Born on the banks of the North Saskatchewan river, Edmonton is a city foundationally connected to its waterways. Long before the arrival of the colonial names Edmonton and North Saskatchewan River, were the original names of these places. Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton) in Cree signifies Beaver Hills house, and Kisiskatchewanisipi (North Saskatchewan River) signifies swift flowing river. There is evidence of Indigenous peoples in the North Saskatchewan River valley -named by settlers- from over 10,000 years ago. People’s livelihoods were interconnected with the river and the valley. Many first peoples fished in the kisiskâciwanisîpiy, hunted bison, woodland caribou, moose, and smaller mammals in the plains, and foraged for roots and berries in the river valley.

We acknowledge that Swim Drink Fish Edmonton was founded and operates on the traditional, ancestral, unceded, and stolen territories, rivers, and gathering place of the Nêhiyawak (Cree), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), ʔakisq̓nuk (Ktunaxa), Métis, Anishinaabe (Ojibwa), assini?- pwa? n (Nakota Sioux), Iroquois, Denesuliné (Dene), Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Saulteaux nations, among many others. We pay respect to the elders and ancestors past, present and emerging whose histories, knowledge and cultural traditions have shaped the land and water.

The lack of clear public data and information about recreational water quality, worsened by a history of polluted water and a reputation for dangerous water conditions in the North Saskatchewan River, created public confusion about whether the river waters in Edmonton passed local recreational water quality guidelines for safe use.

In 2009, the North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper was founded to protect the North Saskatchewan River’s waters from its headwaters to the confluence with the South Saskatchewan River. NSRK educated and engaged with the community to empower people to know and protect the North Saskatchewan River through Water Literacy workshops and the Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring Program.

In November 2017, the North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper joined forces with other National Waterkeeper associations to create Swim Drink Fish, the organisation that continues today.

the community-based water monitoring program started in the summer of 2019.

There are many ways you can support the efforts Swim Drink Fish is making to keep Edmonton’s waterways clean. Click the links below to get involved!

Click here to learn more about Volunteering.