Introducing the North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper’s new Outreach Coordinator… Sadie Caron

Hello fellow Riverkeepers! It’s a pleasure to be a member of the Swim Drink Fish team in Edmonton. I am a former Calgarian and Montréalaise (Montrealer). Prior to my move to Edmonton last year, everyone kept telling me how gorgeous the river valley was, and everyone was right! The North Saskatchewan River is a beautiful body of water that flows right through the city and connects all Edmontonians. I immediately felt this connection to the river, going on hikes and bike rides through the many trails lining the river, and meditating along its banks. I’m always glad to see the busy parks and paths along the river valley, since it’s a perfect place to meet with friends and family and build a strong sense of community.  I have always loved water, my parents have called me a fish since I was very young. My grandparents used to live in a cabin right on the beach of Lac des Sables in Notre Dame Du Laus, Quebec, where I would play all day in the water with my family, swimming, fishing, and catching frogs in buckets (and releasing them of course). I also grew up going to summer camp in Tichborne, Ontario and learning how to canoe, kayak, sail, and windsurf on Eagle Lake. In high school on Vancouver Island, I was a part of the rowing team and would wake early to go out on the water, often meeting playful seals in Mill Bay, BC. My love of water continued throughout my years of study at McGill University, which brought me to Barbados for a field study semester. I was very lucky to go out swimming and surfing while also learning about the challenges of a water scarce country. Learning how people have come to adapt to water problems inspired me to work with water conservation, leading me to my position with the North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper.  As with many of us Waterkeepers, I have a dream of a swimmable, drinkable, fishable North Saskatchewan River. I have a background in environmental education with the Biodome and the Biosphere in Montreal and with the Telus World of Science Edmonton which I will apply to water literacy education across the North Saskatchewan River watershed. I have a strong relationship to water, and I’m sure that you do too! Share your watermark (your own story of a memory on water) to contribute to an important database of stories of water history.