St. Albert city council voted Monday to support the environmental protection of Riverlot 56.
The land on St. Albert’s eastern edge is habitat to several wildlife species and contains upland aspen forests. The 108-hectare parcel — which remains under the province’s jurisdiction — is also frequented as a recreation space. Coun. Natalie Joly put forward a motion directing Mayor Cathy Heron to send a letter to the province encouraging the continued protected of the land from development or any other uses that could damage the area.
Riverlot 56 is designated as a Natural Area under the province’s Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves, Natural Areas, and Heritage Rangelands Act. The act outlines the purpose of a Natural Area as land that is protected from disturbance, and maintained for conservation, nature appreciation, or low-intensity outdoor recreation or education.
The land previously fell within Sturgeon County, but St. Albert finalized an annexation agreement in January that brings Riverlot 56 within city borders.
“This motion really came into existence because council was seeing a lot of concerns from residents that this area was not protected on all the planning documents that have come into place since the annexation,” Joly said.
The land also has a recent history of uncertainty with the province.
In March 2020, the province announced it would look to remove 164 park sites — including Riverlot 56 — from the parks system to explore alternative approaches to managing the sites.
Later in December 2020, however, the province walked back their stance on all 164 park sites, announcing that all parks in its system could keep their designations and protections.
Riverlot 56 Natural Area Society — which has managed Riverlot 56 since 1984 — entered into a lease with the province for Riverlot 56 on June 28, 2021. The lease is slated to run until 2031.
The City of St. Albert is not aware of any intention by the province or Riverlot 56 Natural Area Society — which manages the site —to remove the Natural Area designation, according to an administrative backgrounder accompanying Joly’s motion.
Heron noted councils often write letters to make their intentions well known, adding that approving Joly’s motion would aid in communicating council’s values.
"We want [Riverlot 56] to be open for residents of the entire region to explore,” Heron said, adding that members of the society have been "incredible stewards" of the land and that she would like to see the arrangement continue.
Coun. Sheena Hughes said supporting the motion is “not a difficult decision.”
“We just need to reiterate what our intentions are for this land and make sure the provincial government — regardless of whether we don’t have control over it — understands what our intentions are and how we want to have it used,” Hughes said.
Joly’s motion cited St. Albert’s Municipal Development Plan, Flourish, which includes a goal of protecting the natural environment. The motion passed unanimously.
