River Valley News - Nov 7/24

Remembering the YEG women who did it all during WWII

During the five years of the Second World War, Edmonton grew rapidly. In 1943, the population reached 130,000, a huge spike from 1942’s population of 96,725. The economy was heating up with fewer men to do it, meaning women were encouraged to step out of the home and into the workplace while still volunteering for the war effort, raising a family and making do under food and materials shortages.

200 Edmonton women enrolled in the first mechanics class offered by Dominion Motors Ltd, with women finding employ at local establishments like Kenn’s Garage, which saw a boom in business during the war.

Edmonton’s busiest wartime factories, like the Great West Garment Company, provided an essential wartime service, and the 500 workers were unable to resign unless they enlisted. Over five years, the factory produced about 6.5 million military clothes and became the British Empire’s largest garment manufacturing company. Of the factory’s workers, who worked 24/7 in three shifts, 87 per cent were women.

Canadian food exports were considered the lifeline of Britain, but some exports suffered because Europeans weren’t interested in them. The food preservation program encouraged consumers to buy more apples and lobster as part of their patriotic duty. Women across the country took up home canning, contributed to fats and bone collections used for ammunition, and grew their own victory gardens.

Women were also asked to make care packages for men overseas and sent everything from baking and toiletries to sewing kits and knitted garments to keep the chill at bay. Edmonton philanthropist Gertrude Poole, wife of Ernest Poole of Poole Construction Limited, opened her home to a group of 40 women who knit and sewed for the Red Cross. https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2014/08/29/edmontons-world-war-ii-heroines/

Environmental conservation, a local perspective

The Muttart Conservatory and the Orchid Species Preservation Foundation are hosting Environmental Conservation, a Local Perspective at Muttart on November 16 and 17 from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Local conservation organizations will have information tables and representatives to engage with the public, highlighting their efforts in Edmonton and northern Alberta.

Participating organizations include Edmonton Native Plant Council, Edmonton and Area Land Trust, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society–Northern Alberta, Nature Alberta, River Valley Alliance, Wagner Natural Area, and the Orchid Species Preservation Foundation.

The event includes tours of the orchid greenhouse at noon and 3:00pm each day and a variety of talks between 1:00 and 3:00pm. https://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_events/muttart_conservatory/event-days

Canadian Birkie Ski Festival registration open

Online registration for the 40th Canadian Birkebeiner is now open. The early bird discount deadline is November 30. The 2025 Birkie will be February 8 at Cooking Lake–Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area in Strathcona County.

The first Canadian Birkebeiner was skied by a small group of intrepid cross-country ski enthusiasts along the North Saskatchewan River from Devon to Edmonton, on a very cold February morning in 1985. Since then, the Birkie has relocated to the beautiful birch forests of the Beaver Hills Biosphere in the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area, east of Edmonton.

The Canadian Birkebeiner Society will also partner again with Edmonton’s Silver Skate Festival to host the Barnebirkie Family Ski event on Sunday, February 9, 2025 at Gold Bar Park. Children and parents can cross-country ski from 500 m, 1.5 km, or 3 km. This fun winter family event is where little Viking Birkie dreams begin! Registration and information at https://canadianbirkie.com/

Honour and The Ultimate Sacrifice by Wayne Ashley, YEG City Hall

https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/honour-and-the-ultimate-sacrifice

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 - Oct 31/24

Halloween costume an endorsement for magpie to be YEG’s official bird

SONIC radio personality Lauren Hunter is calling on Edmontonians to make the magpie our city’s official bird. Lauren says “We’re the magpie capital of Canada and making magpies YEG’s official bird would be a real feather in our cap.”

Putting action behind her words, Lauren has made a giant magpie Halloween costume. According to Hunter, “This costume might ruffle a few feathers, but this year I’m a magpie. This took over 100 hours to create and features 119 hand crafted foam feathers.” Apparently, she hatched this idea August 1 and even delayed wedding planning to make it.

Bird Friendly Edmonton has launched an online vote to designate YEG's city bird. The six birds on the election ballot are Black-billed Magpie, Blue Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Saw-whet Owl, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Everyone in the Edmonton area, of any age, is invited to vote to help choose YEG's city bird. The vote is anonymous and the first round of voting will end on December 31. The top 3 birds will then compete in a second round of voting until March 31, 2025. Information on each bird and how to vote at https://www.birdfriendlyedmonton.org/city-bird--vote.html

Hotel Macdonald home to eerie phantom galloping

During one of your outings in the North Saskatchewan River Valley, there is a good chance that you’ve seen the Hotel Macdonald. It is hard to miss the luxury hotel which mirrors the elegance and architecture of a castle from the Middle Ages.

What you may not be aware of is this hotel’s spooky reputation. Eerie Edmonton, a blog about the haunting history and ghostly tales of our city, gives us a glimpse into this supernatural history.

It is said that during the construction of the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald back in 1914, a horse died. Since then, guests have reported hearing phantom galloping in the hallways of the hotel and noises of a horse-drawn carriage outside their rooms. Accounts of these noises have been made for more than a century.

If this story wasn’t enough to put you in the Halloween mood, check out other ghost stories at https://why.edmonton.ca/stories/eerie-edmonton/ 

Have your say in Alberta's nature strategy survey

The province wants you to share your input and perspectives to help shape Alberta’s nature strategy. The Government of Alberta is developing this strategy to recognize and communicate the value of nature in our province and the positive impact it has on our economy, and to increase investment in activities to conserve, manage, and restore nature to support our health and wellness and the stability of our communities.

A local example of Alberta’s nature strategy is Big Island Provincial Park, located along the North Saskatchewan River in southwest Edmonton, which was officially established by the Government of Alberta on February 16, 2023.

Edmonton’s Ribbon of Green, our river valley and ravine system, is a municipal example of what can happen when government commits to conserve, manage and restore nature.

The survey takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete and the deadline to share your input is November 7, 2024. https://your.alberta.ca/nature-strategy/surveys/albertas-nature-strategy

Petition seeks support for last 25 km of Devon to Fort Saskatchewan trail

River Valley Alliance (RVA) is promoting a petition to support the completion of the final 25 km of the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw or Beaver Hill Road Trail. This remaining section will connect Devon, Parkland County, Edmonton, Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, and Sturgeon County and create a continuous 100 km trail along the North Saskatchewan River.

The last stretch of the trail lies within the City of Edmonton, and RVA believes the time to complete this trail is now. When finished, this transformative regional trail will offer more than just a recreational path. It will create opportunities for active transportation, allowing people to travel from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan or anywhere in between by foot, bicycle or e-bike without ever needing to get in a car.

The petition urges decision-makers to prioritize this project and confirm the necessary funding to finish the job. This is about more than just building a trail, it’s about leaving a legacy that connects people to nature, each other, and the incredible landscapes surrounding us. https://rivervalley.ab.ca/petition/

Helios by Max Streicher, Churchill Square

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

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 - Oct 24/24

Coyotes are resourceful animals that survive and thrive in cities

Gerald Romanchuk photo

The name coyote comes from Mexican Spanish, ultimately derived from the Aztec word cóyotl, meaning trickster. In the mythology of several indigenous North and Central American cultures, the coyote is regarded as a trickster figure. Its scientific name, Canis latrans, is Latin for barking dog.

Since the decline of the gray wolf, coyotes have played an important role as a top predator in Alberta, keeping in check the population of small mammals, such as jackrabbits. They are omnivores and will eat anything they can find, including hares, mice, squirrels, frogs, and carrion (dead meat). They also eat vegetation and wild berries when they are plentiful. A coyote can locate a prey hiding under the snow using its ears.

Coyotes communicate with each other through a variety of calls, including howls, yips, yelps, and barks. They call most often at dusk or at night but may call during the day. Coyotes will call most often in the spring and the fall, especially during mating season.

Coyotes live in packs, mated pairs, or alone. A coyote pack usually has up to six members and they may not stay together very long. A mated pair can stay together over several years, but not necessarily for life. Mated pairs raise litters in a den. https://www.ealt.ca/species-spotlight-list/coyote

Rocky Mountain Blazing Star a showy drought tolerant perennial wildflower

Liatris Ligulistylis or Rocky Mountain Blazing Star is a very showy plant that is a butterfly magnet and unsurpassed for attracting Monarch Butterflies. It is also attractive to bees and hummingbirds. 

This drought tolerant perennial wildflower is generally 1-3 feet tall. It makes great cut flowers or in dried arrangements. It tends to bloom later in the season when other wildflowers are petering out.

Rocky Mountain Blazing Star is an excellent choice for a naturalized planting as it has good presence in the landscape and makes a great specimen plant for a sunny garden as it not aggressive or very seedy. https://www.wildaboutflowers.ca/plant_detail.php?Meadow-Blazing-Star-59

University of Alberta farm a key part of Edmonton’s heritage

University of Alberta president and co-founder Henry Marshall Tory was nothing if not a visionary. While he understood the traditional academic role his school would come to play in Albertan society, he also recognized its potential to improve the lives of those outside its educational boundaries. One area in particular caught his eye and Tory organized a Department of Agriculture in 1915.

University growth meant the Department needed another site, and in 1930, the Province pledged money for its relocation. Administration settled on a site 2.5km to the southwest on land already owned by the University. These holdings, purchased in 1920, were expanded another 240 acres to create a 379-acre farm on Edmonton’s urban edge. The Department moved to their new home in time for the 1930-31 academic year.

Of the original buildings, only the 1920 Horse Barn and 1930 Livestock Pavilion still stand. In July 2022, the 1930 Dairy Barn was unceremoniously destroyed by the university. Ironically, of these aged survivors, it was the one in best condition as volunteers, running a museum dedicated to farming history, kept it in good nick. https://www.forgottenedmonton.com/blog/the-university-farm

Letter Cloud by Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster, Clareview Community Recreation Centre, Doyle C. Marko Photography https://www.edmontonarts.ca/public-art/letter-cloud

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