2007 - 2011 

In 2007, residents of the Woodbend community learned of plans for a large gravel project proposed for the river valley in the environmentally sensitive area of Big Island/Woodbend. The residents and other citizens started the “Community Gravel Pit Opposition Committee”, which initiated a petition advocating for a thorough environmental assessment.

Organizers felt strongly that the impact of the gravel pit project, if approved, would put at risk the entire North Saskatchewan River Valley. The petition was signed by 7,771 Albertans and was presented in the Legislature on December 1, 2008. During these discussions, it became apparent there was no organization with the sole purpose of advocating for the conservation of the river valley itself.

Organizers incorporated the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society (NSRVCS) in 2008 to intervene on behalf of Edmontonians regarding land-use policy issues concerning the river valley and tributary ravines.

On May 18, 2011, after a three year debate, Edmonton City Council voted down the application to turn one 34 hectare section of the Big Island/Woodbend Natural Area into a gravel pit. Councillors voted 7-6 against rezoning the parcel of farmland thereby disallowing the extraction of 1.8 million tonnes of gravel by the applicant.

2012-2016

With the gravel pit fight won and a desire to preserve this environmentally sensitive area, NSRVCS began work to create a Big Island-Woodbend natural area.

In 2013, the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society Capital Fund was created at the Edmonton Community Foundation https://www.ecfoundation.org/funds/north-saskatchewan-river-valley-conservation-society-capital-fund/

The fund supports land acquisition and other activities that conserve the natural ecosystems and cultural heritage landscapes in the City of Edmonton and surrounding area. The Edmonton & Area Land Trust is the annual beneficiary of the fund’s disbursements.

In response to the society’s successful advocacy, City Council in December 2015 funded the $650,000 Southwest Ribbon of Green project to develop a strategic and conceptual plan for the preservation and conservation of the Southwest River Valley, including Oleskiw Park, and Wedgewood, Whitemud and Blackmud Creek ravines.

2017-2021

Ribbon of Green

In 2017, the Ribbon of Green initiative expanded to include the Northeast River Valley. The City’s goal was to 1) Develop vision; and innovative, implementable, and integrated conceptual-level plans for each study area that facilitate public access while sustaining healthy and resilient ecosystems. 2) Support and sustain an interconnected river valley system that meets the needs of the environment, and those who work, play or live in Edmonton as part of the broader multifunctional green network.

The Ribbon of Green plan for the southwest and northeast reaches of the North Saskatchewan River Valley and Ravine System were completed in 2019. The City began work aimed at reviewing and renewing the original Ribbon of Green which focused on the central river valley area. The goal is to align the Central Ribbon of Green with the SW and NE Ribbon of Green framework.

This work led to the River Valley Planning Modernization project which began in 2021 and includes two streams of work: Completing the Ribbon of Green and Modernizing the North Saskatchewan River Valley Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP).

The Ribbon of Green Plan will be a comprehensive strategic plan for the River Valley and Ravine System to guide appropriate public use and enjoyment while sustaining and restoring healthy and resilient ecosystems.

The North Saskatchewan River Valley ARP will be modernized to be a comprehensive regulatory framework for the River Valley that aligns with the City’s strategic direction, reflects Edmonton’s current planning and development context, and strengthens the City’s ability to protect and preserve environmentally sensitive areas.

Provincial Park

In September 2017 City Council approved a recommendation that the Mayor write to the relevant provincial ministers indicating the City’s interest in the development of an Urban Regional Provincial Park, and request that the Province form a working group of partners to develop the concept.

The Council report noted that “Interest for an Urban Provincial Park located around the Big Island-Woodbend area was first raised with the Mayor’s Office in early 2016 during a meeting with the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society.” 

The big win for our society was in 2019 when Premier Jason Kenny promised that a UCP government would provide up to $10 million over two years to create a provincial park in the Woodbend-Big Island Natural Area; along the river in southwest Edmonton between the Anthony Henday freeway and the town of Devon.

NSRVCS has participated in meetings with Alberta Environment and Parks, Enoch Cree Nation, City of Edmonton, and Edgemont Community League to discuss progress on the provincial park. An ecological assessment by the City of Edmonton and a Traditional Land Use study by Enoch Cree Nation began in 2021, in the hope the park will be officially established in Fall of 2022.

The Government of Alberta has committed to the creation of Big Island Provincial Park, but we continue to push for a larger park which would include lands within the Woodbend Natural Area. Our political advocacy has resulted in acknowledgement that establishment of a provincial park will allow project partners to consider options for land acquisition in the broader Woodbend area.

EPCOR Solar Power Plant

In 2017, EPCOR proposed to build a utility scale solar facility adjacent to its E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plant in the southwest river valley. The proposal required the rezoning of 99 acres of river valley parkland, near the proposed Woodbend-Big Island Natural Area, for industrial use, the cutting of trees, enclosure of the area by a fence, and installation of 45,000 ground-mounted solar panels.

NSRVCS opposed the project from the onset, collaborating with the Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition (ERVCC), which also opposed the project.

The project needed river valley land rezoned, so a 3-day Council Public Hearing was held in June 2019. Because of Enoch Cree Nation’s withdrawal of earlier support, Council took the unusual step of adjourning the Public Hearing to allow EPCOR and Enoch Cree Nation to continue their engagement activities.

A second public hearing was held in October 2020 and the support of Enoch Cree Nation proved critical. EPCOR’s rezoning request for industrial development was approved by City Council on a 7 to 6 vote.

In December 2020, ERVCC filed a legal challenge to Council’s decision with the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta. The appeal was heard in November 2021 and a written decision is expected in 2022.

National Urban Park

In June 2020, in collaboration with the Sierra Club Canada Foundation - Edmonton Prairie Chapter, NSRVCS contacted the Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change for the Government of Canada, regarding establishing a National Urban Park in Edmonton and the Metro region connecting ecological systems and regional landscapes along the North Saskatchewan River. 

By 2021, the collaborative joint venture grew to include the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - Northern Alberta and our advocacy led to an August announcement by federal Minister Jonathan Wilkinson that Parks Canada was considering the greater Edmonton region among the first seven cities for collaborative discussion of the new national urban park program. 

The October 2021 federal re-election of the Liberal Government and new Edmonton MP Randy Boissonnault kept momentum going. Boissonnault’s mandate letter as Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance includes “Develop a national trails tourism strategy that also leverages the creation of new urban parks in order to enhance local opportunities for economic development and youth employment.”

The October 2021 municipal election resulted in the election of Edmonton’s new Mayor, Amarjeet Sohi, who had included establishing a National Urban Park in his campaign platform.

The joint venture of NSRVCS, SCCF-Prairie and CPAWS-NAB presented in November to the City Council’s Urban Planning Committee in support of the National Urban Park initiative.

Current

See the Projects Page for our current programming priorities.