River Valley News - Aug 15/24

How fire ready is Edmonton’s river valley

Rick Bremness photo

As an out-of-control wildfire rages on in Jasper National Park, many Edmontonians have wondered about the wildfire risk in their home community. Edmonton's river valley along the North Saskatchewan River is one of the largest urban parks in Canada with 4,500 hectares of natural area, said Courtney Teliske, a City of Edmonton ecologist working in natural areas.

Specialists say several factors make Edmonton more resistant to a fast-spreading wildfire. "The likelihood of a fire getting out of control in the city of Edmonton is much lower than, say, in the northern parts of the province," Teliske said in an interview.

A major factor is the type of tree that dominates Edmonton's natural areas. Deciduous, leafy trees like poplar, birch and aspen are slower to ignite and spread, while coniferous trees like pine and spruce burn more quickly. 

The sap in evergreen trees is easy fuel for fast-moving wildfires, such as the one that is burning in Jasper National Park. The trees grow closely together so the tightly packed needles make it easier for fire to jump from treetop to treetop. 

One higher-risk area of Edmonton is in the northwest along Anthony Henday Drive, where evergreens are clustered, Teliske said. "They're like black spruce, they're really dense. There's a lot of trees that have died. So those are our higher-risk areas from a fuel standpoint." Structures and homes can also be high risk, especially on south-facing slopes along the banks and river valley, she said. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/how-fire-ready-is-edmonton-what-canada-s-largest-urban-park-means-for-wildfire-risk-1.7292882

Residents concerned with plan to apply chemical to Guinevere Wetlands

Residents of the Glastonbury community are concerned by a plan to apply the chemical piscicide rotenone to eradicate invasive goldfish in their local stormwater pond. They believe the proposal poses significant risks, not only to the targeted species but also to a wide array of other aquatic and semi-aquatic life, including species that play a pivotal role in their local ecosystem.

When the neighbourhood was first up for development in 1998, the planners and City of Edmonton recognized the unique and vibrant ecosystem that was the 'Triple 5 Wetlands'. The enabling bylaws incorporated the wetlands into the storm water management system to preserve that natural ecosystem for future generations.

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA), which manages fisheries in the province, is the primary sponsor for the rotenone treatment. For AEPA, one goldfish is too many. Since AEPA does not recognize the ponds as a wetland, they don’t need to follow their own guidance in protecting the Guinevere ponds.

They have directed Epcor to eliminate all goldfish from the ponds as it operates the storm water facilities in the Glastonbury area into which the ponds are integrated. Epcor also does not recognize Guinevere as a wetland. They only view the ponds as a storm water facility. This activity is planned for late August 24, 2024.

The ponds serve as a vibrant habitat for diverse wildlife, including pelicans, ducks, muskrats, osprey, blue herons, geese, seagulls and many other species. This summer, as many as 25 pelicans were observed in the pond. The proposed use of Rotenone, a toxin with known links to severe health risks such as Parkinson’s disease and cancer, raises profound concerns about potential harm to these animals and the humans who live in proximity to this area. https://protect-our-guinevere-wetlands.communibee.ca/

Lady’s leek an edible perennial plant native to YEG ecozone

Known as lady’s leek or nodding onion, Allium cernuum, is a perennial plant native to the prairie ecozone region including the Edmonton ecozone. A native plant is a plant species that exists in a particular region without ever having been introduced by humans. 

It is edible and all parts of this plant have an oniony smell when cut or bruised. Although the bulbs and leaves of this plant were once used in cooking stews or eaten raw, it is not generally considered to be of culinary value today.

This species grows in partial shade to full sun and prefers moist to mesic (somewhat well-drained), sandy, rocky, or loamy soils. It is commonly found in prairies, drier areas of wetlands, and along lakeshores. It is easiest to grow from bulbs but can also be grown from seed.

Nodding onion is an attractive and easy-to-grow species that is beneficial to pollinators. Its nectar and pollen are attractive to many species of bees and its foliage and bulbs are a food source for a wide variety of insects.

https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1575114

The Hudson’s Bay company plan for a model community

Elaine writes “I have plans to create a history wall about Queen Mary Park. No one knows we used to be the Prince Rupert Golf Club, prior to housing development in QMP.  This was the first golf course in Edmonton. I have a couple of pictures of the original clubhouse building. I managed to obtain an original score card from the course and a set of old clubs that were used. The groundskeeper used to live in a small second-floor apartment in the clubhouse.

Funny tidbit, when they were removing sod from around the clubhouse after officially closing, people in the neighbourhood borrowed from the stacks of grass that was to be relocated to river valley, for the new homes being built in Queen Mary Park. I want to share this story in the main lobby of our community league facility. If your readers have information, photos or articles about the Prince Rupert Golf Course, please contact me at rentals@queenmarypark.ca ”

Editor’s Note - The golf course was built in 1929-30 by the Hudson's Bay Company, who operated it until 1951. In 1950 the course was sold to the City of Edmonton. The Prince Rupert neighbourhood takes its name from the golf course. The course was named after Prince Rupert (1619-1682), the first governor of the HBC

Ritu, Prayer Cloth by Carla Costuros, Edmonton City Hall

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/ritu-prayer-cloth

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

Forward this link to anyone you think may want to sign up for this newsletter https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/newsletter-signup

River Valley News - Aug 8/24

Beaverhill lake water level ebbs and flows according to rainfall

An important bird migratory habitat, Beaverhill lake in 1987 was designated a Ramsar site under the 1971 Ramsar Convention, an international agreement that identifies and protects wetlands of importance to migratory birds. As a prairie pothole lake, its water level has fluctuated depending on drought or rainfall.

William Rowland remembered “In 1885, the buffalo had to go to the springs in the centre of Beaverhill lake for water.” In the fall of 1899, a rainy cycle that lasted until 1903 replaced the dry years and the lake is reported to have risen 18 feet.

The level remained much the same until 1950-51, when the lake came close to drying up completely. It completely dried up in 2006, the primary cause being a ten-year cycle of drought beginning in 1995.

The birds of Beaverhill lake have been under the eyes of ornithologists since 1920, when Professors William Rowan and Robert Lister of the University of Alberta Zoology department began their 37-year study. The lake and surrounding wetland have been a Ducks Unlimited Canada project since 1969. https://archive.org/details/livinginshedalbe00milh/

The problem with commercial wildflower seed mixes

The Alberta Native Plant Council has been very vocal in warning against the dangers of commercial wildflower seed mixes. The seeds in commercially produced packets are usually of cultivated plants or are invariably not native to the place of purchase of the packet. They are designed to contain mainly annuals which will germinate and grow easily to produce a colourful show that appeals to consumers.

Sometimes plants that have been legally categorized as weeds can be included in these seed mixes, which, because they grow and fruit easily, can become invasive. Examples are baby's-breath (Gypsophila paniculata) and Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule).

In contrast, the Edmonton Native Plant Society sells seed, one species per packet, and seedlings which are native to our local area. As perennials, once established they should live out their natural lifespans and provide a reliable resource of pollen and nectar for local pollinators.

Creating a true native wildflower garden is a difficult task. Bottom line, sowing a commercial wildflower seed mix is not a shortcut to having an authentic wildflower garden and does not provide a long-term benefit to the local ecology. https://www.enps.ca/

The Hudson’s Bay company plan for a model community

When the pre-WW1 real estate boom went bust, the Hudson’s Bay Company was left with 600 acres of unsold land north of downtown. For years, the area comprising the modern-day Queen Mary Park, Central McDougall, and Prince Rupert neighbourhoods sat as a mostly undeveloped expanse of shrub and marsh.

That began to change in 1920, when an acute housing shortage in Edmonton led Hudson’s Bay to offer to supply new homes to veterans and to help kickstart development on its empty tracts. The Company envisioned a model community. They would sell pre-built homes constructed to high-standards and a set of uniform plans.

The City proved enthusiastic and formally ordered the extension of utilities into the reserve on August 10, 1920. Construction on the Bay’s first eight homes began shortly thereafter. Each was located on roomy fifty-foot lots immediately south of Portage (Kingsway) Avenue between 107th and 108th Streets.

The Beaver, the Bay’s employee magazine, stated “They will be moderate in size and fully modern. They will not be elaborate or pretentious in respect of non-essential details, but will be built along practical lines, of good, sound material. Particular attention is being given to a satisfactory heating system.” More followed over the coming years, raising the total number of homes in the small colony to eighteen.

Unfortunately for the Bay, their plans to transform their land reserve fizzled away as an economic slump set in and the Great Depression later took hold. It would not be until the late-1940s when Queen Mary Park and Central McDougall finally filled with housing. https://www.forgottenedmonton.com/blog/the-hudsons-bay-co-houses

Black flies found worldwide except in Antarctica

Black flies are small, dark-coloured insects. Of the world’s more than 2,300 species, at least 164 are found in Canada. They can be found virtually anywhere there is flowing water to serve as habitat for larvae. In Canada, they are especially abundant in northern wooded areas and near large rivers and lake outlets.

Because female black flies need to feed on blood to lay eggs, their biting can be a nuisance to humans and other animals Males do not bite and are rarely seen. Both sexes consume nectar to give them energy to fly, while females use nutrients from blood to produce eggs. Unlike mosquitoes, adult black flies are mainly active during the day.

North American Indigenous peoples deterred black flies using naturally occurring insect repellents found in bracket fungi and in plants such as fireweed and sweetgrass.

A Canadian folk song by Wade Hemsworth, The Black Fly Song, recounts the torment caused by these insects while surveying for a hydroelectric dam in Northern Ontario. The song was adapted as a National Film Board animated film. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/black-fly

City naturalization survey needs your participation

Shelagh writes “I tried taking the survey but it finished after I answered No to the first question. I let the city tech support know.”

Continuum by Cezary and Danielle Gajewski, Century Park LRT station

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

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

Forward this link to anyone you think may want to sign up for this newsletter https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/newsletter-signup

River Valley News - Aug 1/24

Grizzly bear once lived near YEG along the North Saskatchewan River

Grizzly bear playground near Kinsmen Sports Centre 

In the late 1700s, high densities of grizzly bears were found in Alberta along the North Saskatchewan River near Edmonton and along the shores of the Bow River and Red Deer River. Grizzly bears were considered common and widespread across the Prairies and the non-mountainous boreal regions of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba prior to European settlement.

After 1900, the species could only be found in a few small populations on the Canadian Prairies. The settling of land and conversion to agriculture along with human intolerance and hunting were the main reasons for the grizzly bears’ demise on the Prairies. In addition, the decline of the grizzly bear on the prairies coincided with the concurrent decline of the Plains bison, an important food source of the grizzly bear.

The loss of grizzly bears from the non-mountainous boreal plains was not as rapid as in the southern prairies. The extirpation in this region was the result of habitat loss to agriculture, increased settlement, oil and gas development and human intolerance.

Although grizzly bears are extirpated from the Prairies as a population, there have been occasional forays of individual bears from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains onto the prairies of southwestern Alberta. https://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/plans/rs_grizzly_bear_prairie_pop_0707_e.pdf

Learn about bats at Larch Sanctuary

On August 19, Edmonton & Area Land Trust will be hosting, from 6-11pm, an evening all about bats. You will learn about the benefit this group of animals provide to our environment, the pressures they are facing and the conservation efforts protecting them from harm.

Bats are an important species in healthy ecosystems. They prey on insects like dreaded mosquitoes and other pests that can potentially transmit disease. Canadian bat species are under significant stress because of habitat loss. Large urban parks like Larch Sanctuary can provide a haven for city bats, with a well-suited habitat of riparian areas, open meadow, forest, and locally made bat boxes.

This event will be split in to two portions. The first part from 6-8pm, will be open to the public by drop-in. Several booths will be set up near a bat box at Larch Sanctuary, featuring experts from the Alberta Community Bat Program and more. For this portion, join the event anytime beside the Smith Crossing pedestrian bridge.

The second portion will be from 8:30-11pm and will require participants to register. A bat box exit survey will be conducted and other nighttime activities under a blue moon. https://www.ealt.ca/event-listing/going-batty-at-larch-sanctuary

City naturalization survey needs your participation
Naturalization is a process that transforms a manicured landscape into one reflective of the natural region. Responsible parkland care means sustainable practices that contribute to a healthy, climate resilient livable city for generations to come. Naturalization helps preserve and celebrate the natural plant and animal species found in our region. 

For more than 25 years, Edmonton has been reverting sections of city green spaces to a more natural state through naturalization. The full naturalization process can take ten years or longer. Many of these open spaces are along arterial and collector roadways, around stormwater ponds and in parklands. These areas are not part of the regular mowing cycle, and may eventually be planted with trees, shrubs or wildflowers.

The goal of the city survey, which is open until October 20, is to understand resident awareness and perspectives regarding ongoing naturalization efforts. https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/environmental_stewardship/naturalization?utm_source=virtualaddress&utm_campaign=naturalization

Edmonton Homelessness Memorial by Keith Turnbull & Ritchie Velthuis, 100 St & 103A Ave Parkette https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/homelessness-memorial

Comment or Contributions

Please note articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley.

Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com

Forward this link to anyone you think may want to sign up for this newsletter https://www.edmontonrivervalley.org/newsletter-signup