year even during our recent cold snap when it hit -39C in Whitemud Ravine Nature Reserve. They were out foraging, such as the one shown in the photo. The beaver is a local and good example of a light-sleep hibernator.”

Patsy said “You got quite a bit wrong in the hibernation article, red squirrels do not hibernate at all. Second, I very much doubt that amphibians or even reptiles wake up on warmer days, at least not in the north here. Check out https://www.nps.gov/gaar/learn/nature/wood-frog-page-2.htm#:~:text=Most%20frogs%20survive%20northern%20winters,litter%20on%20the%20forest%20floor

to see what wood frogs do. It is unlikely they would be able to come out of the deep freeze several times a winter during warmer periods.”

Tent communities not new to Edmonton

Roger emailed “My great grandparents arrived in Edmonton from New Zealand in 1905. My grandmother told me they spent their first winter in a tent at the foot of Groat Ravine. Quite a difference from the south Pacific! They survived in tough conditions much the same way our less fortunate citizens do now. They later had a house in Jasper Place but moved to Vancouver after a real estate bust in 1916. Her sister, baby Katie as she was known, died in infancy and is buried in one of the oldest graves in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Kudos to that original spirit and independence that I see in full blossom now, despite overwhelming prejudice continually expressed against the less fortunate.”

If the Drumming Stops by Peter Morin, Tania Willard & Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Mill Woods LRT Stop

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/if-the-drumming-stops

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