North Saskatchewan River Valley Park Learning Tours ... Summer of 2024
Coming to a laptop near you!
We respectfully acknowledge that the traditional land on which we reside is in Treaty Six Territory. We would like to thank the diverse Indigenous Peoples whose ancestors’ footsteps have marked this territory for centuries, such as nêhiyaw (Nay-hee-yow) / Cree, Dene (Deh-neyh), Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-in-ah-bay) / Saulteaux (So-toe), Nakota Isga (Na-koh-tah ee-ska) / Nakota Sioux (Na-koh-tah sue), and Niitsitapi (Nit-si-tahp-ee) / Blackfoot peoples. We also acknowledge this as the Métis’ (May-tee) homeland and the home of one of the largest communities of Inuit south of the 60th parallel. It is a welcoming place for all peoples who come from around the world to share Edmonton as a home. Together we call upon all of our collective, honoured traditions and spirits to work in building a great city for today and future generations. (Source: City of Edmonton Office of Indigenous Relations)
Vlog Overview
My vlog series is a collection of practice and research reflections. I am a registered professional planner focussing on parks. My practice included 32+ years of parks and urban planning experience combined with my Phd dissertation (2019). My research focussed on park land decision-making processes in Edmonton, Alberta, using institutional theory.
My practice was engaged in municipal processes that included park lands identification, park land assembly, zoning, funding, construction, programming and maintenance. In my vlogs, I seek to provide a balanced perspective, but I do offer strong opinions/biases on the importance and values of parks recreational and leisure benefits and outcomes sourced from both my practice and literature.
As a life long learner, I continue my learning journey as a board member of the North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society and the Canadian Institute of Planners.
Todays Ice Sculpture - North Saskatchewan River Valley Park Learning Tours
I have been given the honour to lead two North Saskatchewan River Valley Park learning tours at the National Canadian Institute of Planners Conference in Edmonton July 9-11 - Connection. I am super pumped. The tours are 3 hours approximately starting and ending at the Convention Centre in downtown Edmonton. Apparently, the tours are sold out.
I will be sharing what you can see, and cannot see, at each site, even though both are hiding in plain site! It is these underlying factors that help us understand park planning and parks service delivery with and for the community
As part of my commitment to parks knowledge dissemination, I will also share on this vlog the learning tour sites that will either be visited or discussed on July 9 and 10th.
The list of individual site vlogs will include:
The Mill Creek Cathedral - Assessing Recreation and Leisure Need - Part I Using Descriptive Writing (free vlog) February 16, 2024 (previously posted - includes a retrospective descriptive writing poem/short story of running the Mill Creek Ravine Trail)
Louise McKinney Park Part I and II (July 3, 2024)
MacKinnon Ravine Park Parts I and II (July 6, 2024) - includes descriptive writing description of visiting MacKinnon Ravine
Gallagher Park
Dawson Park
Terwillegar Park
Buena Vista Park
Wilfred Laurier Park
Rundle Park
Gold Bar Park
Victoria Park
River Valley Pedestrian Bridges (Fort Edmonton, Terwillegar Park, Strathcona County)
I will add to this list over time. These vlogs will start dropping in July.