Image: Aerial view of the North Saskatchewan River and City of Edmonton
Photo Credit: Travel Alberta / Dan Schykulski
On September 12th, 2024, two commemorative plaques where unveiled, in recognition of the North Saskatchewan River (known also by many Indigenous names) officially becoming a Canadian Heritage River!
Image: Dignitaries stand behind a podium and the two newly unveiled plaques. From left to right: Grant Lacombe, Secretary for hunting and culture, Otipemisiwak Métis Government; Elder Jo Anne Saddleback, Samson Cree Nation; Elder Jerry Saddleback, Samson Cree Nation; Senator Paula Simons; Jonah Mitchell, Executive Director for Prairies and Northwest Territories Region, Parks Canada; Jordan Ruegg, Planning and Development Manager, Smoky Lake County, Jered Serben, Reeve, Smoky Lake County; Kyle Schole, Project Lead, Smoky Lake County; Don Klym, President, Victoria Home Guard Historical Society; John Tchir, Director, Provincial Air and Watershed Resource Management, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas; Scott Millar, Executive Director, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance.
Photo Credit: Parks Canada / Daisy Ramsden
The celebration was held at Métis Crossing, signifying the completion of the process that began in 2019. The event also included a flag-raising ceremony, where the Treaty 6 and the Otipemisiwak Métis Nation in Alberta flags were installed and raised alongside the Canadian and Alberta flags, which will henceforth be flown at the combined plaque monument site for the Heritage River and the Victoria District National Historic Site.
Image: Ron Quintal playing the fiddle.
Photo Credit: Parks Canada / Daisy Ramsden
The designation covers 718 kilometers of the river within Alberta, complementing the 49-kilometer section already designated in Banff National Park. The river is now recognized for cultural and recreational value, including its importance to Indigenous peoples. During the ceremony, Elders Jo-Ann and Jerry Saddleback highlighted the river's enduring cultural significance to the Treaty 6 territory; while Grant Lacombe, Secretary for hunting and culture with the Otipemisiwak Métis Government spoke of the river’s importance to the Métis nation in Alberta.
The efforts of Smoky Lake County, led by Planning and Development Manager Jordan Ruegg alongside Kyle Schole, formerly a Planning Technician with Smoky Lake County, and currently the Vice-Chair for Watershed Alliance, have been widely recognized. Notably, their work to secure the Canadian Heritage River designation earned them the Alberta Professional Planners Institute's (APPI) Award of Excellence in 2024, as well as the Minister’s Award for Municipal Excellence, in the Smaller Municipalities category. This award highlights their outstanding contributions to land-use planning, conservation, and the promotion of sustainable development along the river. In 2024, Kyle Schole was also recognized with the Alberta Heritage Awareness Award and the King Charles III Coronation Medal, which acknowledge his efforts in promoting the appreciation of Alberta's heritage.
This section of the river was jointly announced as being designated on March 22, 2024, on World Water Day. This designation is a great example of inter-jurisdictional collaboration, with Indigenous communities and government, a non-profit organization, and municipal, provincial, and federal governments all working together to ensure its success, and the designation is but one milestone on the river’s ongoing stewardship journey.