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Welcome to the Athabasca Current, where each month we share the latest opportunities for upcoming events, links of interest, and give you an update on staff and board activities. This month, we're doing a special edition on the 2023 Fort Assiniboine Bicentennial Canoe Brigade!
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Upwelling usually refers to the process by which deep, cold ocean water is brought to the surface. It can also refer to a similar occurrence in large lakes (like Lake Athabasca), or the transportation of nutrients in a body of water. In the Athabasca Current, we'll highlight a top priority item (or two!) here.
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Congratulations to the 2023 Fort Assiniboine Bicentennial Voyageur Canoe Brigade!
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The 2023 Fort Assiniboine Bicentennial Voyageur Canoe Brigade was a huge undertaking, and a great success. The planning committee for the brigade met weekly in the lead up to the event, which began in Blue Ridge on July 6th and ended in Athabasca on July 13th. Over the course of the week, up to 15 voyageur canoes paddled down the Athabasca River in celebration of Fort Assiniboine's 200th birthday.
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Change Health and Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation brought highschool students out for the brigade. In Blue Ridge, all the students practiced what would happen if their canoe capsized.
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On July 7th, the voyageur brigade was treated to a pancake breakfast sponsored by the town of Whitecourt before paddling to Blue Ridge.
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Setting out from Blue Ridge on July 8th. The conditions were very foggy in the morning, but cleared up quite quickly.
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15 voyageur canoes were welcomed by hundreds of people lining the banks of the Athabasca River. Fort Assiniboine, a community of 158 people, hosted a dinner for about 1500 people on July 8th.
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The brigade spent the weekend in Fort Assiniboine enjoying the festivities, including exploring the local museum, and partaking in activities like axe throwing. On July 10th, the brigade continued on to the Klondyke Ferry.
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There were several Athabasca Watershed Council past and current directors on the brigade, including our President Dan Moore.
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AWC Board Member Ida Edwards was on the brigade, and took up the bow position on July 11th, when the brigade continued onward to Chisholm, and camped overnight in Smith.
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Paula Evans, the AWC's treasurer, also took part in the brigade. The journey to Athabasca was supposed to consist of paddling to Chisholm, camping at Smith, returning to Chisholm and paddling from there to the Athabasca Riverbend Lodge. Unfortunately, due to flooding a few weeks earlier, conditions beyond Smith were unsafe to paddle, so the brigade spent the night of July 12th at Smith again.
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The brigade decision makers got together, and received permission from a local landowner to use his land to access the river 14 kilometers upstream from Athabasca, so that the brigade would still be able to paddle in.
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Everyone made it safely to Athabasca for dinner, which was preceeded by talks from local town and county representatives as well as the local MLA Glenn van Dijken.
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Voyageur Canoes paddling down the Athabasca River near Smith, Alberta
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The thalweg is the line connecting the lowest points in a valley, and thus the line of fastest flow or deepest water. For the Athabasca Current, the Thalweg will be events and opportunities that are coming up quick.
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Youth Climate Lab:
RAD (Research Activate Deepen) Cohort
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The RAD cohort aims to equip youth (18-30) to engage in their communities and deliver service projects that foster meaningful engagement, collaboration and intersectional action on the Sustainable Development Goals. Applications are open until July 23rd.
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A channel can be defined as the outline of a path of water. The channel is where we'll be outlining some of the work the staff and board have done each month!
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July 1st Open House
For the second year in a row we opened up our office on Canada Day for an open house, while the rest of the train station hosted an art show featuring local artists. Over 100 people stopped by the office. We gave out infosheets, word searches and colouring pages, and had lots of great conversations!
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Lake Sampling with NSWA
On July 19th, Ashley headed out with Marijke from the NSWA to complete lake sampling at 4 locations across 3 lakes in the North Saskatchewan and Athabasca River watersheds. NSWA completes lake sampling in collaboration with ALMS at Devil's Lake, Lac Ste Anne, and Lessard Lake every week, and Ashley was happy to come out and learn how it was done.
You don't have to work for a WPAC to complete lake sampling! ALMS and Living Lakes Canada are two organizations that can help support local stewardship groups and interested individuals become citizen scientists. Learn more about citizen science initiatives here.
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The next AWC board meeting will be held on September 21, 2023, more details to come.
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Check out some of our blog posts for more information on our projects and why we do them:
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Playfair was an English geologist who was among some of the first Western scientists to recognize that rivers shape the landscape. River basins and valleys are formed by water carving across the landscape. This section will be where we share news, surveys, and other links from across the landscape that might shape the way we view the Athabasca watershed.
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Fish Consumption Survey
Alberta Health has partnered with a researcher at the University of Alberta to launch the Local Fish Consumption Questionnaire. The purpose of the survey is to get fish consumption information from Albertans. The information will be used by Alberta Health to inform fish consumption calculations. The research group at the University of Alberta guarantees anonymity of the data collected.
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Study of Water Impacts of Hydrogen Development in Alberta - 2023
WaterSMART Solutions Ltd. has prepared a report studying the water impacts of hydrogen development in Alberta. In recognition of the potential scale and speed of hydrogen development in the province, this report has been prepared to assess the potential impacts of hydrogen development on water resources across Alberta, and to highlight locations in which available supply may limit hydrogen development. It is intended to inform policies, regulations, and investments which will best enable the hydrogen sector’s growth, while strategically balancing trade-offs within the water-energy-food nexus context.
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Introductory Document on Oil Sands Mining Effluent (Tailings Ponds) Now Available
Environment and Climate Change Canada has shared a new introductory document as they explore options on the management of the accumulated oil sands process-affected water in existing tailings ponds located in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. The new document is intended to provide information on current thinking and to solicit feedback on their approach moving forward.
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Connected By Canoe
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A confluence is a place where two streams flow together. If you'd like to help the AWC and support the work that we do, please consider supporting the AWC through making a donation.
Our organization is accepting donations through the ATB Cares/Benevity portal. ATB Cares will match 15% of every dollar donated to Alberta-based, non-religious charities through this site (up to $5,000 of matching funds a year).
Your support to the Athabasca Watershed Council will help us achieve our vision of a watershed that is ecologically healthy, socially responsible, and economically sustainable. If you would like to make a donation, visit our website using the link below.
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Bankfull is the point on the slope of a bank where any further water level rise would cause water to spill out onto the floodplain. We thank our members and partner organizations for their ongoing support. We hope to be able to go above and beyond in the work that we do, which wouldn't be possible without our supporters. This month, we have many organizations and individuals who we would like to thank, including the Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society and the 2023 Fort Assiniboine Bicentennial Voyageur Canoe Brigade organizing committee for inviting the AWC to participate in this epic event! We would also like to thank all of the communities that provided support along the way. Locally, we would like to thank everyone who helped make the final canoe landing on July 13th at the Town of Athabasca's Riverfront Park such a sucess, including:
- MC Rob Minns (Athabasca County Councillor and AWC Director);
- Colleen and Tara from the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre for providing an Indigenous welcome and song;
- MLA Glenn van Dijken, Reeve Brian Hall (Athabasca County), and Councillor Edith Yuill (Town of Athabasca) for providing welcomes and congratulations to brigaders
- Charlie Deshane for sound system set up; the Moose Mountain Boys, Brian Deheer and others who provided entertainment;
- AWC staff and volunteers who cooked hot dogs (Kailyn Gibbons, Nancy Parker, Kim Rowell, Brian Deheer and Ashley Johnson)
- Lisa Allan with Visit Athabasca, for advertising the event
- AWC staff and volunteers who cooked hot dogs (Kailyn Gibbons, Nancy Johnson, Kim Rowell, Brian Deheer, Ashley Johnson)
- Lisa Allan, Visit Athabasca, for advertising the event
- Logistical support from the Town of Athabasca Public Works staff, Todd at Select Rentals, Lori with the Athabasca Agricultural Society and Charlie Majorow (The Wood Guy)
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