Alberta's Capital Region River Valley Park

The River Valley Alliance
The River Valley Alliance is comprised of seven municipalities in Alberta's Capital Region. The vision of the park is to create a continuous trail and parks system that runs through 88km of shared river valley.

Already recognized as having North America's largest connected urban trail system, the goal is to create a truly world class park by creating new connectivity and enhancements in all seven partner municipalities. The seven partners include: The Town of Devon, Leduc County, , Parkland County, Sturgeon County, the City of Edmonton, Strathcona County and the City of Fort Saskatchewan.

The park, when completed, will encompass over 18,000 acres of protected park space for residents and visitors to the area to enjoy. 22 times larger then Central Park in New York, the river valley already enjoys over ten million visits annually and is a year round destination for all active and passive activities.The River Valley Alliance vision balances protecting the natural capital of the river valley while ensuring our residents and visitors can access and enjoy the river valley.

We invite everyone to come and enjoy the natural wonders and beauty of our river valley system and to follow our progress and we develop and expand our park. Follow our website and social media feeds to stay up to date on the construction of one of the world's largest park systems!

History of the North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River has played an important role in Aboriginal migration westward, the western expansion of the fur trade, early missionary travel, major survey and exploration expeditions, as well as in early European settlement of the West. Settlements along the river began with trading posts and missions that were usually situated on sites favoured by Aboriginal groups as seasonal encampments.

These sites were most beneficial for shelter, protection, and resource harvesting. Guided by Aboriginal people, the earliest Europeans along the river soon adopted these advantageous sites. Early European communities along the river were constructed inside forts.

Edmontonians were nearly 2000 kilometers from the nearest post office, and 2640 kilometers from the nearest railway station in 1873. The journey overland from Winnipeg to Edmonton took 73 days!

Ferries and fords along the river are a significant component of river heritage. A river crossing-based settlement emerged at the site of nearly every ferry. A post-office and general store were located at most North Saskatchewan River ferry crossings. These became the centre of local communication and trade. Bridges were not common on the river until after WWII (except in urban areas such as Edmonton). Bridges were usually built in the vicinity of ferry crossings, thus continuing the historical river-crossing routes.

Fur Trade along the North Saskatchewan
When the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company arrived to build their trading posts in the Fort Saskatchewan area in 1795, there had already been among the Aboriginal people a land-use system of gathering, hunting, trapping and trading in the area for possibly thousands of years. Groups of Cree assembled in certain areas in hundreds of tipis to feast, carry out ceremonies, and build canoes of the locally abundant birch bark. This attracted the traders to build their forts nearby in order to access the aboriginal hunters.

In 1754, Anthony Henday traveled further west than any European previously, with the assistance of Cree guides. He stopped at the Birch Hills near the mouth of the Sturgeon River on his way back to York Factory in March, 1755. There, he built birch bark canoes to carry him and his abundant harvest of furs back to the Hudson’s Bay. In 1760, he left the Capital Region with 61 canoes weighed down with fur to take back to York Factory.

In 1795, James Hughes of the North West Company built a trading post at the forks of the Sturgeon and North Saskatchewan rivers, near present-day Fort Saskatchewan. It was called “Fort Augustus” (named after Augustus Frederick, the Prince of Wales). The Hudson’s Bay Company promptly sent William Tomison, who built “Edmonton House” immediately nearby.

Legendary Canadian mapmaker David Thompson, his wife Charlotte, and their three children made their first trip through the Capital Region in 1806/07 (on behalf of the North West Company), heading west to Rocky Mountain House and beyond. At times, they traveled at night, in order to gain advantage over explorers from the Hudson’s Bay Company. From the age of 14 in 1784, David Thompson spent 28 years exploring and surveying the North Saskatchewan River. At times, he used Fort Edmonton as his “address”. Fort Edmonton soon became a major supplier of York boats on the river, as in due course, the fur traders switched from canoes to York boats to haul their goods. Eighteen men in York boats could haul a load that it took forty men to carry in canoes. Most boatmen were Orkney Islanders or Métis, and their working pace was cruel.

From Edmonton House, it was 2000 kilometres to York Factory on Hudson Bay, with lakes, rivers, rapids and portages to travel in between. The colorful sashes that they wrapped around their waist – characteristic of the
“voyageurs” – gave the men essential support while they lifted 40 kg packs. Strangulated hernia was the most common cause of death among the voyageurs.