North Saskatchewan River (kisiskâciwani-sîpiy) in Alberta Heritage River Designation Document: a ‘living strategy’ Concept Plan.

Client Smoky Lake County | North Saskatchewan River Alliance |Canadian Heritage Rivers System

Location Smoky Lake | Alberta | Canada

The Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS) is a national initiative recognizing the heritage values of rivers across Canada. It supports the long-term stewardship of these rivers, benefiting and enriching the lives of Canadians. The CHRS captures the stories of Canada's rivers, including their rich Indigenous histories. This narrative focuses on the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta, known as kisiskâciwani-sîpiy (‘swift-flowing river’) in Cree and omaka-ty (‘the big river’) in Blackfoot.

To achieve designation by the CHRS, proponents must submit a comprehensive Designation Report. This Heritage River Designation Concept is built around an action-oriented strategy that integrates a vision, principles, goals, and actions. The objective is for this strategic blueprint to serve as a long-term guide, enhancing recognition, stewardship, and promotion of the heritage of this enduring river.

The project consolidates existing inventories of the natural, cultural, and recreational heritage values of the North Saskatchewan River and its surrounding landscape. Extensive consultations with First Nations and stakeholder engagement have been crucial in identifying existing values and gaps, and in narrating the river's contributions to surrounding communities and the province. Highlighting the river’s values, environmentally sensitive areas, and tourism opportunities underscores the long-term significance of this vital river system.

The Designation Document was approved by the Canadian Heritage Rivers Board on October 25 2023 and supported by the Province of Alberta on December 5 2023, and kisiskâciwani-sîpiy was formally designated on February 2 2024. Like the river, actions to protect, enhance and improve its natural, cultural, and heritage conditions are dynamic and require meaningful communication between nations, governments, stakeholders, and user groups to promote and celebrate the efforts of grassroots organizations across the watershed. Ongoing feedback and knowledge sharing through community gatherings, coordinated conservation efforts, and annual reporting provide critical platforms to track significant developments and promote the values of this river system.

Designation will promote continued awareness and initiatives on the part of the public and all levels of government, to further protect, enhance, and interpret the river’s cultural, recreational, and natural heritage for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In essence, the river provides a platform to connect to the past, enrich the present, and protect the future. As the river system flows from its headwaters, through the diverse parkland ecosystems, and through the many communities that call central Alberta home, the designation plan provides clear connections and a common purpose to everyone in the watershed.