Alberta’s Capital Region River Valley Park
Creating a legacy… for generations to come
Our Vision
“To create a continuous world class metropolitan river valley park, from Devon through Parkland County, Leduc County, Edmonton, Strathcona County, and Sturgeon County to Fort Saskatchewan.”
This will be accomplished by protecting, preserving, and enhancing the Capital region’s river valley park system for year round accessibility and enjoyment of its citizens and visitors. There are three key words that epitomize what the River Valley Alliance is all about. They are:
- Preserve
- Protect
- Enhance
We can preserve this river valley for the benefit of our future generations.
We can protect the pristine areas of the river valley to ensure they remain the home of a wide range of wildlife and fauna. At the same time, we can enhance appropriate areas of the river valley by improving access, developing amenities and in doing so enhancing our quality of life.
We can enhance appropriate areas of the river valley by improving access, developing appropriate amenities and in doing so enhance our quality of life.
The RVA vision balances protecting the natural capital of the river valley while ensuring our residents and visitors can access and enjoy the river valley for a variety of active and passive pursuits.
The Capital Region River Valley Park covers 18,000 acres linking over 88 kilometres through the North Saskatchewan River valley. It is destined to become a world-class river front park that would be to the Capital Region what Stanley Park is to Vancouver or Central Park is to New York.
Our vision for the river valley is based on balance, making sure there’s the right balance of protection, preservation and appropriate use of the river valley to meet people’s expectations and make sure it’s a lasting treasure.
River Valley Factoid
There are four main habitats found in the river valley. The most dominant habitat of the valley is the river itself. The second major habitat is the mixed-wood forest. The deciduous forest, which sheds its leaves in winter, is the third habitat. On the valley’s flood plains and farm areas, the fourth habitat of open fields and planted shelterbelts can be seen. Wetlands are sometimes present here. Wetlands provide excellent habitat for migratory birds especially ducks and shorebirds.